# My fish is gasping at the bottom of my tank.



## davercomeau (Feb 21, 2008)

My male Blue Ram is gasping for air at the bottom of the tank. I checked all my water perimeters (pH, ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, gh, kh, iron, chlorine) and everything is perfect. I do 20% water changes every 7 to 10 days. It is a 90 gallon thickly planted community tank with all peaceful fish. The CO2 input is normal. The female Ram is perfectly fine and my other 15 or so fish are perfectly fine as well. Any suggestions?


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Can you give the numbers rather than saying it is perfect? The numbers are what people need to see.


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## davercomeau (Feb 21, 2008)

pH: 6.8
ammonia: 0
nitrate: 0
nitrate: <20 ppm
kh: 4-8
gh: 4-12
temp: 80 F


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Well, it's none of those things, so it's something else.
Has the fish been in a fight?
Did it eat something objectionable that the others didn't, like a spider or something? Have any plants produced seeds?
Have you seen it picking up gravel lately, some of which it may have swallowed?
It is rubbing on anything?
It it acting spastic sometimes?
Any discoloration?
Any new fish or plants on the tank? How new?


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## davercomeau (Feb 21, 2008)

The Rams have only been in my tank for 4 days. They took to the tank immediately and have been behaving normally and looking very well since. This morning I saw the male at the top gasping and then he moved to the bottom when I turned the light on. He has been at the bottom gasping since about 7 am this morning. I haven't add any new fish or plants since then. He isn't rubbing on anything. He isn't really moving. His color looks normal, which is surprising considering his behavior. He isn't doing that jerky motion thing that I have seen other sick fish do. His fins haven't been nipped and he doesn't look like he's been in a fight; beside, there are few fish in my tank that would fight (gouramis, rainbows, tetras, clown loach). This morning I feed them brine shrimp, which I do almost every day, but he was already looking ill.


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## davercomeau (Feb 21, 2008)

I did add some "Plant Glo" liquid plant fertilizer in. I didn't overdose, if fact, I under-dosed.


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