My goldfish mouths was always constantly moving. Because im a beginner i thought this was normal until i saw this video. What i did was followed your tip on lowering my water level a little and raising my hang on pump to allow the returning filtered water to drop into the water to create bubbles. So now they are all swimming with their mouths closed. TKS FOR THE TIP SIR!!!!!
i switched from a hob to a fx6 and also decided to take the oxygen tube out of my 3 in 1 because i wasn't a fan of the bubbles. turns out my fishes need for oxygen was greater than my dislike for bubbles. they started gasping a few days later and i instantly put the life support back on lol and now they are doing great :)
Gill plates should pulse once per second an indication of a good amount of oxygen. And too hot temps increases metabolism causing faster digestion, more movement, faster growth and shorter lifespan, keep them at the "minimum temp" they require this increases oxygen too and reduces theyre hunger, studies showed on average fish pooed 4 hours after feeds and only absorbed a maximum of 41 percent of consumed protein so dont buy food with over 40 percent protein as it will end up in your water. Keep up the water changes !!!
Hi... Can you PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE HELP ME🥺🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼 My two big gold fish are acting weird. They've been gulping close to the bottom of the tank and moving back and forth rapidly. . then they started trying to smash their little faces against the side of the tank?!?! Now they look lethargic and they keep asking me for help and I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!!! 😭😭😭 PLEASE IF ANYONE CAN HELP ME, CALL MY PHONE. THIS IS HOW SERIOUS I AM. I'M PUTTING UP MY REAL NUMBER. PLEASE. 5 FIVE 9 FIVE 44 zero ZERO 6 2. Please🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
@@kreapz6711 You can go by the books but ive bred over 3000 mbuna fry and served an aquarium store with over 200 tanks for yrs, they will be fine and breed between 19C to 29C. I recommend feeding them every second day to reduce problems, keep a surface flow for oxygen but the lower half of the tank water should be calm so they can sleep/rest, wholesalers mix paprika into theyre diet to aid in colouration and only turn theyre water over 3 times an hour so like a 3000ltre pump for a 1000ltre Tank, anyway some food for thought.
Great topic as usual. I sometimes notice this behavior after water changes. I usually do 2 or 3 tanks at the same time. The fish in one tank seem to exhibit this behavior more than the other tanks. I have been only filling the tank about 80 percent full and allowing maximum surface agitation for awhile after replacing water. I run some basic tests pH , amonia, nitrate before topping off . It's helping. I am still not sure why these particular fish stress out more than my other fish. They are 1 generation from F1 Moba, so that might be part of the reason. Everyone stay strong.
Trying to keep my tank at the 78 deg or even 79 deg is getting impossible in the heat wave we are experiencing. So I asked a knowledgeable person about it and he suggested putting in a bottle of frozen water to cool the tank down. I put the bottle in a new baggie and let it rest in the water with the lid securing it so it doesn't fall in. It seems to be helping. And I am also running a bubble stone in each tank to make sure there is enough oxygen. My fish seem to be okay. I haven't lost any in this heat wave so far.
Thanks for this video brother , I had my heater set around 82 because of the AC and summer heat...saw my Umbee gasping , turned up the air stone and directed the wave maker up for surface agitation..Big difference..thanks.
Sometimes the working of the mouth is the fish drinking tons of water to correct a mineral imbalance in theyre body ..The condition is called "oxidative stress" ....another cause of a working mouth can be a cichlid holding eggs or fry
All great points in this video and thanks for sharing! Few things that have helped me... I run a Fluval FX6 and an FX4 with Biomax media and I alternate the cleaning of these by at least a month to insure there is at least one good source of biological activity. Only deep clean half or a quarter of the tank at a time with a python vac. A deep clean for me is when I lift all the large rock and clean underneath. Lift the rocks SLOWLY so that large amounts of ammonia are not released before you can vac out the feces. I do however lightly clean the entire tank at once for general maintenance. Lastly I like to pull my jets to just below the surface if I have fish breathing heavy. This creates micro bubbles that blow across the entire tank and does a fantastic job keeping the surface broken. Use caution if using this approach however and check your fish frequently to insure they are not getting too much oxygen. Only use for a short period of time a few hours to a day and switch back to a lower position with the head pointed to the surface to create a current across the top of the tank.
Lucky I started watching you and others on TH-cam so I was able to learn about this very early on in my hobby I have never really had to deal with this
Great info Ben. I like how you have redundancy in your tank. I’ve seen many failures over the years and if a fish keeper is relying on one canister filter or one air pump that is a recipe for disaster.
Thank you!!! I have soft water/lower PH community biotope tank(nano fish in a 50G) and had some fish constantly panting , great flow from filter, and somewhat stable PH & my heat was 82. Lowered to 78 & it is starting to look better. Thank you!
Excellent topic I have not seen discussed before. In my experience it is usually an individual fish exhibiting this behavior- not a whole tank. I have traced this behavior to a fish that is a target of aggression or suffering from digestive problems or bloat. I still get bloat occasionally with my Africans, a disease I have tried everything to prevent- metrondinazole, UV sterilizer, water changes to no avail
Unfortuanately I did experience a whole tank and it was caught too late by me and cost me around 6 of my largest fish. I had shifted some canister outputs and they stopped breaking up the surface tension. I made the change before going to bed. If I had done it earlier I could have observed and corrected the situation. The next morning I had a hard lesson waiting for me. Putting things back to how they were immediately provided relief to the remaining survivors. Now I never make changes unless I can be around to observe the fish afterwards.
@@MA-jn2hc I agree. I even installed a commercial grade UV sterilizer on my 500 to kill any free swimming parasites- without success. It usually hits the most striking, mature fish in my experience. This is one of the reasons I am transitioning to American and Central American cichlids.
@@HalfManHalfCichlid for the last 6 months I haven't had a fish death related to bloat thankfully, thats because I have been soaking northfin cichlid pellets in a jar of water for atleast 10 mins before I feed them by doing this the pellets digest in the fishes stomach alot easier. If you see my video of my 6ft hap tank the majority of the fish in that tank died due to bloat so I have restarted all over again, so far so good touch wood.
