Please help!!! Fish opening and closing their mouths

Hello I was wondering if any one can help me I just started a planted tank using organic soil with plants and it’s the fluval 9 gallon tank. Now I have 2 dwarf Gouramis, 4 neons tetras, 1 African dwarf frog and 2 Cory cat fish. Now my levels are ph 7.4 ammonia 0.25 nitrite 0.25 and nitrate appears to be 0 ppm but it’s leaning towards orange and the next number to that is 5.0 ppm. And now I have a bubble “wall” in there and my fish tank clears 61 gallons of water and hour. Now my fish are opening and closing their mouths but it appears that it’s only the gouramis and the tetras everything else seems fine do I need a bigger air stone I read they might need more oxygen or are my water parameters bad? I read that it isn’t bad to have a little bit of amoniacal and stuff but I just did a 40-44% water change and tested shortly after but I’m going to check again in the morning. Any advice? I’m new to this got this tank for my birthday and just set it up thank you

 

How long has the tank been running?
What do you use as your water conditioner?
Did you add beneficial bacteria to the water?
Do you know how the nitrogen cycle works?
What are you using to test your water?

 

How long has the tank been running?
What do you use as your water conditioner?
Did you add beneficial bacteria to the water?
Do you know how the nitrogen cycle works?
What are you using to test your water?

1) not long for a couple days 2) the tetra water conditioner 3) yes I added safe start plus and cleaning bacteria from tetra 4) yes but I have never had a tank so it is REALLY new to me 4) API fresh water test kit
Thank you for your help

 

hey man,
what you have forced yourself into is called a "Fish in cycle" you can Google that if you want further information.

for the next few days you are going to have to do at least 50% water changes at least twice a day in order to pull down the Ammonia levels to below 2 ppm. remember you add the beneficial bacteria and dechlorinator each time.

once that is under control do a week of 50% water changes once a day. the next week you can do it every 2 days. then the week after that you can do it every 3 or 4 days then on the 4th week you can try doing it only one a week.

be sure to test your levels every day and test multiple times per day right now as you try to bring those ammonia levels down the next few days. hope this helps and good luck.

 

hey man,
what you have forced yourself into is called a "Fish in cycle" you can Google that if you want further information.

for the next few days you are going to have to do at least 50% water changes at least twice a day in order to pull down the Ammonia levels to below 2 ppm. remember you add the beneficial bacteria and dechlorinator each time.

once that is under control do a week of 50% water changes once a day. the next week you can do it every 2 days. then the week after that you can do it every 3 or 4 days then on the 4th week you can try doing it only one a week.

be sure to test your levels every day and test multiple times per day right now as you try to bring those ammonia levels down the next few days. hope this helps and good luck.

Okay thank you but my ammonia is only 0.25 ppm
I read that was low and actually quite good
New parameters of today
PH: 7.4-7.6 (the color indicates it’s 7.4 but the color is slightly off but not a completely different)
Ammonia: 0-0.25 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm-0.25 ppm
Nitrate: 0 ppm-5.0 ppm

 

Okay thank you but my ammonia is only 0.25 ppm

I read that was low and actually quite good

I'm sorry i did misread the initial post and thought the Ammonia was 7ppm but that was your PH.

Re-reading it yes your parameters are okay but i would do daily water changes as i think from reading it you put fish in prior to cycling. Ideally you don't want to see any Ammonia or Nitrites. But because you have plenty of filtration and live plants they will definitely help establish the aquarium.

other than opening thier mouth often are the gouramis going to the surface often or any of the fish for that matter. that's an indication of something off with water like high Ammonia or Nitrites.

 

I'm sorry i did misread the initial post and thought the Ammonia was 7ppm but that was your PH.

Re-reading it yes your parameters are okay but i would do daily water changes as i think from reading it you put fish in prior to cycling. Ideally you don't want to see any Ammonia or Nitrites. But because you have plenty of filtration and live plants they will definitely help establish the aquarium.

other than opening thier mouth often are the gouramis going to the surface often or any of the fish for that matter. that's an indication of something off with water like high Ammonia or Nitrites.

Could it be my ph and maybe oxygen should I try fixing those as well?

