the9thpawn

I have two neon tetra's that have rapid gill movement. I went to the store where I bought the Tetras from, and I don't notice the ones there doing it.

The only thing I see Rapid Gill Movement on the sick list as a symptom is "Velvet (Oodinium)", however I do not see the other signs of this. No spots, no rubbing on surfaces... yet at least. They aren't swimming to the top for air either.

I cycled the tank with Bio-Spira a week ago and added these two fish. My readings today were:

ammonia: 0
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: 10

Thoughts? I really want to add some more fish today, but I'm holding off till I make sure these guys aren't just talking to each underwater a lot. =P

Lucy

Your water temp is 79? I know the profile says that's ok, but I would bump it down a couple degrees, slowly, of course.
Maybe add some aeration, the higher the temp, the less oxygen there is.
Are they new? If so, it could be a sign of stress. Adding more would help them, but remember to quarantine any new inhabitants for a couple of weeks.
Plenty of places for them to hide will also make them feel safer.

Good luck, I hope they feel btter soon.

the9thpawn

I moved the filter output closer to the water (for more water "splashing" to airate more) and have the water at 78 now. It is still happening, just not as pronounced a before.

Today they seem to be very "friendly" with each other. I'm not sure what mating is like with Neons, or fish in general, but they seem to be squeezing in to the bottom of one my plants together (like side by side) then after 10-15 second they swim out.... then repeat. Are they mating? What else should I look for?

I will buy a bubble wand or two and hook them up sometime next weekend, because I find the sound of the water at night annoying. That should help in getting more air into the tank. I hope this is all that was wrong.

Ghostfish

Adding the bubble wand made all the difference with my fish. Before I added it, they used to just hang around the top of the water. The day I added it, they were all over the tank and playing in the bubbles.

COBettaCouple

Are the gills discolored, red or purple?

the9thpawn

No, I don't see any discoloration.

I am not sure if my heater is working correctly. I had it set to 76 and the temp on the thermometer was 79, I had to turn it down to 72 to get the thermometer to read 78. I have a stick on thermometer on the outside of the tank... I might just pick up an in-water one to be sure that I'm not getting wrong readings.

I live in AZ so its not hard to raise the temp of the water in the summer ;p

Lucy

It's possible the thermometer was reading the outside temp. I've always used a one on the inside of the tank.
Some heaters can be a few degrees off too.

Any improvements tonight?

the9thpawn

Same as earlier today, still faster then what I would think is normal, but much better then what it used to be. I'll keep a closer eye on 'em and get the bubble wand and inside thermometer when I get back to the store.

clinton1621

Another possibilty with neons is stress, they prefer to be in groups of at least six and swim in a school (as they are prey fish in the wild) so if there are only a couple in the tank they could be frightened and think they are going to be eaten.... that would explain them hiding in the plants and "breathing" fast

the9thpawn

Would they be frightened even as the only fish in the tank? I wanted to get some more tetras this weekend, but was worried something was wrong. Outside of the gill movement, everything else seems perfect (readings, temps, feeding, etc)

clinton1621

Yes they could be, you have to think of it from a "nature" view.... in the wild they school together to try to avoid predators and the whole group will watch out for any predatory fish or other threats, so when there are only a couple of them they feel insecure about being out and about because they dont have their "safety net" of a big group. I'm not ruling out a disease but from what you said about your water conditions and the fact that they dont have any obvious signs of infection/injury then I think you are most likely safe in that area just keep an eye on them for any physical signs. Neons are also very shy in new tanks and somewhat skittish for a few days after adding them, adding a few more to the group should also help with this.

Lucy

I agree with Clinton, although I have 2 that do great without a shoal.
Do they have enough hiding places to help them feel secure?

I mentioned it above, please make sure you quarantine any new fish for 2 weeks before you add them to your tank.

Are your water parameters still good? (0,0, with some nitrates)

Shawnie

I think the bubble wands will make a huge difference...it deffinately moves the water around more and helps with the oxygen levels...az gets warm so I bet the new thermometer will let you know your temps higher and less oxygen as lucy said could be the cause...goodluck and do you have pics? we are pic junkies!

the9thpawn

I bought a bubble wand (48 inches to go all way across the back) and the neons immediately started to play in it hahah. I added some Cardinal tetras, and the next day I didnt notice any gill movement. So a day of bubbles and new friends fixed that. Thanks for the help all!

LilMollieBreeder

glad everything worked out!!

Lucy

That's great, I'm glad they're going well!