Recently, a small group of 6 zebra danios in our 55 gallon tank suffered from what we believe is a low 02 problem in a fairly new, but cycled tank. One power
filter - no airstone. We don't have a test kit for disolved 02, but everything else is normal.
We lost one danio Tuesday night (today is Thursday) - trapped between tank wall and a floating breeding trap. Other 5 danios appeared ok. We were out for the day on Wednesday.
We came home Wednesday night and the remaining 5 danios appeared dead - revived somewhat with airstone in unused small tank using water from the 55 gallon they came from and then doing a partial water swap with one of our other aquariums. We figured out the big tank must be having an O2 problem when they revived somewhat more with the partial water swap. We did a test by placing "sick" danios one at a time in the 16 g rivertank in a breeder trap. Recovery was obvious within 5 minutes - although we knew we were taking a risk by not properly acclimating them. It was a last ditch effort. This rivertank is a low water tank and does not really hold 16 gallon. There were previously 6 danios in this. It's currently above capacity at 10 danios. Suggestions on how to keep this from being a problem in the short term until we can resolve issues on the 55 gallon?
When they appeared to be swimming close to normal again, we released the danios out of the breeding tank, so we could remove it from the river tank - there isn't room for it in there and it had led to the demise of the other danio in the 55 gallon. Four of the 'sick' danios are almost completely recovered and virtually undistinguishable from the other danios swimming in the river tank. Aside from knowing the slight colour/pattern variations, I wouldn't be able to tell them apart this am.
The danio nicknamed "LouLou" - had issues. This was one of the two worst ones and one of the last two to be moved into the rivertank, so it would have been exposed to low O2 conditions the longest. This little fish immeaditely wedged itself under the rocks in the rivertank; we unburried it. Then it managed to wedge itself FIRMLY in the tiny holes in the fake rock that allows water to flow to the back water uptake area that creates the water falls. We had to physically pull it out to save it; then it promptly repeated its suicide attempt. Saved it again.
Said danio has been dubbed "to stupid to live in rivertank" by our 9 year old (it possibly was simply to weak to resist the current pull?, but we've never had another fish do this and coupled with its previous burying itself under a rock think it may be trying to hide and die?).
Our next best option at the time was the 10 gallon goldfish tank - this is our "special needs" tank - 1 goldfish bought as a feeder fish years ago with damaged fins that no one thought would survive, but was being tormented in the store tank, so the kids wanted to bring it home and let it die in peace. It's now three years old and named "Silverfin". And one cory cat named "Ghost" that's a recent addition because it was too stupid to live in the rivertank because it kept jumping upstream with the danios and beaching itself. Bad move - goldfish thought danio would make a nice snack. Back out of 10 gallon and into a cup.
Notice tail fin is damaged - not sure if from one of the stuck in hole rescues or the goldfish.
Next option - dump the small tank (it's a 1.5 or 2.5 gallon - the original home of the goldfish rescue, but when it decided to live despite its fins; it moved to the bigger tank). This removes all the water that was in the 55 gallon tank (danios original home) and replace it with water from the goldfish's 10 gallon tank. Filled it partially full, with one airstone in the pickup tube to the filter and another one buried under the gravel on low. Was trying to fond away to keep poor little danio from bumping into the airstones. Didn't have much hope that it would survive.
Thursday morning (today) - as expected, the little danio in the small tank didn't make it. EXCEPT when we moved the airstone so we could fish it out it's alive. Cranked up the airstone and filled the tank to the top with goldfish tank water (rivertank water is to low to take from because we borrowed water from it last night) - it improves - still doesn't swim well - but isn't laying upside down on the bottom.
Current configuration of the small hospital tank - airstone in a filter tube to keep fish from bumping against it one end is burried in the gravel and one end is just below the top of the water. Second airstone is in the filter housing again to keep it out of the way of the poorly swimming fish trying to keep it from hurting itself. Trying to get enough 02 in tank without creating to much turbulance on poor sick fish. Currently this tank is unfiltered - the old filter media from the filter from this tank is in either the goldfish tank or the rivertanks filter in case we ever needed it. Filter case is just being used to contain the airstone.
Any other suggestions on what we can do? Does the little "LouLou" danio have a chance?
Currently at our disposal
16 gallon rivertank (commercial brand - Perfecto, not homemade set up) - LOW WATER tank, so it does NOT hold anywhere close to 16 gallons - currently has 10 zebra danio (4 added yesterday due to the problem with the 55 gallon tank), 3 gold mystery snails, and 5 or 6 land snails. Also a water plant and plants in the land plant pockets (grown hydroponically). Water is filtered through the plant pockets and a biowheel filter with a boost pump because it won't work otherwise on the low tank level.
10 gallon tank with a goldfish with damaged fins and an albino cory cat, 1 plant and a couple of baby snails. Filtered with a powerhead style filter. Also has one airstone.
1.5? or 2.5? gallon tank - currently housing single danio with serious issues - filled with water from the goldfish tank as it was previously empty. Currently unfiltered, but can hook up the tiny powerhead style filter or the original undergravel filter. Has two small airstones.
55 gallon tank - filtered with a single powerhead style filter. Currently has no fish. Two plants and a few baby snails. Added an airstone. Our best guess is we are dealing with a low 02 issue - suggestions on how to fix it?? This is our first tank this size.
