# Fish All Skimming Surface?



## mgee16 (Sep 7, 2010)

I have a relatively new tank 29Gal. It has cycled Ok but I have a milky look to the water that will not go away.
I am doing water changes etc. Anyway the point of this post is now my fish 3 black skirt tetras are all skimming the surface and will not eat.
Any ideas?


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## CaliforniaFishkeeper (Jun 29, 2010)

mgee16 said:


> I have a relatively new tank 29Gal. It has cycled Ok but I have a milky look to the water that will not go away.
> I am doing water changes etc. Anyway the point of this post is now my fish 3 black skirt tetras are all skimming the surface and will not eat.
> Any ideas?


Keep up large quantity water changes every day. Sounds like ammonia/nitrite is poisoning your fish.


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## mgee16 (Sep 7, 2010)

My Ammonia and nitrates/Nitrites readings are 0. The water is a little hard 180 but all other readings are good.


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## CaliforniaFishkeeper (Jun 29, 2010)

mgee16 said:


> My Ammonia and nitrates/Nitrites readings are 0. The water is a little hard 180 but all other readings are good.


Liquid Master test Kit?


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## mgee16 (Sep 7, 2010)

I use API Master Kit and am also using strip tests.


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## Mikaila31 (Dec 18, 2008)

Do a large water change of at least 50% or more and increase surface movement as much as possible. If ammonia and nitrite are nill then you have a oxygen problem. Since you said there is a slight milky look to they water I would say you have have a bacterial bloom which is eating up the O2.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

Do the fish look like they are "eating" air at the surface?

Can you give us more info: how long as the tank been running? How many and what type of fish? Live plants or not? How often and how much water is changed? Any "stuff" aside from water conditioner being put in the tank? What is the pH? And have you tested nitrates and what is the number (if you use the API nitrate kit, shake regent #2 for 2 minutes, not 30 seconds, before adding the drops)?


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## CaliforniaFishkeeper (Jun 29, 2010)

Mikaila31 said:


> Do a large water change of at least 50% or more and increase surface movement as much as possible. If ammonia and nitrite are nill then you have a oxygen problem. Since you said there is a slight milky look to they water I would say you have have a bacterial bloom which is eating up the O2.


I go to get a bowl of cereal and find my job done for me. Sweet.


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## mgee16 (Sep 7, 2010)

Thanks, i increased water surface motion and they seem to be better now.
Any ideas as to how to get rid of this milky looking water?


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

mgee16 said:


> Thanks, i increased water surface motion and they seem to be better now.
> Any ideas as to how to get rid of this milky looking water?


If it is a bacterial bloom, as seems likely, a water change will make it worse. Best to leave it. As long as the fish are more normal, they are fine.


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## reefsahoy (Jul 16, 2010)

mgee16 said:


> Thanks, i increased water surface motion and they seem to be better now.
> Any ideas as to how to get rid of this milky looking water?


 
Here you go!

http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/...ance-surface-skimming-salt-water-tanks-55195/


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