Glowlight Tetras Always Panting

Hey people,

I have a 10 gallon with 5 Glowlight Tetras, a small Anubias Nana (to be moved to 55 gallon) and a small Windelov Java Fern. I also have some small mopanI wood. I noticed them panting when I got them, yesterday, and now today still. It doesn't look like anything severe, but it could probably get worse. I also noticed a thin coat of some rainbow oily looking stuff on the water surface. Is this from fish poo or decaying food? I have a TopFin 10 Power HOB Filter on full power, and it makes some ripples in the oil-ish stuff, which I guess is an oxygen opening..?

My main questions are: 1 - Why are they panting (I think it's from lack of oxygen, and they're all doing it and they're all schooling and eating finely.)? And 2 - should I get an aerator (I'm gonna guess I should.)?

Any replies are greatly appreciated!

 

First take a paper towel and soak some oily stuff off surface then get an aerator added to tank. And how long has your tank been set up and what is your substrate?

 

What is the ammonia? Could be ammonia poisoning but I’m pretty sure it’s just lack of oxygen.

 

First take a paper towel and soak some oily stuff off surface then get an aerator added to tank. And how long has your tank been set up and what is your substrate?

Tank's been set up for a month, and I got fish 2 nights ago. I do the paper towel thing to get rid of it, so I guess I'll do that and set up an aerator. The substrate is hth pool filter sand that I rinsed for like a half hour.

What is the ammonia? Could be ammonia poisoning but I’m pretty sure it’s just lack of oxygen.

Ammonia is 0 ppm. I'll bet it's lack of oxygen. Time for an aerator.

 

Tank's been set up for a month, and I got fish 2 nights ago. I do the paper towel thing to get rid of it, so I guess I'll do that and set up an aerator. The substrate is hth pool filter sand that I rinsed for like a half hour.


Ammonia is 0 ppm. I'll bet it's lack of oxygen. Time for an aerator.

I rinsed my sand for a few days and it still leached oils for a while so maybe it is that.

 

I rinsed my sand for a few days and it still leached oils for a while so maybe it is that.

But the sand's been in for a whole month - I don't see how it could be oils from the sand... What else could it be from, though? Decaying plant matter might be it. I had Water Wisteria but it kept dying so I removed it. Some leaves might've stayed in without me noticing and leeched oils.

 

But the sand's been in for a whole month - I don't see how it could be oils from the sand... What else could it be from, though? Decaying plant matter might be it. I had Water Wisteria but it kept dying so I removed it. Some leaves might've stayed in without me noticing and leeched oils.

I really don't know my sand just did it for a few weeks but luckily I didnt have fish in it when it happened. That's why I asked

 

Oh ok. I don't think the oil is negatively affecting the fish, but just blocking some oxygen. An aerator and some paper towels should solve the problem. It also looks like a lot of oil, but in reality it's a really thin coat that gets broken up when it goes near the filter.

 

Oh ok. I don't think the oil is negatively affecting the fish, but just blocking some oxygen. An aerator and some paper towels should solve the problem. It also looks like a lot of oil, but in reality it's a really thin coat that gets broken up when it goes near the filter.

Yeah mine did the same..just clean it up and aerator should help a lot

 

Oils on the top of the tank are just kind of like biological sludge if you know what I mean. It's not very harmful, but does mean you don't have enough surface water movement, which a bubbler could help a lot with, and in the meantime raise your dissolved oxygen levels. Surface agitation is what prompts oxygen to dissolve into the water.

 

I had 6 in a 10 gallon temporarily and they did that the whole time they were in there. The second they went in the 20 gallon, they were totally fine. I also found the ammonia build up a lot faster in there.

 

Surface agitation is what prompts oxygen to dissolve into the water.