Need help airating my tank..

James5214 · Jul 23, 2022

So a few nights ago my HOB skimmer flooded my room again so it hasn't been running since. Ain't the day after I started to notice my female clown start breathing a little more heavy than normal. All other fish are fine. A day or so after now my male clown is starting to breath more rapid. I saw my wrasse kind of opening and closing his mouth which I never has noticed before and he was being so mean to my firefish ripped her fins to crap after being in tank with her for months never even looked at her. Basically to say all the fish started acting weird and when I let my skimmer run for a little and the bubbles were being produced it seemed as if everyone calmed down some and wasn't as frantic and breathing as rapid. Any suggestions for what I can do as I'm not flooding my room for a 3rd time sorry fish but not happen so we need a different resort. Maybe a more sophisticated HOB skimmer as the one I had is cheap and terrible. Never heard of air stones in a salt tank.

aquaman67 · Jul 23, 2022

Air stones cause salt creep where the bubbles break the surface.

I would get a better skimmer.

James5214 · Jul 23, 2022

Yea exactly why I was like I haven't seen to many things about air stones ahaha. Yea see like many people say take the big investment one time cause when you go cheap eventually it breaks and have to buy it again and the more expensive one

Chrisv. · Jul 23, 2022

I don’t know of a hob skimmer that is flood proof. It’s why I don’t use them anymore. I use an air stone in the back compartment of the aio.

James5214 · Jul 23, 2022

I don't have a AIO I have a 20L

James5214 · Jul 23, 2022

So only place for air stone is inside actual tank it self

James5214 · Jul 23, 2022

Only HOB skimmer I have seen that has pretty good reviews is the aquamaxx 1.5

topjimmy · Jul 23, 2022

James5214 said:
Only HOB skimmer I have seen that has pretty good reviews is the aquamaxx 1.5

The tunze one is nice. As for now, can you get a powerhead aimed across the surface? Surface agitation will help

Chrisv. · Jul 23, 2022

My hob1.5 flooded lol

Chrisv. · Jul 23, 2022

What about the in tank Tunze skimmer

James5214 · Jul 23, 2022

Chrisv. said:
My hob1.5 flooded lol

Well isn't that just awesome ahahaha wow so much for that plan

James5214 · Jul 23, 2022

topjimmy said:
The tunze one is nice. As for now, can you get a powerhead aimed across the surface? Surface agitation will help

I have a power head aimed at top making plenty of water agitation and a tidal HOB filter making surface agitation

Chrisv. · Jul 23, 2022

this skimmer has a great rep and there is even an open box unit on sale: https://www.saltwateraquarium.com/open-box-comline-doc-9004-protein-skimmer-tunze/

topjimmy · Jul 23, 2022

James5214 said:
I have a power head aimed at top making plenty of water agitation and a tidal HOB filter making surface agitation

How old is this tank? I can't imagine its an oxygen issue just from the skimmer not being on. Unless you're carbon dosing.

James5214 · Jul 23, 2022

5 months and have LR in tank from TBS

James5214 · Jul 23, 2022

I have had all fish for 5 months and I mean from what I have seen any disease would have definitely killed them by now. And I do weekly water changes. All fish are eating like pigs. Not hiding or acting lethargic nothing different than rapid breathing not crazy fast but sped up than normal. No clamped fins. No colour loss.

Chrisv. · Jul 23, 2022

topjimmy said:
How old is this tank? I can't imagine its an oxygen issue just from the skimmer not being on. Unless you're carbon dosing.

Before I started using an air stone on my skimmerless tank, my fish went hypoxic. It was a covered aio. when I added air their activity went way up and they stopped hanging out at the top.

James5214 · Jul 23, 2022

I mean you can see in the video all my fish are out and about swimming around not sitting at the top gasping for air or on the bottom on their side so I don't know I think it may be the low levels of O2 from not running skimmer

GoVols · Jul 23, 2022

James5214 said:
So a few nights ago my HOB skimmer flooded my room again so it hasn't been running since. Ain't the day after I started to notice my female clown start breathing a little more heavy than normal. All other fish are fine. A day or so after now my male clown is starting to breath more rapid. I saw my wrasse kind of opening and closing his mouth which I never has noticed before and he was being so mean to my firefish ripped her fins to crap after being in tank with her for months never even looked at her. Basically to say all the fish started acting weird and when I let my skimmer run for a little and the bubbles were being produced it seemed as if everyone calmed down some and wasn't as frantic and breathing as rapid. Any suggestions for what I can do as I'm not flooding my room for a 3rd time sorry fish but not happen so we need a different resort. Maybe a more sophisticated HOB skimmer as the one I had is cheap and terrible. Never heard of air stones in a salt tank.