Fish breathing rapidly, what to do?

Letingi · 05/10/2012, 01:38 PM

I have a 720L Reef aquarium. It is stocked with about 10 fish (two tangs, Flame angel Watchman goby two yellow tailed damsels two clownfish and a Blue green chromis)
It is also stocked with a lot of hard corals. Few hermit crabs one Peppermint shrimp and that is about it.

I have Tunze Compact Kit 18.7 sump along with UW light and Phosphate bed filter.
The tank has been up and running since 2007. All my readings are fine and have always been. Two months ago some of my fish started to breath rapidly and a few of them died. Angelfish, Tangs and blue green chromis where the one to die.

I removed all my fish and treated them with copper. They stayed in quarantine tank for about six weeks. I returned them to the display tank and within a week they have started to breath rapidly again.

I have checked everything and all water parameters are fine. I talked to many specialists about this and one pointed out that I should look for stray voltage. Tonight did a reading of stray voltage and there is about 77 volts in the tank. There is no one equipment that is causing this. My Tunze stream pumps are doing about 30 volts and the sump is adding up the rest.

I have been trying to read as much about this as I can on the internet but there seems to be many opinions on this like everything else. But I would like to put a few questions to you.

Is 77 volts too high for the aquarium? Might that be the reason for rapid breathing?
Should I use ground probes? Has anyone done that?

Any suggestions....

Fryman · 05/10/2012, 02:34 PM

A voltage reading w.r.t. whatever ground is not necessarily a problem. If you feel a shock when you put your hand in the water, that's a different story. Do you have a GFCI for the tank?

What's changed since you noticed the problem? Did you add a cover or change the plumbing at all? My first guess would be low oxygen, but there are probably multiple potential causes for rapid breathing.

nrbelk · 05/10/2012, 02:45 PM

could oxygen levels be an issue?

SKurj · 05/10/2012, 03:04 PM

How is the flow?
Tank covered? Water surface agitation? Any powerhead perhaps died and you aren't aware?

Letingi · 05/10/2012, 04:34 PM

I forgot to mention it, but I have added air stone to the tank, but that has not made any change to the rapid breathing. I am sure that oxygen is not the issue. My flow is great. I have 2 Tunze Turbelle stream 6100 (2x12000 l/h) and a 3000l/h return sump pump. The Tank is not covered.

I don’t feel any shock when I put my hand in the tank and I have a GFCI for the tank.

So I am puzzled over this, but I was leaning toward the voltage in the tank. If that is not a problem, then I don’t have a clue to what might be causing this rapid breathing.

brettinteriors · 05/10/2012, 07:17 PM

You would not necvisarily feel a shock. Get a grounding probe as a safety measure but I wouldn't count on it being the cause. Check all your basic Params sg and Alk most importantly. I would also make sure your refrac is calibrated right. Too high sg= not enough oxygen. Rapid breathing can also simply be stress related.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Letingi

I forgot to mention it, but I have added air stone to the tank, but that has not made any change to the rapid breathing. I am sure that oxygen is not the issue. My flow is great. I have 2 Tunze Turbelle stream 6100 (2x12000 l/h) and a 3000l/h return sump pump. The Tank is not covered.

I don’t feel any shock when I put my hand in the tank and I have a GFCI for the tank.

So I am puzzled over this, but I was leaning toward the voltage in the tank. If that is not a problem, then I don’t have a clue to what might be causing this rapid breathing.

tkeracer619 · 05/10/2012, 07:27 PM

77? That is no good.

Have they shown any signs of disease? Scratching, spots, anything?

david pinder · 05/10/2012, 10:42 PM

Whats your phosphates, what kind of plants in the refugium? Some plants will suck the oxygen out while in bloom

Playa-1 · 05/10/2012, 11:44 PM

77 volts sounds high to me. That's where I would start.

Letingi · 05/11/2012, 04:10 AM

My SG is 1.025 Alkalinity is 3, Phosphates are 0.07 and all other parameters are OK.

The fish is not showing any scratching or spots. Only seems a bit spooked. I assume that it is stress and I thought it might be from the high voltage in my tank.

I have only chaetomorpha and hair algae in the refugium.

If I put grounding on my tank do you think that will affect the livestock?

kissman · 05/11/2012, 05:58 AM

have you tried cutting each pump off one at a time and see if the voltage drops? that would tell you which pump is leaking voltage. I can't imagine any voltage in a tank would be good

Letingi · 05/11/2012, 06:50 AM

Kissman, I tried that and they all are leaking voltage. Everything is leaking, but some are leaking more than others.

When everything is on it is about 77 volts, so I only have the most essential pumps running. Then the voltage is about 50.

kissman · 05/11/2012, 07:08 AM

my next move would be to buy or borrow the same pump from a freind or see if LFS will let you run a test and see if another pump leaks voltage. I would start replacing my pumps. Hard to believe they are all leaking voltage. I would mix a bucket of saltwater and place each pump in water and see if you read any voltage with the new or borrowed pump.

brettinteriors · 05/11/2012, 12:51 PM

Grounding probe, grounding probe, grounding probe.

kirkfrey · 10/22/2018, 12:18 PM

I know this is an old thread but wondering if you ever sorted out the issue?