I use the filter to disturb the surface of the water and an air pump as well, but it doesn't seem to help. I will lower the temperature a bit and not feed them for a couple of days (got some nitrate and nitrite excess). Hope it helps. Thanks for the video though, very informative!
Only one out of my 4 fish is doing this so I'm REALLY confused. But before resorting to a water change, as my water levels are good, I am gonna reposition my filter and add my spare water pump and see if that helps. Thanks for the tips!
Moved the filter upwards, so the water pushed upwards like a small fountain, added some more water to the tank. Both steps helped to reduce the gasping...
this is very helpful. thankyou so much! i have a doubt recently about my hanging filter. should i lower the water or just just leave it almost full. shortly after i panicked because my fish do gasping so much and gladly i found this video.
With some hang-on-back filters you get very little surface break up. It’s quiet but poor in adding oxygen. You can lower the water level or add a small wave maker, pointed toward the surface, or you can add an air stone.
I have three glo tetras. Only one is constantly opening and closing his mouth. He is slow and doesn't seem to go for the food. I have a pump and an air stick on constantly. The temp is at 80. Do you think it would help if I took that fish out into a separate little tank with the air stick
I have a 3gallon aquarium with 8 tiny fishes and I put my air pump into setting number 2. because I noticed that few of them kept swimmin up and their mouths are at the surface. One of them stayed like that for minutes. I have also aquatic plants so idk why some of them do that
thanks ya saved my fishies for my daughter, store told me the filter would be enough to introduce oxygen but it wwsnt fish were gasping like crazy i went to walmart after seeing this picked up a aerator threw it in with a large bubble stone and 30 mins later they were not gasping anymore.
Hello! I have a male turquoise guppy who for the past 2 days has been lying at the bottom of the tank behind the plants in my fish tank. He is gasping for air and his gills are puffed up. When it is feeding time, he comes up to the surface but is not able to eat anything. Eventually, he goes back down. I don’t know if he’s gotten an infection or disease and have had no luck with researching. Please let me know what I should do.
@@BenOchart All the other fish are happy and healthy, but my guppy looks thin and frail. He is pretty much the opposite of bloated. I forgot to add that his tail is ripped, but it happened way before he became sick. Although sometimes I can see dots of blood on it. Is there a way I could send you a picture or video? Also, thank you for replying. I truly appreciate it.🙂
Mines multiple problems. Planted tank. Ten gallons 2 mystery snails 2 corydora (the other 4 died) 1 Betta 5 neon tetra. Over fed created to much ammonia nitrite and nitrates and not enough surface break up to exchange that o2 the plants release at night. Fish are healthy but gasping. Daily water changes and treated with a lock up to let the. Illogical filtration work. Cut feeding probably to 5 times in a 7 day period. Turned up the air on my air stone. Had it low because I have a Betta and a hob filter I didn't want him getting pushed around.
Hi Ben. What if it's just one fish? I moved a Blueberry OB from my 360 to my 75 grow out tank. He is still doing it. Not at the surface. Probably internal parasites?
Not too high or you'll risk water being able to spill on to the floor if the unit shifts. That being said, you're method would be more aesthetically pleasing.
Hey what's up dude just now seeing your video for the first time I subscribed you seem like an awesome guy that knows a lot about fish I just had a pebble stuck in my one fish's mouth I had to get it out with tweezers. A few years back he jumped out of the tank and landed in a kitty litter box and got chemical burn and tail rot luckily I saved him he's still alive this day that happened about 3 to 5 years ago.
I own goldfish, are they not meant to open and close their mouths? their not going to the top of the tank to get air so im assuming the tank is fine, (I am due for a cleaning just waiting on supplies to come that I ordered) Or are goldfish not meant to open n close their mouths?
Thank you for stopping by! For more fish keeping videos with tricks, tips and hacks, check out these playlists: For "My Best Fish Keeping Tips" click here: th-cam.com/play/PLr8ew8o8WXoDLeItfzOiRG8DV-1W9qNX4.html For tips and tricks with Fluval FX canister filters go here: th-cam.com/play/PLr8ew8o8WXoC8gSuqdG1c4nOzlAMFTmiD.html For tips and tricks with SunSun canister filters go here: th-cam.com/play/PLr8ew8o8WXoCiMWEpBFJFJGxTqJH_MdMg.html For videos on water changes and controlling nitrates, click here: th-cam.com/play/PLr8ew8o8WXoCdEYkD0rQa0OWejFk5-bHD.html For videos on general canister filter maintenance, click here: th-cam.com/play/PLr8ew8o8WXoA-6pu7lFTc_D6idLKGCE2j.html My Top 10 most popular videos of all time: th-cam.com/play/PLr8ew8o8WXoBdSWOkNg1Roe2M47dP9Mva.html What products do I use and recommend to keep my fish healthy and tanks looking great? Visit my Amazon store at: www.amazon.com/shop/benochart You Rock!
My way of keeping fish I use sponge filter and internal filter, For me the most important oxygen exchange without that no matter how good of the media you are using. The fish will have difficulty of breathing this’s how I do, Please that my message as a second opinion. They are lot of way keeping Aquarium fish healthy stay healthy. 😊
One of my lemon tetra fish, the smaller one seems to be panting a bit. The others are all fine. Despite being panting, he does not rise to the surface. What could I do? I thought about medicating him to treat some possible illness, he's not moving much.
Just had this today, noticed my Tetra tank had them gasping and not moving much, it was a combination of the treatment i added with the pump suddenly becoming clogged so hardly no water movement and heavy treatment dose, quickly dont a 50% WC and cleaned the pump up quick from the clog. Fingers crossed they are ok tomorrow, seeing those Tetras with mouths open so wide gasping like that was real horrible to see tbh.
