Benvilles' Roma 240

[Benville]

Commenced immediate water change once I saw even my Amanos were clustered around the branch that was protruding the surface of the water.

Really perplexed, as mentioned Ammonia and Nitrite were both 0 and Nitrates okay.

I am doing rolling changes, as the drain valve is emptying I am putting clean buckets in. Already the fish are returning to lower down in the tank.

I'm going to carry on with the water and do at least 50%.

[Benville]

Okay so 60% change done. Fish now behaving like nothing happened. I didnt think to test PH before starting the water change.

Only thing I've done different this week is starting EI since Saturday, 10ml a day since. Is there anything in EI that can cause a sudden deoxygenation?

[Benville]

Argh! It's only been 45 minutes since doing a 50-60% change, and they're all back at the surface already?!

[Wishafish]

How much surface agitation do you have? Could anything toxic have been sprayed in the room? Also check your heater isn’t stuck on.

[Benville]

One of the outbound nozzles of the FX4 points upwards and has always caused lot of agitation, enough to make quite a bit of splashy noises. Temp steady at 24. PH tested at where its always been at 7.6.



This started at lunchtime today, initially just the livebearers. I tested water then and nitrite and ammonia were 0, so I let it go.

By dinner time every fish was up there except the bristlenoses and Otos.

The picture above is right now, an hour on from the big change. Livebearers again (platys, swordtails and guppies).

At the moment the Angel's, siamese and neons are still normal.

What could possibly be sapping so much oxygen in less than an hour?!

[Benville]

I've pointed the second nozzle upwards as well so quite a bit more agitation now



I dont have anything else I can test to try and figure this out

[Benville]

https://youtu.be/WSqgC3qicXI

I'm sure I can see redness on gills, which to me says ammonia, but the water is still showing 0 on API master test

[Wishafish]

I've pointed the second nozzle upwards as well so quite a bit more agitation now



I dont have anything else I can test to try and figure this out

It looks to me that the surface is rippling not breaking. With fish gasping like that and an improvement when you poured lots of water back in (ie lots of splashing) I’d want more splashing from the filter.

Could anything have been dropped in the tank? Has anyone fed the fish anything today? Are any fish missing?

The basic thing is the fish were happier following the water change. I’d suggest more water changing if you can while you try to figure it out. Fish gasping at the surface like that is an emergency.

[Benville]

No fish missing, kids have been out all day so nothing added in. Only thing I've done today is the morning dose of EI Macro. I've pointed both the nozzles upwards as far as they will go and there is some splashing, and I can see a few bubbles in the flow.

Out of desperation, I put the black cover back on the back of the tank (I took it off yesterday to clean the glass) and in the last half an hour things have settled to the point that now only the Guppies are at the surface. I cant imagine a backing panel could cause them all to gasp though! Either that or the angle change on the out nozzle is making a difference.

One thing I did do earlier was nudge some exposed roots back under the surface of the sand. I know sometimes its possible for toxic gas pockets to build up in substrate sometimes, I wonder if maybe I released something?

[Stephen]

I had my neon tetra all at the surface with my newest Juwel 120L, the were virtually vertical.
I added an air pump and an air stone and all was fine.
The filter or air pump needs to break the surface of the water as opposed to just making ripples.

All the best