My Angelfish (freshwater) is not doing to well, Please help.?

Question

I just added a new angelfish to my aquarium and it is already doing head stands and appears to be gasping for air at the surface,though angelfish are not anabantids. My water parameters are as follows:
Ph~6.5
nitrate ~10 ppm
nitrite ~0 ppm
ammonia~ 0.1ppm
Total hardness~ 120 ppm
Alkalinity ~ 40 ppm

the other fish ( 2 silver hatchetfish, 1 khulii loach) and 2 crabs , noumerous snails and a few glass shimp are doing fine. It is a 10 US Gallon well-planted tank. anything else I missed?

well if you could help me with my angelfish I would be most grateful.

thank you in advance, Czar.

I forgot to say that i have two other angels, in a seperate bowl. that should be moved to the tank later, they also werent doing well there.

I had the fish store check my water, I had one angelfish die and went to exchange it for this one i just added. I just had changed the water about 30% - 35% a few days ago, I also have a powerful filter and a DIY CO2 injection system. I also acclimated it for about a half-hour, slowly addind water from the tank therefore removing the possibility of temerature shock and lessened the risk of Ph shock. So Im afraid that it is not Ph or temp. shock.

Answer 1

Everything looks right to me, except like someone else on here said your alkalinity (I assume that's kH) could be a tad higher. I've had a reputable fish store recently tell me 80-100 ppm's for South American fish.

I added 4 or 5 angels a few months ago to mine, and one by one they all tanked (no pun intended). My pH was about where yours is, and the store was convinced it was too low. So even though they're supposedly fine at that level, I'd suspect the pH and kH first. Try getting them as close as you can to 7.0 and 80ppm respectively and work from there.

Hope that's helpful.

Answer 2

Angels can be quite touchy about moves. Your water conditions look ok over all, though a little more alkalinity wouldn't hurt and of course the ammonia at 0 is the only really acceptable ammonia level.

I would suggest you may be dealing with either temperature or pH shock. The best thing to do is level the fish alone and allow it peaceful time to try to adjust. The next time you buy fish, check your pH before you go and have the store check the tank you fish will come from to be sure they are close or to see how long you should swap water to the bag to adjust the fish to your pH.

Hope that helps and feel free to email me if I can help further.

ADDITION: In theory, it could be the increased levels of CO2, but that would be a real long shot. In recent years I have noticed a huge increase in the over all sensitivity as far as angels are concerned, especially farm raised angels. If possible, you might want to look around for some locally raised angels.

MM

Answer 3

A healthy cycled tank should test at 0.0 ammonia. Also keeping those angels in an unfiltered bowl is exposing them to nitrites and ammonia, damaging their tissues and probably causing the behavior you are now witnessing.

Just because a fish "survives" in a bowl for a few days or even weeks doesn't mean it is doing well.

Answer 4

they'll consume very pretty much something particularly. Even smallish neons. besides, right this is something I decrease and pasted from yet another website (see "source" for link): food regimen Angelfish can stay to tell the tale on flake food on my own, yet they'll thrive and be lots greater apt to reproduce on a very much diverse food regimen. stay meals which contain grownup Brine Shrimp, Black Worms, Mosquito larvae, finely chopped earthworms and Guppy fry are commonplace with enthusiasm and could be secure in many situations. If stay food isn't obtainable, frozen applications of Blood Worms (Midge Fly larvae), Brine Shrimp and others are obtainable out of your favourite puppy supply save and are appropriate substitutions for the stay food. there are a number of dried meals obtainable which will suffice too. uncooked pork coronary heart, finely floor, blended with unflavored gelatin and frozen right this moment in small one serving length products is a sturdy and maximum economical addition on your Angelfish food regimen. Be actual specific there's no fat interior the beef.

Answer 5

You cannot keep Angelfish in a 10 gallon aquarium, they grow too tall for such a small tank! They are probably extremely stressed as well as something else, just return all your Angelfish or they will be miserable. Really though, they will not be healthy or happy in a 10 gallon.

Answer 6

If you don't properly and slowly change the temperature of the water the fish was in to your tank water then its swim bladder (full of gas will expand) and make it do crazy things.

Answer 7

i think it is probably the move. i was just talking to a petstore employee and summer is hard on the pet stores. a lot of fish get exposed to too much heat on their trip to the store. if it survives that trip then it has another greuling trip to your home ahead of it.