Having one of those weeks....

[Fish Biscuit]

So last week my Yasha goby didn't look too good & seemed to be having problems keeping himself from floating to the top. Got through that & he was looking perfect on Monday. He's still decided to go solo & ditched the tiger pistol but at least he's still here.

Yesterday the tank is a little on the warm side when I come in & after keeping the top open for an hour the temp is ok & fish aren't breathing heavy. Turns out there might be a problem with the AC at work in our side of the office. My Fluval E heater died too & wouldn't go lower than 79 so on the way home I run to the LFS for a new heater while I have a spare in the tank.

Today I get in & the tank is at 80 & everyone's breathing heavy & I lost the peppermint shrimp overnight. Used the cheap man's chiller & put ice in a zip lock bag lol. Temp is back down but my fish are still breathing a little heavy, the Yasha looks terrible. After everything last week with the goby I'm going to be having a fit if I lose him to this!!

Someone please tell me next week is going to get better, I can't take anymore of this!! On the upside, Premium Aquatics has the chiller I ordered in stock & it will arrive tomorrow. They have the best customer service, I wish I was closer than 3 hours away.

[Sk8r]

The tank temp should be 80. What I suspect is critical lack of oxygen. Fish will rise to the top water because oxygen enters from the surrounding air ---but it's not enough. You may have to add another pump, air-driven, bubbles inside a tube. Do not let a fish play in bubbles: it can cause him problems. Most marine tanks don't have a top at all, to encourage gas exchange, and water is encouraged to drop violently into a sump.

Understand: cold water carries more oxygen. But these creatures live between 78-80 degrees in nature. So it depends on a whole lot more water moving around, waves, wind, driving oxygen into it. You certainly don't need a chiller in a 12 g nano. What you need is a 20.00 pump and an air hose, imho. Or a skimmer---which froths the water, and also oxygenates, as well as purifies the water.

[Fish Biscuit]

Thanks Sk8r for the sound advise.

I usually keep these kids around 76. I'll slowly up them to 78 before I leave today. It's the old 12g JBJ with the opening at the front of the tank & I keep the lid cracked open an inch when I'm not in the office. When I'm here the lid is more opened up in front but people here complain about the light lol. Between potential jumpers & the fear of cleaning agents entering the tank I don't go topless. Nothing is used in our side of the office but I can smell what is used to clean the tile floors at my desk on occasion when they are cleaned once a week.

I have a Koralia nano 245 gph that I run on a timer to go on at 4 pm & off at 8 am the next morning for additional flow besides the pump. Since the yasha jumped into the back chamber on June 8th I have taken the powerhead off the timer & run it periodically through the day for short bursts. I have it running now & will leave it on for a while. I'll put the powerhead back on the timer tonight.

I also ordered 2 new pumps with the chiller so I'll definitely replace the one that is currently in the tank. The pumps are rated for the chiller at 160 gph, should I get something bigger & how much gph?

I'm not sure if I could squeeze a skimmer in the back chamber. I'll have to look this weekend.

I have a 28g cube waiting to be set up at home. Guess I'm going to have to get going on setting that up soon so the kids can come home. I think I may keep the chiller for the 28g because the room the tank will be in can get warm.

[Sk8r]

Main thing is that at some point that water needs to be really, really churned up to froth. One reason for a bottom fish to be near the top is having swallowed a bubble, and that's usually fatal---but the really common one is just trying to get up where there's a bit more oxygen in the water. Especially running with a lid, get that water to froth or at least really to churn the top water somewhere in the system and you'll have a lot healthier tank. Think of recreating the surface/wave action.

[Fish Biscuit]

I would've never thought that the goby was floating towards the top because he swallowed a bubble. All last week I was nuts because I didn't want to lose him.

I'll just leave the powerhead on all the time, the water is really churning & the kids look much better. The tailspot is not pleased right now as most change in the tank he finds irritating but in a few days will be cruising around the tank again.

Every day I learn something new in this hobby, I don't know that you can ever have all the answers but I feel much more educated in my decisions.