 

Also, I really recommend Seachem Prime to condition your water while you cycle your tank. It will detoxify small amounts of ammonia and nitrites for a day or so.

 

Could it be my ph and maybe oxygen should I try fixing those as well?

It’s neither.

The cause is the presence of ammonia and nitrite. Any quantity of both except zero is toxic.

Except for dechlorinator, no products are needed to lower them. Just do 50% water changes when ammonia and nitrite combine to 1ppm and test the water daily.

Also, I really recommend Seachem Prime to condition your water while you cycle your tank. It will detoxify small amounts of ammonia and nitrites for a day or so.

I see this more as a marketing attempt. It fails to detoxify it all; it struggles above 1ppm. It’s not a feature to rely on.

Edit: but it’ll work like any dechlorinator.

 

It’s neither.

The cause is the presence of ammonia and nitrite. Any quantity of both except zero is toxic.

Except for dechlorinator, no products are needed to lower them. Just do 50% water changes when ammonia and nitrite combine to 1ppm and test the water daily.

I see this more as a marketing attempt. It fails to detoxify it all; it struggles above 1ppm. It’s not a feature to rely on.

Edit: but it’ll work like any dechlorinator.

Should I do a water change everyday? What schedule should I do

 

Should I do a water change everyday? What schedule should I do

Maybe, depending on the results of daily testing.

Water changes should be done to keep the combined level of ammonia and nitrites below 0.50 ppm.

I’d also recommend you use Seachem Prime as your water conditioner.

 

hey man,
what you have forced yourself into is called a "Fish in cycle" you can Google that if you want further information.

for the next few days you are going to have to do at least 50% water changes at least twice a day in order to pull down the Ammonia levels to below 2 ppm. remember you add the beneficial bacteria and dechlorinator each time.

once that is under control do a week of 50% water changes once a day. the next week you can do it every 2 days. then the week after that you can do it every 3 or 4 days then on the 4th week you can try doing it only one a week.

be sure to test your levels every day and test multiple times per day right now as you try to bring those ammonia levels down the next few days. hope this helps and good luck.

No need to Google anything. We have all the information about cycling anyone could need right on the forum.

 

No need to Google anything. We have all the information about cycling anyone could need right on the forum.

Thank you guys so much I would like to update y’all tomorrow about my water parameters to see if I’m on the right track I bought the Scheam primer and other stuff to do my water change today and have not tested yet but the fish do appear to be doing better

 

It could possibly be ammonia, but often the tests falsely read 0.25. Still go ahead with the water changes and ensure your oxygenation is good. Higher temperatures make oxygenation worse so keep that in mind.

Quite possible the two dwarf gouramis are very stressed from being together too. They're quite similar to bettas in that they'll often fight with males of their kind, especially in such a small tank.

 

It could possibly be ammonia, but often the tests falsely read 0.25. Still go ahead with the water changes and ensure your oxygenation is good. Higher temperatures make oxygenation worse so keep that in mind.

Quite possible the two dwarf gouramis are very stressed from being together too. They're quite similar to bettas in that they'll often fight with males of their kind, especially in such a small tank.

Oh yes I realized that and we are going to return one of them to the mom and pop store we bought him from because one is very aggressive
Ph: 7.0-7.4
Ammonia: is still 0.25 ppm wants to be 0.50 ppm
Nitrite: is the one that spiked to 0.25 to 0.50 ppm
Nitrate: 0 ppm
Now I have been doing 50% water changes everyday and with that adding De chlorinator and adding start up bacteria. What can I do the mouth opening and closing has gone way down but I’m still worried

Oh yes I realized that and we are going to return one of them to the mom and pop store we bought him from because one is very aggressive
Ph: 7.0-7.4
Ammonia: is still 0.25 ppm wants to be 0.50 ppm
Nitrite: is the one that spiked to 0.25 to 0.50 ppm
Nitrate: 0 ppm
Now I have been doing 50% water changes everyday and with that adding De chlorinator and adding start up bacteria. What can I do the mouth opening and closing has gone way down but I’m still worried

 

How’s your water now? You were in the middle of a cycle on the 11th.