BETH, tesselatta question?

mhoup

Member
I fed my tesselatta this evening and it has been opening and closing his mouth and going in and out it's "area" under the rock...! is this something i should wory about?
If I am over reacting than just tell me to shut up and go to bed....but man I love that fish....
 

mhoup

Member
I am wondering if he needs air, he is still acting that way and it looks like he is breathing heavy
````I REALLY need some assistance from anyone!!!!
 

beth

Administrator
Staff member
Do you mean rapid gilling? Abnormal respiration?
How long have you had this fish?
 

mhoup

Member
Yes, the best way to put it is...do you know how a dog acts just before they vomit...he was acting like that last night just after I fed him. This morning he is still doing the same thing at a much slower pace.
I bought him on 729, so a week and a half.
Your awesome, I appreciate any help!!
 

mhoup

Member
Is it possible that I over fed him, what is a good, well rounded diet for him and the Tusk? I also see that some folks use garlic. What does that do and what is it for?
 

beth

Administrator
Staff member
What are your water readings? Other fish in tank? Has this fish been doing this since you got him, or just since last nite?
Can you post a picture?
 

mhoup

Member
They are as follows;
Nitrate - 20
Nitrite - 0
Amonia - .25
alk - 120
sg 1.021
PH - 7.8
The other fish are a Harlequin, a cleaner Wrasse, Clarki clown. He just started doing this last night after I fed him 2 silver sides.
 

beth

Administrator
Staff member
The ammonia would be a killer on fish. Why do you have ammonia??? Don't add buffers to the tank! Higher pH makes ammonia more lethal.
 

mhoup

Member
I have no idea why I have amonia at .25, it may be from part of a silver side that was not completly eaten...I just re-tested my water and the amonia is actually at zero, I think I may have read the test wrong because it is the same color today as before, I keep dated records of my tests and I am sure it was my error on the amonia.
I just looked at my tesse again and he looks good now and no abnormal breathing, should I do a water change to be safe or ....? What do you think was his issue, over eating???
I fed him a small silver side again today t see if he still had an appetite, he ate BUT he is acting weird again!!
I can't tell you how greatful I am for your information, Thanks again!!!!
 

d0ch0liday

Member
hey whats going on i might be able to help..... my tasmo (name for my tessa) like to open his mouth extremely wide then suck in alot of water making his face swell up......if this is what your refering to... very normal..... if you feel he is not getting enough air open some valves to a skimmer or a PH hopfully you have both.... oh and ammonia can be bad for fish but hey my tasmo blew off a 2.0 ammonia spike when i first got my tank and rushed things....tessa's are extremely hardy is my point......so i dont think its the ammonia but nothing is always as it seems.... beth is right though the ammonia needs to stay down...... here are some pics of my tessa doin wierd stuff

 

mhoup

Member
Yeah, the amonia was very very minimal at .25, I think she thought I meant 25....however, I retestd and there is NO amonia in my tank, as Beth mentioned I should not have any.
I figured out the problem, I was feeding him every time I fed the others in the tank twice a day, not that it was over feeding him, maybe a little more than he is used to eating. He could of been over fed, now that I haven't fed him in 2 days he is back to normal. Last night I put an air line on my PH just to add a little more oxygen to the water.
Anyone is more than welcome to help, I need all I can get, I kind of wondered why I did the "attn beth" thing.... :notsure: after I posted the thread.
 

beth

Administrator
Staff member
What filters and circulation do you have going in your tank? Do you have a skimmer?
That picture with the shrimp cleaning is priceless. From the jaws of death. It reminds of pictures of crocs who hold their own babies in their mouth.
 

mhoup

Member
Originally Posted by Beth
What filters and circulation do you have going in your tank? Do you have a skimmer?
That picture with the shrimp cleaning is priceless. From the jaws of death. It reminds of pictures of crocs who hold their own babies in their mouth.

That is a great pic, will my cleaner Wrasse do that?
I have a built in skimmer in the sump system and 3 RIO 800's 2 for circulation and one for the UV light return. I also added the air line on one of the Rio's to add oxygen to the tank, the tank has great circulation on the surface. I have one Rio placed just under the return from the sump (on left side) the other is about 8 in. from the botom of the tank in an elongated direction towards the bottom of the tank (on lright side). The UV return is just above that Rio (on right side).
Left side Right Side
Sump return UV return (top)
Rio 800 (top in direction as sump ret.) Rio 800 (bottom aiming down)
I hope I have covered everything, I did a 20g water change today, I tested the water yesterday and all was well, I haven't done one in a few weks.
I fed the Tesse this morning and he did fine, was I possibly feeding him to often?
What is a good diet for him, I want to mix things up for him, giving him a balance, he lives with a CLEANER WRASSE, HARLEQUIN, CLARKI CLOWN.
 

beth

Administrator
Staff member
You can try to offer onece a day, and if he is not interested, then don't panic.
Can you post a whole tank shot?
 

d0ch0liday

Member
feeding him will not hurt them they love to eat.... they just get monsterous in size

the cleaner wrasse might . i am thinking aout getting one for my eels, but one of my eels still thiks it is ok to eat live food , maybe in month ill break him and get a wrasse, but the cleaner shrimps work really well.
 

mhoup

Member
Originally Posted by Beth
You can try to offer onece a day, and if he is not interested, then don't panic.
Can you post a whole tank shot?

He will eat twice a day if I feed him that much...here is a pic of my tank
 
E

exile415

Guest
that tessala must be a very hardy eel. ammonia should be kept at 0. 2.0 IMO is VERY high.
 

mhoup

Member
Originally Posted by exile415
that tessala must be a very hardy eel. ammonia should be kept at 0. 2.0 IMO is VERY high.

NO...your not reading it correctly....... (point) 25 .25 a quarter of one whole
That is not an issues, as I mentioned, I miss read the reading it is at zero now
 

beth

Administrator
Staff member
But just to clarify, .25 can kill fish as well. Just so you know. Any ammonia can and will kill fish.
 

mhoup

Member
Originally Posted by Beth
But just to clarify, .25 can kill fish as well. Just so you know. Any ammonia can and will kill fish.

Ok, I didn't realize that...I was responding to exile comment of amonia at 2.0.
See, told ya' I have a good idea of knowing not alot!!!
Did you see the full pic of my tank? Does everything look ok?
 
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