The video is very informative. I have 10 Koi fishes. 9 fishes are normal but 1 fish is working on the mouth open and closed continuously. Water temperature is normal and oxygen level is also good. Only 1 fish is working on the mouth. What is the problem and its solution??? Please give me the suggestion. Thanks,
I recently set up my first tank and am experiencing issues similar to this. I have 8 rummy nose tetras and 10 shrimp. My fish constantly appears to be hyperventilating, and the shrimp (or at least the cherries- I have both cherries and ghosts) are acting lethargic. Ammonia is 0, Nitrite is 0, and Nitrate is under 5ppm. My pH is about 7.2, my temp is about 78, and I'm getting pretty good surface tension. My fish are behaving normally other than rapid mouth and gill movement- I currently have no way of testing my gH or kH, but I took a sample to my local aquarium store and was told it was acceptable, although could be lower. My fish have been having this problem for a while, and I CANNOT figure out what is wrong. Any tips?
I'm having the exact problem with my betta. My pH & temp is the same as yours, yet he still seems to be moving his mouth a lot...& has moments on & off where he breathes heavy. I've done basically the same as you've described, more than once, & I still cannot figure out what to do... Did you ever have any luck with yours?
@@kimtate1411 Haha well its a year later, I'm curious if you ever found an issue with your tank or your shrimp? All of my tetras are still alive and well so this is just one of life's mysteries to me
Hi Ben - another informative video. Could you share if you ever had one of your cichlids get Malawi bloat? If so, how can you treat it? I have one now that ate too much protein & is at times listless & not much of an appetite. Any suggestions? Thanks! Dwayne
My hubby gave the small Oscar, we bought today a freeze-dried shrimp that may have been too big. We left and came back and it was still hanging out of its mouth. He's finally got it to where his mouth is closed but he seems to be opening and shutting it's mouth a lot repeatedly and now we're worried It's having trouble
I had to pull a piece of a fake plant out of a fish that was holy his haw open. If he’s still looking off after a a few more hours get a pair of tweezers, net him out and pull it out.
@@BenOchart thank you, it finally got down and we also realized the ph was off so we got that taken care of and it seems to be doing fine now! We are brand new owning fish!
I had over 20 cichlids And five Bala sharks for over a year and just this night when I came downstairs 17 of them Were dead I instantly took the remaining survivors out and placed them in a new tank because it seemed like the water may have been toxic but do you know what that most likely would be?
I have an angelfish doing this right now. Water parameters are normal, tank’s at 76°, bubbler going. I wonder if he’s choking on a shrimp pellet or something else
Ok that’s great and all. I have bubblers, I have a sandstone and I turned up my filter and my one fish is still gasping. Did a water change. So if it’s a parasite how do you treat it? Kind of left us hanging. Should I put my fish in the hospital tank and treat it? More water changes?
Just one is gasping? Could be several things. Old age, gill flukes, etc. If the rest look good I’d separate into a hospital tank and hit with something like API General Cure.
I am using two 4 inch air stones and have a good temp in my water. I have large danios that been around for a while now but they are not at the top of the water but are breathing very fast. They are very active and eat well during feeding time. I use filtered water from a Berkey water system to avoid chemicals. Is it because of the type of fish or what am I doing wrong?
Hello Ben, thank you for your video! I have a question for you. Could you please tell me the name of your haplochromis with is blue and shape as a long flute. I will be interesseted to buy. Thank you.
@@BenOchart Hey Ben, I actually have one of those haps that I got from the Cichlid Shack. James said it was called a Mylochromis Lateristriga but I do recall him calling it a longnose also. They look very similar to a Malawi Gar but seem to be thicker from top to bottom and maybe some color variation. Just my two cents.
A lot of fish have teeth in their gills or throats. Cyprinids and Cyprinodonts come to mind. They will open and close their mouths in an eratic fashion while eating. It's how they chew. This should only last a few moments until the food item is swallowed or spit out. You will often see food particles being ejected thru the gills at this time.
I got a ripple in my 105l tank is that enough ? I have guppies I have a heater on it turns on and of when it gets to 25 degree's I need to try send a vidio to you and show you mabie you can help me many thanks
Think I solved it I put a bubble pump in the tank and the water is having more bubbles in water and also the top of the water is moving now I keep ya posted
My Koi Fish are doing this, I've changed water, gave extra oxygen and checked the ammonia, all's good. Last option is checking for parasites, but i don't know how...
Thanks for the video I just did a water change and my angelfish are doing this and I didn’t know what was going on because my blue Jack Ramsey aren’t doing it now I know
I have a Japanese fantail Butterfly Koi his name is Magic I've had it for a very long time he was just a baby when I got him now he's about as big as my hand he is in a 70 gallon tank with one other fish and that's it but he has been working his mouth very much so but I have three filters that two of them sit on the back of a tank the other one sits in the tank the two that sit on the take itself I did not like all the noise of the waterfall filters so I decided to put a piece of plastic so therefore it wouldn't make so much noise that was a stupid move by watching your video I took the pieces of plastic the waterfall filters that sit on the back of a tank an instantly he has stopped using his mouth and being erratic I know some people would say it's just a fish but I'm just a human but we are all here for a reason and we all want to live happily and healthy so thanks for your video I appreciate it very much
Hey Ben I’m new to the hobby and I’m very concerned with my fish I had 8 African cichlids now I have 4 the others would swim up to the surface and suddenly drop to the floor and repeat until they died any idea of what’s wrong?
Sounds like oxygen starvation or some type of poisoning. Without seeing it it’s almost impossible to say. Is that wave maker pointed toward the surface ?
@@BenOchartyes it is and I’m honestly really confused since they were doing okay for the first month I had them now the ones I have left seem to be really stressed out but aren’t reacting like the others
I am having this problem with tetras and they are dieing off. I started keeping tropicals in the 80s and never had this problem. Recently returned to the hobby. Thank you for this. 👍🇺🇸 🇬🇧
Help. I have a 32 gallon planted tank. I use hang on filter + air bubble machine and a heater. All my tetras are doing fine except my 2 Blue Angels they sometimes come to the surface and just gasp.what might be the reason? Help
I've had my tank since October of last year, and today was the first day that happened. I accidentally spilled way too much food in, so I did a water change/gravel vac, and after all that is when my neons were gasping for air. My black skirts were fine though. I changed the filter and adjusted the flow of it to get it moving more, and that's when my neons calmed down and no longer are gasping for air. It's a 10 gallon tank, should I get a bubbler as well?