Suggestions?????
We lost one danio Tuesday night (today is Thursday) - trapped between tank wall and a floating breeding trap. Other 5 danios appeared ok. We were out for the day on Wednesday.
We came home Wednesday night and the remaining 5 danios appeared dead - revived somewhat with airstone in unused small tank using water from the 55 gallon they came from and then doing a partial water swap with one of our other aquariums. We figured out the big tank must be having an O2 problem when they revived somewhat more with the partial water swap. We did a test by placing "sick" danios one at a time in the 16 g rivertank in a breeder trap. Recovery was obvious within 5 minutes - although we knew we were taking a risk by not properly acclimating them. It was a last ditch effort. This rivertank is a low water tank and does not really hold 16 gallon. There were previously 6 danios in this. It's currently above capacity at 10 danios. Suggestions on how to keep this from being a problem in the short term until we can resolve issues on the 55 gallon?
When they appeared to be swimming close to normal again, we released the danios out of the breeding tank, so we could remove it from the river tank - there isn't room for it in there and it had led to the demise of the other danio in the 55 gallon. Four of the 'sick' danios are almost completely recovered and virtually undistinguishable from the other danios swimming in the river tank. Aside from knowing the slight colour/pattern variations, I wouldn't be able to tell them apart this am.
The danio nicknamed "LouLou" - had issues. This was one of the two worst ones and one of the last two to be moved into the rivertank, so it would have been exposed to low O2 conditions the longest. This little fish immeaditely wedged itself under the rocks in the rivertank; we unburried it. Then it managed to wedge itself FIRMLY in the tiny holes in the fake rock that allows water to flow to the back water uptake area that creates the water falls. We had to physically pull it out to save it; then it promptly repeated its suicide attempt. Saved it again.
Said danio has been dubbed "to stupid to live in rivertank" by our 9 year old (it possibly was simply to weak to resist the current pull?, but we've never had another fish do this and coupled with its previous burying itself under a rock think it may be trying to hide and die?).
Our next best option at the time was the 10 gallon goldfish tank - this is our "special needs" tank - 1 goldfish bought as a feeder fish years ago with damaged fins that no one thought would survive, but was being tormented in the store tank, so the kids wanted to bring it home and let it die in peace. It's now three years old and named "Silverfin". And one cory cat named "Ghost" that's a recent addition because it was too stupid to live in the rivertank because it kept jumping upstream with the danios and beaching itself. Bad move - goldfish thought danio would make a nice snack. Back out of 10 gallon and into a cup.
Notice tail fin is damaged - not sure if from one of the stuck in hole rescues or the goldfish.
Next option - dump the small tank (it's a 1.5 or 2.5 gallon - the original home of the goldfish rescue, but when it decided to live despite its fins; it moved to the bigger tank). This removes all the water that was in the 55 gallon tank (danios original home) and replace it with water from the goldfish's 10 gallon tank. Filled it partially full, with one airstone in the pickup tube to the filter and another one buried under the gravel on low. Was trying to fond away to keep poor little danio from bumping into the airstones. Didn't have much hope that it would survive.
Thursday morning (today) - as expected, the little danio in the small tank didn't make it. EXCEPT when we moved the airstone so we could fish it out it's alive. Cranked up the airstone and filled the tank to the top with goldfish tank water (rivertank water is to low to take from because we borrowed water from it last night) - it improves - still doesn't swim well - but isn't laying upside down on the bottom.
Current configuration of the small hospital tank - airstone in a filter tube to keep fish from bumping against it one end is burried in the gravel and one end is just below the top of the water. Second airstone is in the filter housing again to keep it out of the way of the poorly swimming fish trying to keep it from hurting itself. Trying to get enough 02 in tank without creating to much turbulance on poor sick fish. Currently this tank is unfiltered - the old filter media from the filter from this tank is in either the goldfish tank or the rivertanks filter in case we ever needed it. Filter case is just being used to contain the airstone.
Any other suggestions on what we can do? Does the little "LouLou" danio have a chance?
Currently at our disposal
16 gallon rivertank (commercial brand - Perfecto, not homemade set up) - LOW WATER tank, so it does NOT hold anywhere close to 16 gallons - currently has 10 zebra danio (4 added yesterday due to the problem with the 55 gallon tank), 3 gold mystery snails, and 5 or 6 land snails. Also a water plant and plants in the land plant pockets (grown hydroponically). Water is filtered through the plant pockets and a biowheel filter with a boost pump because it won't work otherwise on the low tank level.
10 gallon tank with a goldfish with damaged fins and an albino cory cat, 1 plant and a couple of baby snails. Filtered with a powerhead style filter. Also has one airstone.
1.5? or 2.5? gallon tank - currently housing single danio with serious issues - filled with water from the goldfish tank as it was previously empty. Currently unfiltered, but can hook up the tiny powerhead style filter or the original undergravel filter. Has two small airstones.
55 gallon tank - filtered with a single powerhead style filter. Currently has no fish. Two plants and a few baby snails. Added an airstone. Our best guess is we are dealing with a low 02 issue - suggestions on how to fix it?? This is our first tank this size.
Suggestions?????
