Reply With QuoteNo one having any insights?
Did a canister filter wool replacement two weeks ago and five days ago, find the fishes all on the surface, gasping for air and also not eating. Left the lights on whole 12 hours, hoping the photosynthesis would provide the oxygen. But the situation did not improve and found my oto dead 2 days ago. The situation improved only after I put in a air pump, which I all along never use because I do not want the CO2 injected to be lost. I check the CO2 bubble count and find it to be quite normal at 2 bubbles per second. Had the air pump running till this afternoon and it seems till now the fishes are not showing signs of low oxygen yet.
Wondering is there a stage that the bacterial inside the filter is actually taking up all the oxygen. I only replace the fine white filter media layer while leaving the other 2 layers of media intact other than the rising with tank water. Had done this many times but this is the first time encountering such situation.
No one having any insights?
how big is your tank? heavily planted? any picture to show?
My tank is 2ft. Heavily planted, mainly with Crypt, big mixture of moss and pellia and a large Echinodorus type plant in the background.
I have CO2 injected and also a chiller installed. The tank had been running very stable for at least 2 years before this balance is lost recently.
That's really weird. Maybe you want to stop the CO2 for a day and monitor the situation. Without lights on, plants will take in O2 and this maybe the cause (may not be true). BB do take in O2 as well but unlikely to "abosrb" all the O2 until no more for the fishes. You are using internal filter or OHF or cannister filter?Originally Posted by cairocks
Yea, had stopped CO2 for over a week now. Had stopped the airpump one night about 2 days after the first posting but find the angler fish beginning to show heavy breathing, so turn one the airpump again and it was on since. My fish load is considered light. 1 left over angler fish, 5 congo tetra, 1 left over barb type (forgotten the name, but couldn't find the type on the internet) and 3 kuili loaches. Casualties so far since this ordeal is one oto and one crown loach. Other than the congo tetras, all other fishes had been with me at least 3 to 4 years.
How often did you do a water change? and also how many percent of water change each time?
About every forthnightly and about 20-30% each time.
hi bro, can post the water parameters (PH,GH,KH,...) after checking tonight?
Embarrassing to say, my tank had been so stable that I had put my test kit aside, now I dig them out, seems they have expired. Also, cannot locate my electronic PH test pen.
I had did a major water change, then stopped the air pump...it's 24 hours already and still looking fine. Will continue to monitor. Hopefully, the filter had cycled pass that stage and now can re establish stability.
It's been over 5 days since the water change, CO2 turned back on and the air pump switched off. Everything seems normal. The fishes are feeding and breathing normally. Seems that stage had passed. Will continue to monitor and will see if it can last till the next weekend where the next water change is scheduled.
what's your type of filtering system? Do change the wool regularly.
I find it more filter system work more efficient when the wool was replaced regularly.
Using a Atman CF-800 canister filter. Also have a small internal power filter inside the tank. Usually clean the canister filter every 6 months but the internal filter is washed every alternate water change. All filter media is washed with tank water and media is always partly changed. Never change all media material at one go.
Used to have a fluidized bed filter for many years too but that was removed 3 months ago because having trouble getting the flow restarted after a interuption. Also there is a chiller and a CO2 reactor attached to the system.
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