# Gasping for something...



## jamespond (Jun 13, 2007)

Is it normal for my 5 red bellies to be gasping so much? They sit at the bottom of the tank and gasp like mad, i have 2 filters in the tank and an air filter as well. the water is tested on a regular basis and seems to be fine. they are wild red bellies and are very active so im a bit confused as to why they are doing that? is it just normal? thanks


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## cueball (May 24, 2005)

well piranha are typer fish first off how long have you had them?


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## jamespond (Jun 13, 2007)

cueball said:


> well piranha are typer fish first off how long have you had them?


I have had them about 3 month. they dont seem to gasp for air at the top though, its all happening at the bottom, they only surface for air at nights.


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## Dav657 (May 23, 2007)

What kind of filters do you have? My p's seem to do this when they get scared but thats it. And how long has the tank been setup?


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## 8Jaws (Mar 23, 2004)

sounds like isnt enough oxygen in the tank, check you surface agitation, that the only way oxygen enters the tank.


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## eiji (Sep 16, 2006)

if they gasp for air on surface even if its at night then you have insufficient oxygen in your tank, 8jaws definitely right, you gotta increase the water agitation


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## SUS (Mar 10, 2007)

I agree, probably not enough oxygen. Another thing to check would be the amount of chlorine in the tank


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## Dr. Giggles (Oct 18, 2003)

post your test results.


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## jamespond (Jun 13, 2007)

Dr. Giggles said:


> post your test results.


The tank i have is a Juwel which has the filter built in already plus i have a Fluval at the other side of the tank which i put in from my old tank plus i have a another which is an air pump that just pumps air into the tank. The tank gets a 20% water change once a week and i add declorinator and bring the water to the correct temp before adding it. I done a pH test which came in a little acidic which is ok for piranhas as the water in the amazon where they came from is acidic (they are wild caught and imported) and the nitrite is only a trace and no amonia in the tank. Sometimes they are rubbing against the bogwood as well?? Strange fish...thanks for your help guys and keep up the good work...i will post a video of them eating now so have a look...


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## SUS (Mar 10, 2007)

jamespond said:


> post your test results.


The tank i have is a Juwel which has the filter built in already plus i have a Fluval at the other side of the tank which i put in from my old tank plus i have a another which is an air pump that just pumps air into the tank. The tank gets a 20% water change once a week and i add declorinator and bring the water to the correct temp before adding it. I done a pH test which came in a little acidic which is ok for piranhas as the water in the amazon where they came from is acidic (they are wild caught and imported) and the nitrite is only a trace and no amonia in the tank. Sometimes they are rubbing against the bogwood as well?? Strange fish...thanks for your help guys and keep up the good work...i will post a video of them eating now so have a look...
[/quote]

That sounds exactly like what my p's were doing. (flashing and breathing hard) I was not using enough dechlorinate when doing water changes. Go get some stress coat and be generous with it. How do their gills look? Normal?


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## BlackSunshine (Mar 28, 2006)

jamespond said:


> Is it normal for my 5 red bellies to be gasping so much? They sit at the bottom of the tank and gasp like mad, i have 2 filters in the tank and an air filter as well. the water is tested on a regular basis and seems to be fine. they are wild red bellies and are very active so im a bit confused as to why they are doing that? is it just normal? thanks


No not normal. we need to know your Nitrate nitrite and Ammonia levels. sounds like one is too high and they are suffering. A simple water change might be your soloution. how often to you change wanter and how much?


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## jamespond (Jun 13, 2007)

BlackSunshine said:


> Is it normal for my 5 red bellies to be gasping so much? They sit at the bottom of the tank and gasp like mad, i have 2 filters in the tank and an air filter as well. the water is tested on a regular basis and seems to be fine. they are wild red bellies and are very active so im a bit confused as to why they are doing that? is it just normal? thanks


No not normal. we need to know your Nitrate nitrite and Ammonia levels. sounds like one is too high and they are suffering. A simple water change might be your soloution. how often to you change wanter and how much?
[/quote]

I took a sample of water into my local fish shop and got them to test it last week and he said everything was perfect, only a trace of nitrite and a trace of nitrate, no ammonia and the pH is just a little acidic due to the bogwood i put in (apparantly). I also do tests of my own and everything is as the guy t the fish shop says. I do a 20% water change every week and had the tank set up for about 12 weeks. When adding the declorinator i add 2 caps of aqua plus to every bucket of water i put in (average household bucket size). I just changed the water 2 days ago and even after a water change they still gasp but only at the bottom of the tank not the top. They still seem ok swimming and darting about and eating is normal but they do gasp like mad (every half second)...their gils look normal but i probably wouldn't know if they didn't, they dont look swollen or puffed up. Thanks guys


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## SUS (Mar 10, 2007)

I would take your water and test it again, actually I would buy a good test kit I don't trust the fish stores test. Alot can change in a week when it comes to water chemistry.


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## Dr. Giggles (Oct 18, 2003)

They are probably gasping due to the small trace of nitrites. You should have zero. Even at 1/2 ppm nitrites can be toxic to fish. Add a couple teaspoons of pre-dissolved salt into the tank to aid in gill function. If the fish were being chased that would also cause them to gasp.


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## 8Jaws (Mar 23, 2004)

All fish breathe by pumping water over their gills to extract oxygen, which is dissolved in the water. Even when, through whatever reason, dissolved oxygen falls below a minimum amount, fish adapt by coming to the surface to gulp in air as a survival strategy. You're fish probably come to the top at night since the lights are out and they are at their most comfotable. However, this is extremely stressful for fish and if you witness such an extreme change then immediate action is required.

Also as some have stated they could be suffering from toxicity specifically nitrite toxicity. If for some reason, toxic nitrite is not being broken down and detoxified effectively by a biofilter, then it will cause a build up of nitrite within a fish's blood and tissues. When nitrite reacts with the oxygen-carrying haemoglobin within the blood, it forms a stable non-oxygen carrying form of haemoglobin, which will in turn cause the fish to gasp. A simple water test for nitrite will confirm or deny its presence.

Since your p's are coming to the top I believe you simply have an airation problem, get a powerhead and place it at the top of the surface or get a airpump.

Good Luck


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## MIKE JONES (Dec 9, 2006)

low oxgen


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