I did a 50% water change on my 20 gal 3 hours ago, every one was fine, then about 20 minutes ago I noticed the neons and black skirts were at the top gasping for air. I treated the water at water change with amquel+, I have my emerency air pump hooked up to an 8 in buble wand dispencing tiny bubbles . Will this get me through the night or is further action required?
50% seems to be a bad number for me as well. 30% is great but 50% and I seem to always lose one or two tropicals or a Goldie. The A. Cichlids don't seem to care and never get sick.
Anyway all you can do is keep an eye on them and if they start to lose their equilibrium swimming up side down, I usually place them in a floating fish breeder so they can be near the top, after that its 50/50 if they make it but 20 minutes after a water change is not a good sign as mine used to get sick 24 hours after a 50% water change. Usually when it starts early like that it usual ends well early (live) or ends bad early (die).
The important info you needed to know was all before the water change comparing new water to old water in temp, PH, GH, and any toxins present in the old water that would have triggered even higher toxicity going from low PH to high. But we all make that mistake included not holding some old water in QT for evacuation when this sort of thing happens.
The neons have gone back to the bottom of the tank. they went up 2.5 hours AFTER the w/chalf of the blackskirts are back to normalcories and ottos are acting normal. I did not take readings before or after, it was just a weekly water change. But I think I may have used too much amquel+.
ok, pH 6.8
ammonia 0 ppm
nitirite 0 ppm
nitrate 5 ppm
it is heavily planted, and I don't vaccuum.
dedicated bucket and hose
water as close to temp as I could
I'm on city water and must dose for clorine and cloramines
30-50 % weekly
I lost 6 neons and 1 blackskirt, and 3 amanos so far. the other blackskirts are cirlcling around the top slowly and the cories are dating up to the top and back down the air pump has been running for about 1/2 hour.