05/10/2012, 01:38 PM	#1
Letingi Premium Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Iceland Posts: 10	Fish breathing rapidly, what to do? I have a 720L Reef aquarium. It is stocked with about 10 fish (two tangs, Flame angel Watchman goby two yellow tailed damsels two clownfish and a Blue green chromis) It is also stocked with a lot of hard corals. Few hermit crabs one Peppermint shrimp and that is about it. I have Tunze Compact Kit 18.7 sump along with UW light and Phosphate bed filter. The tank has been up and running since 2007. All my readings are fine and have always been. Two months ago some of my fish started to breath rapidly and a few of them died. Angelfish, Tangs and blue green chromis where the one to die. I removed all my fish and treated them with copper. They stayed in quarantine tank for about six weeks. I returned them to the display tank and within a week they have started to breath rapidly again. I have checked everything and all water parameters are fine. I talked to many specialists about this and one pointed out that I should look for stray voltage. Tonight did a reading of stray voltage and there is about 77 volts in the tank. There is no one equipment that is causing this. My Tunze stream pumps are doing about 30 volts and the sump is adding up the rest. I have been trying to read as much about this as I can on the internet but there seems to be many opinions on this like everything else. But I would like to put a few questions to you. Is 77 volts too high for the aquarium? Might that be the reason for rapid breathing? Should I use ground probes? Has anyone done that? Any suggestions....

05/10/2012, 03:04 PM	#4
SKurj Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Oshawa Posts: 539	How is the flow? Tank covered? Water surface agitation? Any powerhead perhaps died and you aren't aware? __________________ 40g Long since Mar 2012, 20lbs marco rocks, 25lb live rock, Aquamaxx HoB-1, sumpless, CPR Fuge, 4 tube T5HO, Mixed reef, softies and LPS Current Tank Info: 40g Long sumpless

05/10/2012, 07:27 PM	#7
tkeracer619 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Westminster, CO Posts: 17,289	77? That is no good. Have they shown any signs of disease? Scratching, spots, anything? __________________ Hobby Experience: 9200ish gallons, 26 skimmers, and a handful of Kent Scrapers. Current Tank: Vortech Powered 600G SPS Tank w/ 100gal frag tank & 100g Sump. RK2-RK10 Skimmer. ReefAngel. Radium 20k.

05/11/2012, 12:51 PM	#14
brettinteriors Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Tucson Posts: 1,106	Grounding probe, grounding probe, grounding probe. __________________ Tucson Reefaholics anonymous meetings are every Friday 6pm behind Gary's fishorama 140 gallon half round mixed reef, 28 gallon Cardiff.

10/22/2018, 12:18 PM	#15
kirkfrey Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Central NJ Posts: 294	I know this is an old thread but wondering if you ever sorted out the issue? __________________ Kirk Current Tank Info: Shiny new 240G Miracles DT, 100G sump, Radion G4Pro's, Life Reef skimmer

05/10/2012, 02:34 PM	#2
Fryman Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Belmont, CA Posts: 337	A voltage reading w.r.t. whatever ground is not necessarily a problem. If you feel a shock when you put your hand in the water, that's a different story. Do you have a GFCI for the tank? What's changed since you noticed the problem? Did you add a cover or change the plumbing at all? My first guess would be low oxygen, but there are probably multiple potential causes for rapid breathing.

05/10/2012, 02:45 PM	#3
nrbelk Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Idaho Falls, Idaho Posts: 935	could oxygen levels be an issue?

05/10/2012, 04:34 PM	#5
Letingi Premium Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Iceland Posts: 10	I forgot to mention it, but I have added air stone to the tank, but that has not made any change to the rapid breathing. I am sure that oxygen is not the issue. My flow is great. I have 2 Tunze Turbelle stream 6100 (2x12000 l/h) and a 3000l/h return sump pump. The Tank is not covered. I don’t feel any shock when I put my hand in the tank and I have a GFCI for the tank. So I am puzzled over this, but I was leaning toward the voltage in the tank. If that is not a problem, then I don’t have a clue to what might be causing this rapid breathing.

05/10/2012, 10:42 PM	#8
david pinder Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: houston tx 77316 Posts: 538	Whats your phosphates, what kind of plants in the refugium? Some plants will suck the oxygen out while in bloom

05/10/2012, 11:44 PM	#9
Playa-1 Moved On Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Laguna Niguel, CA Posts: 7,497	77 volts sounds high to me. That's where I would start.

05/11/2012, 04:10 AM	#10
Letingi Premium Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Iceland Posts: 10	My SG is 1.025 Alkalinity is 3, Phosphates are 0.07 and all other parameters are OK. The fish is not showing any scratching or spots. Only seems a bit spooked. I assume that it is stress and I thought it might be from the high voltage in my tank. I have only chaetomorpha and hair algae in the refugium. If I put grounding on my tank do you think that will affect the livestock?

05/11/2012, 05:58 AM	#11
kissman Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Lynchburg, Va Posts: 2,963	have you tried cutting each pump off one at a time and see if the voltage drops? that would tell you which pump is leaking voltage. I can't imagine any voltage in a tank would be good

05/11/2012, 06:50 AM	#12
Letingi Premium Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Iceland Posts: 10	Kissman, I tried that and they all are leaking voltage. Everything is leaking, but some are leaking more than others. When everything is on it is about 77 volts, so I only have the most essential pumps running. Then the voltage is about 50.

05/11/2012, 07:08 AM	#13
kissman Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Lynchburg, Va Posts: 2,963	my next move would be to buy or borrow the same pump from a freind or see if LFS will let you run a test and see if another pump leaks voltage. I would start replacing my pumps. Hard to believe they are all leaking voltage. I would mix a bucket of saltwater and place each pump in water and see if you read any voltage with the new or borrowed pump.