A small airstone wouldn't hurt. Black skirts are very tough fish and in the past were commonly used for cycling tanks. Neons are way more sensitive. Sounds like you caught it in time.
I don’t have a filter and my fish bowl isn’t meant for a bowl because we couldn’t get a fish bowl and they are gasping so if I change the bowl will they stop gasping?
Hey I know it's an old video but how you mentioned it's summer time temperature rises in the aquarium that's what I'm going through right now my heater is set on 80 but it hits like 85゚ So I thought about unplugging the year and plug it back in but I forgot and the next day I see who's at 78゚ and one of my fish died =/ ... ! What should I do the lower the temperature during the summer or what? ? Confused
Hey Ben so my fish still gasping but I have 2 air stone and also have my one my output breaking the water one top. Also the temperature it at 80. 55 gallons with 7 African cichlids. Thanks in advance.
@@BenOchart Severum is one year old. I treated him with Sera Costapur and his breathing is much better but still much faster than the others. He eats normally, he's just a little fatter than the others.
I clean my aquarium for every week, clean the pump, and remove about 1/3 water, and add new waters, even with some aqua save liquid, that should make the fish more comfortable with new water in the aquarium. I also have air pump in my aquarium and temperature on 25 degress (And where the thermostat is, is the warmest area in the aquraium). All my fish seems good except one, and that fish keep make fast mouth movement for many days, and i cant find any solution on it. The fish will many times stay near the thermostat, where it is the warmest area. I also tried add esha2000 in the aqurium. It help a little, but some days after, the problem still continues. Some times the fish is fresh enough to swim more around, but it is not so often
Thankyou this video was a big help. My platy is in the corner of the tank to the top. Breathing heavy and fins moving erratically. The other fish in the tank seem fine no issues. The tank is clean and declorinator is in the water. Along with filer boost. I have a heater set on 25. I'm confused :(
I need help, my neon pink zerbra danio has a good filter, a bubble stone, cool water, clean water, and a good tank just for her alone, and she's constantly at a fast pace opening and closing her mouth, im worried !!
I have some cardinal tetras that are consistently gasping, and otherwise acting normal. I have a sponge filter so I don't think oxygen is a problem. my other fish seem fine, so I don't know what the problem is
@@BenOchart ammonia, ph, nitrate and nitrite are all good. and the temp is usually at 77, but for some reason is seems to have dropped to 74 today. I did a large water change yesterday and the water dropped below the line for a short period of time on one corner of the heater, (its on an angle) so I hope that didn't affect it although it seems to be heating still. I'm still new to aquariums, I have no idea if thats dangerous to do or not
I have introduced Severum fish to 120 Gallon tank, and tank already has 2 silver dollars. He is actively swimming around the tank and doing his research, however he is doing rapid breathing. Water parameters looks good, I have 2 10inch air stones with FX4 filter. is it normal for new fish since he is doing his research in the new tank?
They will breath fast, like humans, even on high alert. If it continues and he starts being inactive and not eating, you have a problem. If he’s active, colorful and eating well I wouldn’t worry too much.
I have a question my fish have ich so I have them in a quarantine tank with a air stone filter and bubbler which I add salt to and they still gasp what do I do
The Ich, if on the gill plates, might be making it hard to breathe. Also, if the temp is high, that can prevent oxygen from getting into the water. If running warm to kill the ich, you might need a second air stone or a powerhead or wave maker to break up surface tension and get the bad gas out and O2 in.
I resolved it by you tubing this video. My tank was to full, and water surface was not breaking up. Now they are back to themselves. Thankyou
Very happy to hear this 😀👍🏻
My goldfish mouths was always constantly moving. Because im a beginner i thought this was normal until i saw this video. What i did was followed your tip on lowering my water level a little and raising my hang on pump to allow the returning filtered water to drop into the water to create bubbles. So now they are all swimming with their mouths closed. TKS FOR THE TIP SIR!!!!!
no way! I just started this video but I was actually thinking of doing something like what you were talking about so I’m doing it now
You should do a part two on if you have one fish gasping for air on what to do. Great vid Ben!!!!
i switched from a hob to a fx6 and also decided to take the oxygen tube out of my 3 in 1 because i wasn't a fan of the bubbles. turns out my fishes need for oxygen was greater than my dislike for bubbles. they started gasping a few days later and i instantly put the life support back on lol and now they are doing great :)
Gill plates should pulse once per second an indication of a good amount of oxygen. And too hot temps increases metabolism causing faster digestion, more movement, faster growth and shorter lifespan, keep them at the "minimum temp" they require this increases oxygen too and reduces theyre hunger, studies showed on average fish pooed 4 hours after feeds and only absorbed a maximum of 41 percent of consumed protein so dont buy food with over 40 percent protein as it will end up in your water. Keep up the water changes !!!
Ric
Some brilliant information and scientific facts
Hi... Can you PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE HELP ME🥺🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
My two big gold fish are acting weird. They've been gulping close to the bottom of the tank and moving back and forth rapidly. . then they started trying to smash their little faces against the side of the tank?!?! Now they look lethargic and they keep asking me for help and I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!!! 😭😭😭 PLEASE IF ANYONE CAN HELP ME, CALL MY PHONE. THIS IS HOW SERIOUS I AM. I'M PUTTING UP MY REAL NUMBER. PLEASE. 5 FIVE 9 FIVE 44 zero ZERO 6 2. Please🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
What’s the minimum temperature, my mbuna tank is around 82.
@@kreapz6711 You can go by the books but ive bred over 3000 mbuna fry and served an aquarium store with over 200 tanks for yrs, they will be fine and breed between 19C to 29C. I recommend feeding them every second day to reduce problems, keep a surface flow for oxygen but the lower half of the tank water should be calm so they can sleep/rest, wholesalers mix paprika into theyre diet to aid in colouration and only turn theyre water over 3 times an hour so like a 3000ltre pump for a 1000ltre Tank, anyway some food for thought.
It’s at least 3-5 per second.
Thank you for saving my fish. I was making my fish suffer 😧😧 but they are doing great now! I didn’t have enough bubbles in my tank. I did subscribe!
