neon tetra...equilibrium problem

by **aquaman80** » Sat Jul 05, 2008 1:44 am

i have 4 neon tetras but 1 of them i found out this morning got stuck on the strainer of my power filter. so i help it to get free from the strainer (where the filter sucks water in). then i noticed that now it swims like it has lost its equilibrium. it swims sideways, upside-down..you name it. so i don't know if this is the reason it got stuck on my power filter or it became like this because it got stuck to my power filter. the rest of my fishes are just fine.

what's wrong with my fish?

by **Peterkarig3210** » Sat Jul 05, 2008 3:21 am

Tetras are very sensitive fish and it probably got sick before getting stuck in the filter grill.

by **Tmercier834747** » Sat Jul 05, 2008 1:13 pm

yeah PK's probably right... Chances are your tetra lost his equilibrium before he became attatched to your intake.

I have tetras swimming by an intake that draws 250gph in a 30gal tank (filter rated for up to 45).

A whisper 10 doesn't exactly create the same kind've draw. Sorry about your fish.

by **aquaman80** » Sun Jul 06, 2008 12:52 am

so how do i make the fish better...

by **Peterkarig3210** » Sun Jul 06, 2008 4:24 am

I see you have a DIY co2 system. I would check the pH to see that you're not poisening your fish with too much co2/carbonic acid. I don't recall the optimum pH for Tetras, but pH fluctuations can do Tetras in pretty fast. Do you leave the co2 on at night? I would leave the co2 on, assuming the level is less than 30 ppm, at night, and run a venturi or bubbler at night so the extra co2 can be blown off during those hours. O2 is another problem at night the venturi or bubbler can help with as the plants don't give off, but actually use o2 at night.

If you use pH buffers it is difficult to mesure the level of co2 with carbonate and pH methodes. You can try the forum at www.plantgeek.com. These folks know a lot more than I do about co2 supplemented tanks. Good luck.

by **aquaman80** » Sun Jul 06, 2008 5:05 am

my DIY co2 system is a very simple one. basically, i just attached an airstone at the end of the tubing of my DIY yeast generator and placed it inside my power filter. it runs 24 hours. is this the probeblem?

by **Peterkarig3210** » Sun Jul 06, 2008 5:26 am

Co2 in water produces carbonic acid which lowers the pH dramatically. I would definitally try to figure out what your pH is and understand that there will be a higher level of co2 at night when the plants also give it off. Unhooking the co2 at night is the way some people go, but this causes a dramatic pH swing, so I just up the surface agitation thus blowing off more co2 at night and increasing the o2 during these hours as the plants don't make o2 at night and the fish can suffocate.

I'd go on www.plantgeek.com and find out how to measure the co2 level. I was doing the same thing with yeast and sugar and my tetras didn't make it either, but that could have also been my large ghost shrimp.

Check out the pH with a test kit with the co2 on and with the co2 off and you'll be surprised how much it will change.

by **Tmercier834747** » Mon Jul 07, 2008 12:22 pm

Oh! PK..I wanted to tell you...that SHO light is still working great. I went from the jet nozzle on the filstar to the spraybar to reduce a lot of agitation. My plants are pearling with no Co2 yet, and I'm having trouble keeping my vals under control, some days they will spurt 4-6", no joke. they're sending runners everywhere.. I also picked up a timer and hooked up one of my old airpumps to go on when the lights go off. The tank is exploding. The only thing that's struggling is the dwarf baby tears and I think that's just cause of the depth of the tank, and me having to keep replanting them with tweezers cause my striped raphaels won't leave them alone... Thanks again man.

Aqua: If you're using Co2 I'd definately invest in a timer so you can not only set your lights on/off for 12 hour periods but an airpump as well. They're great.

by **Peterkarig3210** » Mon Jul 07, 2008 5:49 pm

Awsome T83. I wish I could say the same about my tank. I've had the co2 off because the gas seems to keep deteriorating the caps on the co2 generator container and I'm too lazy to make new ones all the time. There's a lot of plants but it doesn't look that great. In the past I did fine without co2 and had nice plant growth. My hairgrass was growing OK till the tilapia eventually yanked it all out.

I'll get some of the SHO lights one of these days.

Aqua: I like what T83 has in mind for your set up. I should do that myself when I get the co2 hooked up again. I was just dangling an extra powerhead in the tank every night and it was a pain in the ass to take in and out.

neon tetra...equilibrium problem

9 posts