I have 2 chromis and a wrass in quarantine right now. They have been there for just over a week. All are eating anything I have put in the tank. I have a large airstone also going in the tank. I noticed tonight that my one chromis was swimming tonight at the surface with his head straight up and he was acting like he was sucking for air at the surface. There is no ammonia in the water. The other fish are acting perfectly normal. It is a 20 gallon tank, so I did a 5 gallon water change on the tank to get some fresh water in there. Any other ideas? Should I do a larger water change?
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- Thread starter wyattroa
- Start date
Newsmyrna80
Active member
Are you using Prime or some other ammonia detoxifier? Obviously something bothering his gills. Other than the piping are there any other symptoms? Head shaking, scratching, yawning? I'm wondering if it could be flukes?
Are there any spots?
Are there any spots?
Sometimes fish suck air if the O2 level is low. Sometimes they will suck in air and then blow it back out thru their gills because something is bother their gills (parasites, worms, etc.). I have a foxface who has done it for over a year now - seemingly just for the hell of it.
If I were you I'd take a small powerhead and point it at the surface of the water for better gas exchange. See if that solves the problem.
If I were you I'd take a small powerhead and point it at the surface of the water for better gas exchange. See if that solves the problem.
Deinonych
New member
My foxface does the same thing - just does it when he is bored, it seems.
I think it all started when I went on vacation, and for the first time ever my fish had to eat pellets off the surface (automatic feeder). I usually soak my pellets so they just sink and don't go into the overflow.
When I got back, some of my other fish would watch the foxface as he continued to do it (and suck air in the process). So they all started doing it anytime he would, but since have all stopped - except for the foxface.
Thanks for the replies everyone. I did use prime on the tank as the tank was thrown together quickly. There is a foot long airstone in the tank and a 50 gallon aqueon HOB filter on the tank. The fish have no spots on them, no head shaking, no yawning, just this one fish. I have been using a combination of pellets and rods fish food.
My first thing was low oxygen level as well in the tank. But I thought I had that covered with the agitation of the HOB hitting the water at the top along with the big airstone. The fish seems to be doing better today. He is not swimming straight up sucking air today. He is at the top which he always was but in a normal swimming position.
I think I will do another 5 gal water change tonight and see how it goes. Thanks again for the replies everyone.
My first thing was low oxygen level as well in the tank. But I thought I had that covered with the agitation of the HOB hitting the water at the top along with the big airstone. The fish seems to be doing better today. He is not swimming straight up sucking air today. He is at the top which he always was but in a normal swimming position.
I think I will do another 5 gal water change tonight and see how it goes. Thanks again for the replies everyone.