I’m so glad you fixed the issue in time, and thank you for subbing 😀👍🏻
Great topic as usual. I sometimes notice this behavior after water changes. I usually do 2 or 3 tanks at the same time. The fish in one tank seem to exhibit this behavior more than the other tanks. I have been only filling the tank about 80 percent full and allowing maximum surface agitation for awhile after replacing water. I run some basic tests pH , amonia, nitrate before topping off . It's helping. I am still not sure why these particular fish stress out more than my other fish. They are 1 generation from F1 Moba, so that might be part of the reason. Everyone stay strong.
Trying to keep my tank at the 78 deg or even 79 deg is getting impossible in the heat wave we are experiencing. So I asked a knowledgeable person about it and he suggested putting in a bottle of frozen water to cool the tank down. I put the bottle in a new baggie and let it rest in the water with the lid securing it so it doesn't fall in. It seems to be helping. And I am also running a bubble stone in each tank to make sure there is enough oxygen. My fish seem to be okay. I haven't lost any in this heat wave so far.
Thanks for this video brother , I had my heater set around 82 because of the AC and summer heat...saw my Umbee gasping , turned up the air stone and directed the wave maker up for surface agitation..Big difference..thanks.
I’m glad it helped. Low O2 can really stress ‘em out
Sometimes the working of the mouth is the fish drinking tons of water to correct a mineral imbalance in theyre body ..The condition is called "oxidative stress" ....another cause of a working mouth can be a cichlid holding eggs or fry
All great points in this video and thanks for sharing! Few things that have helped me... I run a Fluval FX6 and an FX4 with Biomax media and I alternate the cleaning of these by at least a month to insure there is at least one good source of biological activity. Only deep clean half or a quarter of the tank at a time with a python vac. A deep clean for me is when I lift all the large rock and clean underneath. Lift the rocks SLOWLY so that large amounts of ammonia are not released before you can vac out the feces. I do however lightly clean the entire tank at once for general maintenance. Lastly I like to pull my jets to just below the surface if I have fish breathing heavy. This creates micro bubbles that blow across the entire tank and does a fantastic job keeping the surface broken. Use caution if using this approach however and check your fish frequently to insure they are not getting too much oxygen. Only use for a short period of time a few hours to a day and switch back to a lower position with the head pointed to the surface to create a current across the top of the tank.
Good points. It amazes me how much waste can get under a rock that is pushed way down into the substrate.
Lucky I started watching you and others on TH-cam so I was able to learn about this very early on in my hobby I have never really had to deal with this
Great info Ben. I like how you have redundancy in your tank. I’ve seen many failures over the years and if a fish keeper is relying on one canister filter or one air pump that is a recipe for disaster.
Thank you!!! I have soft water/lower PH community biotope tank(nano fish in a 50G) and had some fish constantly panting , great flow from filter, and somewhat stable PH & my heat was 82. Lowered to 78 & it is starting to look better. Thank you!
This is what my fish 🐟 doing right now I really needed to hear this thank you 😊
Great subject to go over with some top tips. Got to say the tank in the background looks absolutely amazing with Beautiful choices of fish.
Excellent topic I have not seen discussed before. In my experience it is usually an individual fish exhibiting this behavior- not a whole tank. I have traced this behavior to a fish that is a target of aggression or suffering from digestive problems or bloat. I still get bloat occasionally with my Africans, a disease I have tried everything to prevent- metrondinazole, UV sterilizer, water changes to no avail
Unfortuanately I did experience a whole tank and it was caught too late by me and cost me around 6 of my largest fish. I had shifted some canister outputs and they stopped breaking up the surface tension. I made the change before going to bed. If I had done it earlier I could have observed and corrected the situation. The next morning I had a hard lesson waiting for me. Putting things back to how they were immediately provided relief to the remaining survivors. Now I never make changes unless I can be around to observe the fish afterwards.
I have had massive issues with bloat in my 10 years of keeping malawis, i personally think bloat is the biggest problem in keeping malawis.
@@MA-jn2hc I agree. I even installed a commercial grade UV sterilizer on my 500 to kill any free swimming parasites- without success. It usually hits the most striking, mature fish in my experience. This is one of the reasons I am transitioning to American and Central American cichlids.
@@HalfManHalfCichlid for the last 6 months I haven't had a fish death related to bloat thankfully, thats because I have been soaking northfin cichlid pellets in a jar of water for atleast 10 mins before I feed them by doing this the pellets digest in the fishes stomach alot easier. If you see my video of my 6ft hap tank the majority of the fish in that tank died due to bloat so I have restarted all over again, so far so good touch wood.
@@MA-jn2hc I have gone to smaller pellets so that the swelling has less impact on the digestive systems when hydrated
I use the filter to disturb the surface of the water and an air pump as well, but it doesn't seem to help. I will lower the temperature a bit and not feed them for a couple of days (got some nitrate and nitrite excess). Hope it helps.
Thanks for the video though, very informative!
Cool style Of teaching
Thank you so much Mr.Ben Ochart. Now I have solved the problem.
Thank U sir this video saved my fish’s life
I'm very glad to hear that it helped.
Good tips, it can happen when using some medicines too
True
Great video thanks 🙏🏻
Only one out of my 4 fish is doing this so I'm REALLY confused. But before resorting to a water change, as my water levels are good, I am gonna reposition my filter and add my spare water pump and see if that helps. Thanks for the tips!
Same problem i am also facing
Moved the filter upwards, so the water pushed upwards like a small fountain, added some more water to the tank. Both steps helped to reduce the gasping...
this is very helpful. thankyou so much! i have a doubt recently about my hanging filter. should i lower the water or just just leave it almost full. shortly after i panicked because my fish do gasping so much and gladly i found this video.
With some hang-on-back filters you get very little surface break up. It’s quiet but poor in adding oxygen. You can lower the water level or add a small wave maker, pointed toward the surface, or you can add an air stone.
That was some great information thanks Ben.
I'm only new to this hobby, & so far so good. I have no doubt i will run into problems down the track 😁.
