# White Clouds acting funny.



## Burks (May 25, 2006)

Came home after a weekend at my parents to find my White Clouds are acting funny. Instead of swimming around like they normally do, they are in the corner of the tank just sitting at the surface. None of them are swimming like they normally do. No signs of illness other than that. All tend to hang around this one little patch of Riccia and WS that's floating. I shouldn't be able to place my finger and nearly touch them......something is definitely wrong.

My Opaline Gourami is looking better than ever. He's swimming and eating just fine.

Any ideas? I'll test the water tomorrow but over three days I doubt anything could go crazy. Before I left I did a 20% water change, same as I always do.


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## John P. (Nov 24, 2004)

Check your CO2 levels. Also, if for some reason your plants aren't photosynthesizing, you'll see it in the White Clouds before fish with Labyrinth organs (such as the gourami).

I suggest plopping an airstone in there tonight. If you don't have one, drop your water level so the filter return aerates the water.


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## erijnal (Apr 5, 2006)

Perhaps your temperature is high enough where it's causing them discomfort?


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## Burks (May 25, 2006)

erijnal said:


> Perhaps your temperature is high enough where it's causing them discomfort?


It's pretty stable around 76 or so. Two weeks ago it got up to almost 80 due to it being 95+ outside. Hard to keep an old apartment cool with two window AC units.

CO2 levels shouldn't be a problem, it's only a DIY setup. But I'll toss an airstone in there anyways just to be sure. I did drop the water level too.

Today they are a bit more active today. Must have just been a bad day.


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## Burks (May 25, 2006)

Weird. The Clouds are acting perfectly normal today. Swimming around like normal and doing normal "fish stuff".

Interesting note. I added 5 Neon Tetras today. For the first two or three minutes they stayed on the bottom of the tank. Made a hot pocket and came back to find them swimming around WITH the White Clouds. They've been like that for 5 hours.

Such an interesting mix of colors and sizes in the "school". Makes me want a 55g full of Fancy Guppies, White Glouds, and Cardinal/Neon Tetras.


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

I think it is Co2 levels as well. Though if you spray some sort of aerosol in the room or paint something close by the tank, the fumes can cause a similar reaction in fish.


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## Burks (May 25, 2006)

Zapins said:


> I think it is Co2 levels as well. Though if you spray some sort of aerosol in the room or paint something close by the tank, the fumes can cause a similar reaction in fish.


Heck it's only a DIY system. Guess that's one way to tell it's working correctly. I'll leave the water level a bit lower to help a bit.

I try not to spray anything in the room unless it is absolutely needed. That's part of the reason I like a full hood on my tanks. Keeps a lot of junk out.


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## alphacat (Apr 26, 2006)

You're keeping White Clouds with Neons? Based on what I've read, I'd think 76*F would be a bit on the warm side for White Clouds...


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## Burks (May 25, 2006)

It's toward their upper limits before coloration and health start to decline. Place I bought them had the tanks at 78 and never had a problem.


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

Hi Burks.

While the place you bought your fish from had no problems at that temp, the fish are only in the tanks for minimal periods there, and they might survive, but they won't thrive. It may shorten their life span, and stress them enough to make them more prone to illness in the long run.


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## malcalypse (May 4, 2006)

*Something that occured to me...*

Well, I'm not an expert, but it ocurred to me that a Gourami wouldn't be troubled by a low O2 content, because they can breath it from the atmosphere. The fish might be having issues breathing water due to low O2 or perhaps nitrites from a dead fish...


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## Burks (May 25, 2006)

malcalypse said:


> Well, I'm not an expert, but it ocurred to me that a Gourami wouldn't be troubled by a low O2 content, because they can breath it from the atmosphere. The fish might be having issues breathing water due to low O2 or perhaps nitrites from a dead fish...


I never considered that either until I did more reading. Then it kind of hit me like a brick to the face.

The water level was a little higher than normal so that is probably what caused the low O2. Dropped it 2" and everythings fine and dandy.


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