Help!!!!

[benanddebbie]

Yesterday morning I did a water change as per normal. Last night before the lights went out the fish were all behaving normally and seemed very happy. However this morning I have come out and all the discus and all the schooling fish are at the surface gasping for air.

I have a few dead cardinals and the majority of the discus have lost colour and are patchy white. (bit like a dead fish).

I have checked all tests and everything seems normalexcpet the phosphates which we already knew about (that was why we were doing water change). I have put an airstone in..

WHat else should I do??? I pray they are not all dead by the time hubby comes home.

[DiscusEden]

What are your Ammonia levels?

[benanddebbie]

My ammonia levels are fine.

I now have our biggest discus that has sunk to the bottom and is lying on his side.

Want to take the discus out but only have a 2 ft tank that has a pair in and a 4ft that has angels in. So have no where to out them really.

Any ideas?

[scott bowler]

was the water colder and the ph the same as in your tank when you did the change ?

[benanddebbie]

Did the water change as per normal. Not had a problem previously.

The watrer was about same temp and the ph is 7.0. Our tap water is vary alkaline but we age treat with prime and occasionally have to lower ph. to accept able levels.

Prior to water change tank ph was 7.2

Now it is 7.0


I had a thought about removing my angels to a tub and putting my discus in the angel tank.

Not sure whether this will stress them more esp considering we already have our biggest fish lying on the bottom of the tank, alive but none the less on the bottom on his side.
Any thoughts?

[scott bowler]

did you do any thing that was diffrent at all , did you vac the gravel or move things around ? . can you put another air stone in and drop the ph just a little slowly. what is the tenp of the tank. i just worry if you move the fish the shock may not help .

[benanddebbie]

temp is sitting around 29-30

Did nothing I do not normally do for a water change.

[benanddebbie]

This morning when I have had the lights on the fish had gone down in to the tank, with some swimming around and the other hiding behind the drift wood.

However I have turned the lights off again and they are all back at the top gasping air. (except the one on the bottom)

[scott bowler]

have you had a lot of rain up there lately ? i know here in sydney the put heaps of cems in the water after rain here , do you have some prime give the tank a dose with that and cross your fingers , some one else my have some other ideas , i wish i could help more , can you put some pics up and show us how the fish is look ing ?

[benanddebbie]

had a little bit of rain here in town on Friday night. Out of town they got about 16mm and in next town 80km away they got a fair bit.

Will see what I can do in reagrds to photos. The tank is slightly green as I said previously the phosphate levels are up which is why we were doign a water change.

I have prime and can dose with that. I did use it yesterday when I did the water change. Should I dose again today?

Thanks for your help even a little is great.