I have three glo tetras. Only one is constantly opening and closing his mouth. He is slow and doesn't seem to go for the food. I have a pump and an air stick on constantly. The temp is at 80. Do you think it would help if I took that fish out into a separate little tank with the air stick
Great advice from Ben and comments it’s always after water change I will also lower temp ❤ thank you
I have a 3gallon aquarium with 8 tiny fishes and I put my air pump into setting number 2. because I noticed that few of them kept swimmin up and their mouths are at the surface. One of them stayed like that for minutes. I have also aquatic plants so idk why some of them do that
thanks ya saved my fishies for my daughter, store told me the filter would be enough to introduce oxygen but it wwsnt fish were gasping like crazy i went to walmart after seeing this picked up a aerator threw it in with a large bubble stone and 30 mins later they were not gasping anymore.
That is GREAT news PETE JONES! Made my day. Love to get this kind of feedback.😀
Great info! I definitely have good surface break up and plenty of air bubbles and I turned down my temperature and it is great! Thx for the tips Ben!
Yes i agree during the hot summer I can see my cichlid tank struggles. Tank run 82 to 84
I take the glass cover off to help transfer the heat
I came across a product by ZooMed that actually works at lowering the temp. Here's a link, check it out here: amzn.to/3jQYheC
Hello! I have a male turquoise guppy who for the past 2 days has been lying at the bottom of the tank behind the plants in my fish tank. He is gasping for air and his gills are puffed up. When it is feeding time, he comes up to the surface but is not able to eat anything. Eventually, he goes back down. I don’t know if he’s gotten an infection or disease and have had no luck with researching. Please let me know what I should do.
Without seeing him it’s hard to determine. Does he look bloated? Are all the other fish okay?
@@BenOchart All the other fish are happy and healthy, but my guppy looks thin and frail. He is pretty much the opposite of bloated. I forgot to add that his tail is ripped, but it happened way before he became sick. Although sometimes I can see dots of blood on it.
Is there a way I could send you a picture or video? Also, thank you for replying. I truly appreciate it.🙂
Nice tip. Enjoying your vids as a new subscriber. Keep it up!
Thank you 😀👍🏻
Thanks Ben, great info.
Merry Christmas 🎄
Mines multiple problems. Planted tank. Ten gallons 2 mystery snails 2 corydora (the other 4 died) 1 Betta 5 neon tetra. Over fed created to much ammonia nitrite and nitrates and not enough surface break up to exchange that o2 the plants release at night. Fish are healthy but gasping. Daily water changes and treated with a lock up to let the. Illogical filtration work. Cut feeding probably to 5 times in a 7 day period. Turned up the air on my air stone. Had it low because I have a Betta and a hob filter I didn't want him getting pushed around.
Thanks. My fish ate eggs for two hours straight. They wouldn't stop eating . Now they are all gasping
THANK YOU ILL GO TO THE PET STORE RN AND GET A AIR PUMP FOR THEM
Abuser
@@vladschannel1062 shut up he didn’t know
Thank you for the information. This has really helped me .
Great to hear. Thank you.
Hi Ben. What if it's just one fish? I moved a Blueberry OB from my 360 to my 75 grow out tank. He is still doing it. Not at the surface. Probably internal parasites?
Another great video Ben very informative 👍👍
Hello sir my sliver arowana mouth opening and closing what’s problem sir please tell as 😢
great video thank you
You can raise the HOB to get more of a waterfall effect ..that way you don't need to lower the water
Not too high or you'll risk water being able to spill on to the floor if the unit shifts. That being said, you're method would be more aesthetically pleasing.
Hey what's up dude just now seeing your video for the first time I subscribed you seem like an awesome guy that knows a lot about fish I just had a pebble stuck in my one fish's mouth I had to get it out with tweezers. A few years back he jumped out of the tank and landed in a kitty litter box and got chemical burn and tail rot luckily I saved him he's still alive this day that happened about 3 to 5 years ago.
You saved that fish twice, you're like his guardian angel, LOL! Thank you for the sub and welcome to the channel.
I own goldfish, are they not meant to open and close their mouths? their not going to the top of the tank to get air so im assuming the tank is fine, (I am due for a cleaning just waiting on supplies to come that I ordered) Or are goldfish not meant to open n close their mouths?
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My way of keeping fish I use sponge filter and internal filter, For me the most important oxygen exchange without that no matter how good of the media you are using. The fish will have difficulty of breathing this’s how I do, Please that my message as a second opinion. They are lot of way keeping Aquarium fish healthy stay healthy. 😊
Thank you very much ,i think i could save my cichlids
Yes. I added an air stone. My Neon Tetras were Gasping. After that there was surface agitation. Problem solved.
One of my lemon tetra fish, the smaller one seems to be panting a bit. The others are all fine. Despite being panting, he does not rise to the surface. What could I do?
I thought about medicating him to treat some possible illness, he's not moving much.
Just had this today, noticed my Tetra tank had them gasping and not moving much, it was a combination of the treatment i added with the pump suddenly becoming clogged so hardly no water movement and heavy treatment dose, quickly dont a 50% WC and cleaned the pump up quick from the clog.
Fingers crossed they are ok tomorrow, seeing those Tetras with mouths open so wide gasping like that was real horrible to see tbh.
I hope you caught it in time!
Is too manny bubbles from the airstone bad?and the filter
The video is very informative. I have 10 Koi fishes. 9 fishes are normal but 1 fish is working on the mouth open and closed continuously. Water temperature is normal and oxygen level is also good. Only 1 fish is working on the mouth. What is the problem and its solution??? Please give me the suggestion. Thanks,
Great video 😊
I lowered my water level a little to make air bubbles so I'll give it a couple hours and see if there is any difference.9 gal tank.
If you suspect internal parasites are the problem how should you treat it? (like what medicines or treatments should you use)
With parasites I suggest you treat the whole tank with a parasite med like Fritz Paraclense or Prazipro.
