I believe my filter is dying and my fish are getting weak acting tonight. is there any way to add air to the water? they are all at the top gasping and two are on their sides.. i believe too late for them =[
they are all hanging out where the water comes from at the filter. i need a fix asap.. i dont want to wake up to a tank full of dead fish.
2007-07-28 16:59:07 · 9 answers · asked by Test The Water 1 in Pets ➔ Fish
I think what you are seeing is the results of ammonia build up in the tank. I would suggest a 50% water change to correct that problem. Unless you are really, really over crowded, the fish will be fine without a filter for a day, just replace it asap.
MM
2007-07-28 17:02:13 · answer #1 · answered by magicman116 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
As long as the filter is moving water, it's creating dissolved oxygen in the water.
There can be other reasons the fish appear to be gasping at the top though, and among the most common are the water being too warm (warm water holds less dissolved oxygen than cool), or a high amount of ammonia or nitrite in the water.
If the problem is truly the filter, aim a small electric fan at the surface of the water to create ripples on the surface - this is all you really need.
If the water seems to be moving through the filter okay, check your temperature. A heater may be malfunctioning, or the room temperature may be too high. You can try a water change of about 15% using cooler water to bring the temperature down, but you don't want to make too large of a chage too quickly.
If both the filter and temperature are okay, the problem is probably the water quality, especially if this is a new tank (less than a month old) or you've used an antibiotic in the tank recently. You'll need a 25-50% water change.
2007-07-29 00:08:34 · answer #2 · answered by copperhead 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I would definitely do a partial water change, just to assure that the water quality is good. The other benefit is that it will aerate the water.
Another thing you can do is take a clean glass and scoop up a cupful and pour it back in from a height. Repeat a few times. That should aerate the water a bit.
Finally, next time you visit the pet store, consider buying a battery-operated air pump for times like this when something unforeseen shuts down your filter for an extended time. I actually bought one of those battery back-up surge protectors, the kind you get for a computer, so that if there's a power outage, it will keep your computer going for a while so you can save your work and close out of programs. I reckon it should keep my filter running for at least a few hours if there's ever a major outage.
2007-07-29 00:34:11 · answer #3 · answered by L H 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, I went through the same thing one time. I had 2 filters and when the power went out , the filters went down! What I discovered was that by unhooking the filters and cleaning them out (get the scum off), the pumps went back up. I just hadn't cleaned the filter's inside workings for a while. GOOD LUCK!
2007-07-29 02:55:14 · answer #4 · answered by DebbK 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
fish don't need air they need water. but rush to the closest pet store and ask for a new filter. Or try and fix it yourself simple and it's just fish there cheep get new ones if they die.
2007-07-29 00:05:11 · answer #5 · answered by Gabby Marie_♥ 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
i agree with copperhead for a change anyway lol or L H try one of those suggestion and good luck
2007-07-29 05:11:34 · answer #6 · answered by jerry l 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
buy a can of compressed air and spray it in the water.
2007-07-29 00:05:01 · answer #7 · answered by Sora 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
i dont know sorry
2007-07-29 00:04:15 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
taka a tube or straw and blow lightly..best answer???
2007-07-29 01:25:01 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