Fish breathing rapidly, what to do?

[Letingi]

I have a 720L Reef aquarium. It is stocked with about 10 fish (two tangs, Flame angel Watchman goby two yellow tailed damsels two clownfish and a Blue green chromis)
It is also stocked with a lot of hard corals. Few hermit crabs one Peppermint shrimp and that is about it.

I have Tunze Compact Kit 18.7 sump along with UW light and Phosphate bed filter.
The tank has been up and running since 2007. All my readings are fine and have always been. Two months ago some of my fish started to breath rapidly and a few of them died. Angelfish, Tangs and blue green chromis where the one to die.

I removed all my fish and treated them with copper. They stayed in quarantine tank for about six weeks. I returned them to the display tank and within a week they have started to breath rapidly again.

I have checked everything and all water parameters are fine. I talked to many specialists about this and one pointed out that I should look for stray voltage. Tonight did a reading of stray voltage and there is about 77 volts in the tank. There is no one equipment that is causing this. My Tunze stream pumps are doing about 30 volts and the sump is adding up the rest.

I have been trying to read as much about this as I can on the internet but there seems to be many opinions on this like everything else. But I would like to put a few questions to you.

Is 77 volts too high for the aquarium? Might that be the reason for rapid breathing?
Should I use ground probes? Has anyone done that?

Any suggestions....

 

[Fryman]

A voltage reading w.r.t. whatever ground is not necessarily a problem. If you feel a shock when you put your hand in the water, that's a different story. Do you have a GFCI for the tank?

What's changed since you noticed the problem? Did you add a cover or change the plumbing at all? My first guess would be low oxygen, but there are probably multiple potential causes for rapid breathing.

 

[nrbelk]

could oxygen levels be an issue?

 

[SKurj]

How is the flow?
Tank covered? Water surface agitation? Any powerhead perhaps died and you aren't aware?

 

[Letingi]

I forgot to mention it, but I have added air stone to the tank, but that has not made any change to the rapid breathing. I am sure that oxygen is not the issue. My flow is great. I have 2 Tunze Turbelle stream 6100 (2x12000 l/h) and a 3000l/h return sump pump. The Tank is not covered.

I don't feel any shock when I put my hand in the tank and I have a GFCI for the tank.

So I am puzzled over this, but I was leaning toward the voltage in the tank. If that is not a problem, then I don't have a clue to what might be causing this rapid breathing.

 

[brettinteriors]

You would not necvisarily feel a shock. Get a grounding probe as a safety measure but I wouldn't count on it being the cause. Check all your basic Params sg and Alk most importantly. I would also make sure your refrac is calibrated right. Too high sg= not enough oxygen. Rapid breathing can also simply be stress related.

I forgot to mention it, but I have added air stone to the tank, but that has not made any change to the rapid breathing. I am sure that oxygen is not the issue. My flow is great. I have 2 Tunze Turbelle stream 6100 (2x12000 l/h) and a 3000l/h return sump pump. The Tank is not covered.

I don't feel any shock when I put my hand in the tank and I have a GFCI for the tank.

So I am puzzled over this, but I was leaning toward the voltage in the tank. If that is not a problem, then I don't have a clue to what might be causing this rapid breathing.

 

[tkeracer619]

77? That is no good.

Have they shown any signs of disease? Scratching, spots, anything?

 

[david pinder]

Whats your phosphates, what kind of plants in the refugium? Some plants will suck the oxygen out while in bloom

 

[Playa-1]

77 volts sounds high to me. That's where I would start.

 

[Letingi]

My SG is 1.025 Alkalinity is 3, Phosphates are 0.07 and all other parameters are OK.

The fish is not showing any scratching or spots. Only seems a bit spooked. I assume that it is stress and I thought it might be from the high voltage in my tank.

I have only chaetomorpha and hair algae in the refugium.

If I put grounding on my tank do you think that will affect the livestock?

 

[kissman]

have you tried cutting each pump off one at a time and see if the voltage drops? that would tell you which pump is leaking voltage. I can't imagine any voltage in a tank would be good

 

[Letingi]

Kissman, I tried that and they all are leaking voltage. Everything is leaking, but some are leaking more than others.

When everything is on it is about 77 volts, so I only have the most essential pumps running. Then the voltage is about 50.

 

[kissman]

my next move would be to buy or borrow the same pump from a freind or see if LFS will let you run a test and see if another pump leaks voltage. I would start replacing my pumps. Hard to believe they are all leaking voltage. I would mix a bucket of saltwater and place each pump in water and see if you read any voltage with the new or borrowed pump.

 

[brettinteriors]

Grounding probe, grounding probe, grounding probe.

 

[kirkfrey]

I know this is an old thread but wondering if you ever sorted out the issue?