I recently set up my first tank and am experiencing issues similar to this. I have 8 rummy nose tetras and 10 shrimp. My fish constantly appears to be hyperventilating, and the shrimp (or at least the cherries- I have both cherries and ghosts) are acting lethargic. Ammonia is 0, Nitrite is 0, and Nitrate is under 5ppm. My pH is about 7.2, my temp is about 78, and I'm getting pretty good surface tension. My fish are behaving normally other than rapid mouth and gill movement- I currently have no way of testing my gH or kH, but I took a sample to my local aquarium store and was told it was acceptable, although could be lower. My fish have been having this problem for a while, and I CANNOT figure out what is wrong. Any tips?
I'm having the exact problem with my betta. My pH & temp is the same as yours, yet he still seems to be moving his mouth a lot...& has moments on & off where he breathes heavy. I've done basically the same as you've described, more than once, & I still cannot figure out what to do... Did you ever have any luck with yours?
Same exact thing here
@@kimtate1411 Haha well its a year later, I'm curious if you ever found an issue with your tank or your shrimp? All of my tetras are still alive and well so this is just one of life's mysteries to me
Hi Ben - another informative video. Could you share if you ever had one of your cichlids get Malawi bloat? If so, how can you treat it? I have one now that ate too much protein & is at times listless & not much of an appetite. Any suggestions? Thanks!
Dwayne
Bloat is usually a death sentence but I reversed it once with Fritz Salt+. One tablespoon per 5 gallons and he was back to normal in a week.
My hubby gave the small Oscar, we bought today a freeze-dried shrimp that may have been too big. We left and came back and it was still hanging out of its mouth. He's finally got it to where his mouth is closed but he seems to be opening and shutting it's mouth a lot repeatedly and now we're worried It's having trouble
I had to pull a piece of a fake plant out of a fish that was holy his haw open. If he’s still looking off after a a few more hours get a pair of tweezers, net him out and pull it out.
@@BenOchart thank you, it finally got down and we also realized the ph was off so we got that taken care of and it seems to be doing fine now! We are brand new owning fish!
Tap into my on-line TH-cam video library and I’ll help when I can😀👍🏻
I had over 20 cichlids And five Bala sharks for over a year and just this night when I came downstairs 17 of them Were dead I instantly took the remaining survivors out and placed them in a new tank because it seemed like the water may have been toxic but do you know what that most likely would be?
Sorry for your loss..did you ever figured out what the issue..also how's your surviving fishies doing?
Does a water change add back any oxygen? Surely, it does, right?
I have an angelfish doing this right now. Water parameters are normal, tank’s at 76°, bubbler going. I wonder if he’s choking on a shrimp pellet or something else
Could be. Or a parasite on the gills or getting old. It can several things. I once pulled a piece of plastic plant out of the throat of a Malawi Hawk.
Ok that’s great and all. I have bubblers, I have a sandstone and I turned up my filter and my one fish is still gasping. Did a water change. So if it’s a parasite how do you treat it? Kind of left us hanging. Should I put my fish in the hospital tank and treat it? More water changes?
And my water temp is 78. Always has been.
Also my tank is a 36gl.
Just one is gasping? Could be several things. Old age, gill flukes, etc. If the rest look good I’d separate into a hospital tank and hit with something like API General Cure.
I am using two 4 inch air stones and have a good temp in my water. I have large danios that been around for a while now but they are not at the top of the water but are breathing very fast. They are very active and eat well during feeding time. I use filtered water from a Berkey water system to avoid chemicals. Is it because of the type of fish or what am I doing wrong?
yes thank you for that video hope it helps me
wowow great fish rescue tip there cheers :D "D
Hello Ben, thank you for your video! I have a question for you. Could you please tell me the name of your haplochromis with is blue and shape as a long flute. I will be interesseted to buy. Thank you.
I believe that’s my “longnose Hap”. James Largo at the Cichlid Shack in Arizona had them.
@@BenOchart Thank you Ben. From Canada
@@BenOchart Hey Ben, I actually have one of those haps that I got from the Cichlid Shack. James said it was called a Mylochromis Lateristriga but I do recall him calling it a longnose also. They look very similar to a Malawi Gar but seem to be thicker from top to bottom and maybe some color variation. Just my two cents.
Thanks man you save my gouby 😇😇😇😇😇😇😇
Glad to hear that
@@BenOchart tank im gooby is so happy
My
No gooby is ded too many fish 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
And too small tank
A lot of fish have teeth in their gills or throats. Cyprinids and Cyprinodonts come to mind.
They will open and close their mouths in an eratic fashion while eating. It's how they chew.
This should only last a few moments until the food item is swallowed or spit out.
You will often see food particles being ejected thru the gills at this time.
I got a ripple in my 105l tank is that enough ? I have guppies I have a heater on it turns on and of when it gets to 25 degree's I need to try send a vidio to you and show you mabie you can help me many thanks
Think I solved it I put a bubble pump in the tank and the water is having more bubbles in water and also the top of the water is moving now I keep ya posted
Does that also apply for cold water fish?
My Koi Fish are doing this, I've changed water, gave extra oxygen and checked the ammonia, all's good. Last option is checking for parasites, but i don't know how...
Thanks for the video I just did a water change and my angelfish are doing this and I didn’t know what was going on because my blue
Jack Ramsey aren’t doing it now I know
I have a Japanese fantail Butterfly Koi his name is Magic I've had it for a very long time he was just a baby when I got him now he's about as big as my hand he is in a 70 gallon tank with one other fish and that's it but he has been working his mouth very much so but I have three filters that two of them sit on the back of a tank the other one sits in the tank the two that sit on the take itself I did not like all the noise of the waterfall filters so I decided to put a piece of plastic so therefore it wouldn't make so much noise that was a stupid move by watching your video I took the pieces of plastic the waterfall filters that sit on the back of a tank an instantly he has stopped using his mouth and being erratic I know some people would say it's just a fish but I'm just a human but we are all here for a reason and we all want to live happily and healthy so thanks for your video I appreciate it very much
By repositioning my filter output solved the issue but i am seeing 2 of my fish's one gill gone red is it parasite or ammonia burns?
Hey Ben I’m new to the hobby and I’m very concerned with my fish I had 8 African cichlids now I have 4 the others would swim up to the surface and suddenly drop to the floor and repeat until they died any idea of what’s wrong?
