Why is only one of my fish swimming at the top gulping for air?
I just started a 6 gallon biofiltration tank, added water conditioner and appropriate salt, checked pH levels, waited two days and added three platies. After about 10 days they started getting a little white fuzz on them so I treated them with an antifungal. Within a few days they appeared fine and white fuzz was gone. I did a partial water change, added some more conditioner, and two days later one of my fish is sickly looking (clamped fins, either hovering at the bottom, but today only at the top breathing heavily). The other two platies appear perfectly normal. No detected ammonia. Haven’t tested nitrate/nitrite, but if that is the problem, why aren’t the other two fish sick?
Checked water and nitrite is 0, nitrate is 20, ammonia is in the “safe zone”. This fish got sick AFTER my water change, not before. According to a local pet store fish specialist, this one fish may still have some fungus issues, so I’m doing another round of fungal treatment. Thanks everyone for your answers.
some fish breathe in more oxygen than others. 6 gallons isn’t much. If you want them to stop, you should get at least a 10 gal tank. yes with a filtration system. but if you live in a colder climate area, you should get a heater for tropical fish.
hope this helps
they may just be getting air mine do this alot
That is usually a sign of inadequate aeration. I suggest that you immediately buy an airstone, tubing, and air pump. If you already have an aeration setup, then maybe the filtration is inadequate.
The fish may also be stressed out. Some fish are hardier than others, so nitrate in the tank may be affecting some fish more than others. Check the nitrate and nitrite levels. Also, you should be adding some kind of biological filtration booster (like StressZyme) in your tank so that you establish beneficial bacteria in your tank to convert ammonia and nitrite into nitrate. This may take 1-2 weeks, in a tank your size.
Make sure also that you are feeding your fish 1-2 times a day, with flake food (spirulina flakes and bloodworms are also good supplements for platies.) DO NOT overfeed, this will cause excessive nitrate levels.
Lastly, make sure your fish truly are cured of the disease. I suggest raising the temperature and adding a little extra aquarium salt and if there is still signs of fungus or ich, add the appropriate medicine for 6 days, doing a 25% water change every two days.
Good luck!!
—fish guy
EDIT: p.s. platies are NOT fish that get their oxygen from the surface, so that is not normal but it suggests inadequate aeration.
The tank isn’t cycled and you are killing the fish
Ammonia converts to Nitrite. The nitrite spike comes after the ammonia spike and is just as deadly as the ammonia
Fungal infections appear in new tanks because the fish are weakened from swimming in poison. The poison attacks the gills first. When the gills are inflamed, the fish can’t breath so goes to the surface
Google for fishless cycling
I think when people buy tanks the first fish they get should be tropheus or discus. maybe if someone is paying $40 for a decent fish they would make sure the tank is ready for them
Your tank is not cycled. Have you tested your ammonia and nitrites? Chances are these are spiking right now and you need to do a 25% water change.
You also added 3 fish to a 6 gallon tank adding excessive waste to the new and struggling biofilter.
The clamped fins and surfacing are due to poor water quality. Water changes need to be done weekly not bimonthly. 25% water change and gravel vac. Not all fish react the same way to poor water.
Just like all people are not the same while some get sick quickly others do not.
Water change and stick to a routine weekly schedule.