55 gallon emergency

[Tsmith1203]

Ok I really need some help. I have a 55 gallon with a foxface, goby, maroon clown, a wrasse, a starfish, with a few small snails 4 turbos, and some hermit crabs. Of course I have live rock, sand and coral as well. My fish just keep swimming to the top like they are looking for air. I don't know if that's what they are really doin or if it's because my ammonia was high. I've done a water change, added Amquel plus today, and changed my filter but they are still swimming to the top. What should I do? Let my tank go through this phase or try to get rid of some fish. I'd really like to find out before one dies. HELP ME!!! Please

[reefreak]

If you can bring some of the smaller ones by I can hold them I have a 42 gallon with a chromis and two clownfish also have a power head and a 32 gallon trash an you can borrow.

[Scutterborn]

Have you tested for ammonia?


-Ben-

[MadReefer]

dumb question but have you checked water temp?

[FireWater]

Checked other parameters? Are you running a sump? Protein skimmer? Any other way to introduce o2 back into water?

[Mike]

Let's start with basics- how long has the tank been set up? Type of filtration? Is there any reason it would be cycling? You should have zero ammonia, so it sounds like it might be cycling or crashing. Did you add a bunch of new fish all at once and exceed your bio-load? Any other big changes? Does the water smell/stink?

You may need to move or quarantine your fish. Do you have anything else to hold them?

[FireWater]

Have you added any other chemicals to the water in the tank? How is the water movement?

[txav8r]

Maast has some tanks on hand for emergencies but they won help you much if you don't have established water to put in them.
As others have offered, I'd send the fish on a sleepover in someone else's tank.

[Bill S]

I have the MAAST 29 tank just sitting here, if it's needed.

As other have said, give us more details.

[paul]

Fish gasping at surface is ammonio problem. Haven't read thread yet but did you cycle tank all the way. This is a new tank right.

[paul]

I can drain some water fro. My 200 gal tank so your fish won't die. Let me know I'll be up.

[MadReefer]

All the replies to an emergency situation and all i hear is dialtone on the other end... We tried.


Sent from Nasa

[Zack]

All the replies to an emergency situation and all i hear is dialtone on the other end... We tried.


Sent from Nasa

Let's give him a chance to reply I'm sure he's going through a lot.. best of luck, hope everything turns out alright

[MadReefer]

Oh not calling out. Just sitting in suspense is Killing me lol. I dont call people out. Not my style.


Sent from Nasa

[Zack]

Lol yeah, I feel ya, I know we all really get into helping our fellow reefers but I've had my hands, carpet and desk covered in saltwater before and it sometimes is hard to get online and reply :)

[paul]

I believe this is a young guy I met and recommended to join this site because he was interested in starting a tank. I warned him to cycle the tank for a week or two but no matter what test the water and make sure the parameters are safe. I think he jumped the gun. i don't think he knows the speed people reply on this site versus others.

[Tsmith1203]

Ok yea sorry bout that. Didn't think I'd get all these replies. So I did check the ammonia key reason I knew it was high. Temps tire is at 80 right now. The original water change was done before I changed the filter pad in my wet dry. But I did another water change after changing the pad and my fish seem to be ok now. I forgot to mention I have a lobster that I haven't seen in two days. Should I be worried?

[Big_Pun]

something died and is rotting away.... temps are lil high 78-79. look for any missing animals remove any if found dead

[FireWater]

Keep testing and be ready for more water changes.

[paul]

Them lobsters hide pretty good. Them crabs should have eaten him all up if dead. but remove what's left.

[Tsmith1203]

So here is an update ammonia seems to be lowered. But the fish are still goin up and down like the need air. Mostly the foxface. Help a brotha out please

[SABOB]

What do you have for circulation in the tank?


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[Tsmith1203]

Over flow box with a wet dry and a return pump

[allan]

I wonder if you've enough surface agitation to oxygenate the water.

Do you have any power heads in there that you can aim up towards the surface? Failing that, perhaps an airstone as a temporary solution?