I have a 1600gph wavemaker in a 75 gallon and all my water parameters are good
Sounds like oxygen starvation or some type of poisoning. Without seeing it it’s almost impossible to say.
Is that wave maker pointed toward the surface ?
@@BenOchartyes it is and I’m honestly really confused since they were doing okay for the first month I had them now the ones I have left seem to be really stressed out but aren’t reacting like the others
I am having this problem with tetras and they are dieing off.
I started keeping tropicals in the 80s and never had this problem.
Recently returned to the hobby.
Thank you for this. 👍🇺🇸 🇬🇧
I hope it helps
Ur so lucky he replied 😮
You can just take out some of the water so its not so high
My Smiley Ben ....I have guppies..its hard to tell if they are gasping for air...constantly moving. What should I look for with these fishes?
Help.
I have a 32 gallon planted tank.
I use hang on filter + air bubble machine and a heater.
All my tetras are doing fine except my 2 Blue Angels they sometimes come to the surface and just gasp.what might be the reason? Help
I've had my tank since October of last year, and today was the first day that happened. I accidentally spilled way too much food in, so I did a water change/gravel vac, and after all that is when my neons were gasping for air. My black skirts were fine though. I changed the filter and adjusted the flow of it to get it moving more, and that's when my neons calmed down and no longer are gasping for air. It's a 10 gallon tank, should I get a bubbler as well?
A small airstone wouldn't hurt. Black skirts are very tough fish and in the past were commonly used for cycling tanks. Neons are way more sensitive. Sounds like you caught it in time.
@@BenOchart Thank you I'll get one for sure
I don’t have a filter and my fish bowl isn’t meant for a bowl because we couldn’t get a fish bowl and they are gasping so if I change the bowl will they stop gasping?
Hey I know it's an old video but how you mentioned it's summer time temperature rises in the aquarium that's what I'm going through right now my heater is set on 80 but it hits like 85゚ So I thought about unplugging the year and plug it back in but I forgot and the next day I see who's at 78゚ and one of my fish died =/ ... ! What should I do the lower the temperature during the summer or what? ? Confused
Hey Ben so my fish still gasping but I have 2 air stone and also have my one my output breaking the water one top. Also the temperature it at 80. 55 gallons with 7 African cichlids. Thanks in advance.
Any I can do to fix or help them out. ?
Gradually take temp to 76. See if that helps. If not, there might be a parasite...
What are them black in white fish call
My filter is built in sorta I can another but where the water comes back out is in a fixed position
Your making the squirrels fight. Lol
I have 9 mature severums only one consistently breathes fast. Temperature 28c in the aquarium. Any help? Thanks in advance.
Is he being bullied? Or is he a lot older. Could be numerous factors. I doubt it’s a parasite like gill flukes since that would not be only one.
@@BenOchart Severum is one year old. I treated him with Sera Costapur and his breathing is much better but still much faster than the others. He eats normally, he's just a little fatter than the others.
I clean my aquarium for every week, clean the pump, and remove about 1/3 water, and add new waters, even with some aqua save liquid, that should make the fish more comfortable with new water in the aquarium. I also have air pump in my aquarium and temperature on 25 degress (And where the thermostat is, is the warmest area in the aquraium). All my fish seems good except one, and that fish keep make fast mouth movement for many days, and i cant find any solution on it. The fish will many times stay near the thermostat, where it is the warmest area. I also tried add esha2000 in the aqurium. It help a little, but some days after, the problem still continues. Some times the fish is fresh enough to swim more around, but it is not so often
Thankyou this video was a big help. My platy is in the corner of the tank to the top. Breathing heavy and fins moving erratically. The other fish in the tank seem fine no issues. The tank is clean and declorinator is in the water. Along with filer boost. I have a heater set on 25. I'm confused :(
Sounds sick, old or being harassed.
I need help, my neon pink zerbra danio has a good filter, a bubble stone, cool water, clean water, and a good tank just for her alone, and she's constantly at a fast pace opening and closing her mouth, im worried !!
Hey, thanks for this, do you have an email i can share a video of my fish? I feel he is in trouble
Sure, but sometimes it can take a while for me to get back to you but you can send it to ben.o.cichlid@gmail.com
I have some cardinal tetras that are consistently gasping, and otherwise acting normal. I have a sponge filter so I don't think oxygen is a problem. my other fish seem fine, so I don't know what the problem is
What’s the water temp as and water test results?
@@BenOchart ammonia, ph, nitrate and nitrite are all good. and the temp is usually at 77, but for some reason is seems to have dropped to 74 today. I did a large water change yesterday and the water dropped below the line for a short period of time on one corner of the heater, (its on an angle) so I hope that didn't affect it although it seems to be heating still. I'm still new to aquariums, I have no idea if thats dangerous to do or not
I have introduced Severum fish to 120 Gallon tank, and tank already has 2 silver dollars. He is actively swimming around the tank and doing his research, however he is doing rapid breathing.
Water parameters looks good, I have 2 10inch air stones with FX4 filter.
is it normal for new fish since he is doing his research in the new tank?
They will breath fast, like humans, even on high alert. If it continues and he starts being inactive and not eating, you have a problem. If he’s active, colorful and eating well I wouldn’t worry too much.
Thank you @@BenOchart he is active and constantly looking out for food.
We have goldfish but they are not acting anxious and on top of the water. Its only two rosies doing that one already died and i feel this one is next.
Sometimes it's not O2 but something else impacting their ability to breath. Gill flukes or parasites apparently are not that uncommon.
I have a question my fish have ich so I have them in a quarantine tank with a air stone filter and bubbler which I add salt to and they still gasp what do I do
The Ich, if on the gill plates, might be making it hard to breathe. Also, if the temp is high, that can prevent oxygen from getting into the water. If running warm to kill the ich, you might need a second air stone or a powerhead or wave maker to break up surface tension and get the bad gas out and O2 in.
I have two air stones always going so what could be another reason for the breathing fast i just ordered a oxygen meter and a ph and temp meter
And i also have my return water so i have water movement i just cant figure out why the breathing so heavily
That shouldn’t result in fast breathing. What’s the water temp?
@@BenOchart between 75 and 78