liverbearer swimming at bottom and cannot breath HELP

**nigeya** · 01-28-2008, 05:19 PM

On sunday i did a water change, before this my water was good, clear water and happy fish after water change i fed them with some live bloodworm, since sunday i have lost 1 platy and the other one is breathing rapidly and seems to have lost his aqualibrium as he is swimming all over mainly at the bottom i have dosed the tank with esha 2000 which is a fungus finrot and bacteria treatment i have also increased the areation just in case there is low o2 any help would be beneifical i do not know is this is linked to the water change, i must admit i have not done a water change since xmas as i have been away on business but have frequently checked the water and it has been perfect, all the other fish in the tank seem happy and fine.

Thanks

**NickFish** · 01-28-2008, 05:32 PM

Did you condition the water first?
Was it the same temp and pH as the aquarium water?

How big is your tank and what other fish do you have in there?
Also what is your definition of perfect? What are your nitrates, pH, nitirite, and ammonia levels?

**jbeining75** · 01-28-2008, 05:58 PM

take the activated carbon outta your filters while your treating it. The medicine can ruin the filter and the filter will take the chemicals in the medicine outta the water. Try not to dose your tank to much, it will send it in a downward spiral.

**nigeya** · 01-28-2008, 06:05 PM

i buy RO water from my fish shop and buffer this to 6-6.5 ph the temp is not exact as tank but no where near as cold as tap water, the water was bought about an 1hr from tanks in the shop i keep clowns loach x2 gouarmis x4 1 common pleco tetras x6 1 frog, guppies x3 and 2 other platys. i checked the water 3 days before water change amonnia 0 ph 6 nitrite 0.1mg/l and nitrate between 10-20 tank 250 ltr

thanks

**NickFish** · 01-28-2008, 06:21 PM

Try and get the nitrite down to 0.

You don't really need to buy RO water for FW tanks, just a waste of money. Buy a good conditioner like seachem's prime and add that to regular tap water.

I would say it is your pH.
Livebearers like pH of 7-8.5 and as low as 6, although they could eventually adjust to it, could possibly harm them.

What temperature is your water?

Oh and with a common pleco and clown loaches in there you will one day need at least a 600 litre tank. Those things get huge!

**nigeya** · 01-28-2008, 07:01 PM

so if i use just tap water what should i check it for after i added conditioners etc what is the safest way to increase ph can the rest of my fish handle what my readings are

**jbeining75** · 01-28-2008, 07:07 PM

If you got sea shells that will raise it. Lady Hobbs commented on another post about powerheads raising the ph level but I can't be sure thats correct as I have no first hand knowledge with that. Try not to use products like ph up as they will do more harm than good. If you get it closer to mid to high 6's the fish will adjust. Alot of times the best thing to do with ph is leave it where its at and let the fish adjust.