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[Tsmith1203]

Ok I just made that adjustment lets see how it goes

[Zack]

Can you try a fish bucket arator from walmart? Like the one's for bait? Think they go for 5$ or so

[Tsmith1203]

Well he hasn't been back to the too since the change

[Tsmith1203]

Well that worked for a lil while. It's like he is hungry but I've done so much research and read that this isn't how fish look for food.

[SABOB]

Do you put seaweed in a clip for him/her to nibble on?


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[Scutterborn]

Agitate the surface of the tank with a power head. That will help to oxygenate the tank more.


- Ben -

[Scutterborn]

I wonder if you've enough surface agitation to oxygenate the water.

Do you have any power heads in there that you can aim up towards the surface? Failing that, perhaps an airstone as a temporary solution?


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Crap. Ok, so I'm a little slow...


- Ben -

[allan]

Sounds like he's wanting oxygen. But the water won't oxygenate quickly, it will take some time.

Does the fish look like he's gasping, or respirating quickly? How about white discoloration in the fins or skin? Ich can cover down on the gills and cause a fish to not be able to breath well.


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[Tsmith1203]

My friend Paul here told me my tank is goin through a cycle. Because the tank has only been up since April 4th. The fish that are in my tank were already in there when I bought it. But I did a complete water change. He suggested I take everything out get some water from someone else's tank and let my tank go through it's cycle. Even for my bicolored angelfish that is in my 10 gallon tank which has only been up for two weeks. So I'm going to need some help. Who is up for it? Thank you all

[Kristy]

We are going to do a water change this evening and could give you about 40-50 gallons of our dirty water. That might help..... Depends on what happened with the rocks and sand when you moved the tank. Can you tell us a little more about how long the rock was out of the water? New rock added or just kept the original rock? Disrupt the sand bed? Get a new sand bed?

[Zack]

If you stirred the sandbed you could have released some toxins into the water, also drying of your rock could cause a die off

[Big_Pun]

you jumped the gun a lil for saltwater, I would suggest taking fish back to store for credit and properly setting this tank up. starting over would be best.

[allan]

Yep.

If you want to temporarily hold your fish, I can store them in my fuge for a few weeks to get your tank cycled out.


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[Tsmith1203]

Nothin was out of water. When tank was moved rocks were placed in old water as well as a little water left in the tank for sand. Fish where in old water then floated with new water and then placed in tank. Right now I'm in the process of trying to get 35 gallons from someone else's tank so I can move everything into my 35 gallon temporary while my main tank settles down. Because I really do not wanna lose these fish. Only one I'm considering for trade or sale is my maroon clown. So if anyone can help me out ASAP it would be greatly appreciate.

[Zack]

Do you think a temp drop may have occured?

[Tsmith1203]

I know it did in the water everything was in while I was settin up the tank

[allan]

Okay, that's not as bad as putting fish in a two week old tank. Moving it caused some die off and that's your cycle.

Be sure to agitate the surface for a good gas exchange. The old water won't help with filtration provided by the live rock, and that's something you've got to deal with.


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[Southern Flame]

Nothin was out of water. When tank was moved rocks were placed in old water as well as a little water left in the tank for sand. Fish where in old water then floated with new water and then placed in tank. Right now I'm in the process of trying to get 35 gallons from someone else's tank so I can move everything into my 35 gallon temporary while my main tank settles down. Because I really do not wanna lose these fish. Only one I'm considering for trade or sale is my maroon clown. So if anyone can help me out ASAP it would be greatly appreciate.
Dang wish I woulda seen this last night we water changed and you coulda had the water it was approx 30 gal you woulda had to bring containers and pick it up tho

[Tsmith1203]

Just an update for everyone. I ended up gettin 35 gallons from Kristy on here. So now everything is in my 35 gallon tank except my starfish and a few snails with the live rock and sand in my 55 gallon. Unfortunately to report I lost my foxface in the process. I am in the toss up between tradin my maroon clown and keeping him. Really would like more than one clownfish once my tank does get established