Need help fast!!!!!

Edmonton Eskimo · #1 06-05-2005, 06:51 PM

I have a 55 gal that was reef but I have changed it to fish and a couple corals(xenia and glove polyps) Everything has been great until I brought a small picasso trigger home yesterday. There has been no aggression at all from the trigger but I did have my red wrasse die last night but he had no signs of aggression either. This morning I notice all my fish are gasping for air. I immediatley tested my water and noticed an ammonia spike. Nothing that I could see other than a small piece of xenia that was dead. I have reduced the ammonia with water changes but nothing has changed. Is there any parasite that could have been introduced? I don't want to lose everything what can I do?

Aquattro · #2 06-05-2005, 06:53 PM

I'd add an airstone to relieve the gasping a bit, do a good sized water change. When did you re-arrange the tank, or did you rearrange the tank?

Edmonton Eskimo · #3 06-05-2005, 06:59 PM

I rearranged the tank a little yesterday why? Did I do something bad? I don't have a dsb.

Aquattro · #4 06-05-2005, 07:52 PM

sometimes stirring things up can cause a bit of a cycle. Just the anoxic areas of buried rock getting exposed, things like that. It is possible to introduce a parasite that might affect fish as you describe, but overnight is kinda quick. What is the NH3 level at now?

Edmonton Eskimo · #5 06-05-2005, 07:59 PM

I will test again right now and let you know

Edmonton Eskimo · #6 06-05-2005, 08:10 PM

I can't really tell the color difference but it looks like it's still at .5 but that's what it was when I started and I've done about 25 gals in water changes. Should I keep doing them?

1bigstud · #7 06-05-2005, 08:13 PM

doing a 25 gallon water change is quite a bit iny a 55 gallon tank jmo. How often are you doing these water changes??? You dont wanna change too much to quickly ime it will only make things worse.

Aquattro · #8 06-05-2005, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1bigstud

You dont wanna change too much to quickly ime it will only make things worse.

Curious where that comes from. As long as chemicla parameters are matching (pH, alk, Ca) within reason, there would be nothing stopping me from doing much larger changes. Not saying they're required here, but just wondered why you thought big changes are bad?

One thing you could do is siphon a 5g pail of water out, then dump it back and forth between buckets to add some O2 to the water, then put it back in the tank. Watch the fish carefully, as your actions will depend on how you feel they are doing.

Edmonton Eskimo · #9 06-05-2005, 08:25 PM

I have two airstones in there right now aerating the water. Is that enough? Surface agitation will help too right? I added some amquel too I hope that helps.

Aquattro · #10 06-05-2005, 08:31 PM

That should help. How are the fish? Are they gasping near the surface, or just gasping all over the tank?