Gulper catfish red gills

[Gulper catfish is cool]

Have you tested your water?

Yes

If I did not test my water...

...I recognize that I will likely be asked to do a test, and that water tests are critical for solving freshwater health problems.

Do you do water changes?

Yes

If I do not change my water...

...I recognize that I will likely be recommended to do a water change, and water changes are critical for preventing future freshwater health problems.

Hey guys, I recently got a new gulper. I’ve fed him tiny pieces of shrimp and tilapia. Tank is cycled ammonia 0 nitrate 0 nitrite 0 temp 80 ph 7.0-7.4. Filtration is sponge and ac30.
He has been okay I just got a little worried after I filled up his water to the top with the same ph water. I recently noticed his gills getting red and a little dot of red behind his gills. On of his gills also has a white scratch and so does one of his fins. I know I’m extremely overreacting but I’m just a little worried. It might be stress so I will give photos tommorow so I don’t stress him further.

 

[tlindsey]

0 nitrate

That shouldn't be zero if aquarium is cycled.

 

[tlindsey]

Hey guys, I recently got a new gulper. I’ve fed him tiny pieces of shrimp and tilapia. Tank is cycled ammonia 0 nitrate 0 nitrite 0 temp 80 ph 7.0-7.4. Filtration is sponge and ac30.
He has been okay I just got a little worried after I filled up his water to the top with the same ph water. I recently noticed his gills getting red and a little dot of red behind his gills. On of his gills also has a white scratch and so does one of his fins. I know I’m extremely overreacting but I’m just a little worried. It might be stress so I will give photos tommorow so I don’t stress him further.

How did you cycle the aquarium? This may have something to do with the red gills.

 

[Gulper catfish is cool]

How did you cycle the aquarium? This may have something to do with the red gills.

I had the filters in another tank and just switched it to his

 

[Gulper catfish is cool]

How did you cycle the aquarium? This may have something to do with the red gills.

And I’m pretty sure it’s cycled beaches I’ve fed it live, shrimp, and tilapia these past weeks with no ammonia or nitrite

 

[jjohnwm]

That is a great way to create an "instantly cycled" tank; my favourite route, by far. Depending upon the volume of media you use and assuming that the tank from which it came had a sufficient bioload to support a decent bacterial population, you can easily have a new tank that shows zero ammonia and zero nitrite, right from day one...and if not, the cycled can be completed within only a day or two, versus a month or two if starting from scratch.

But...that simply means that all fish wastes are being converted from ammonia to nitrite and finally to nitrate as soon as they are produced. In other words...nitrates start to appear and to accumulate immediately.

All too often, we read about new tanks that are supposedly fully-cycled...based upon the aquarist doing water tests that show zero readings across the board. If your water testing indicates zero ammonia, zero nitrite and zero nitrate...it usually points to contaminated/expired testing materials and/or faulty testing procedures. Yes, some tanks...very few!...have sufficient plant growth (a very large amount) combined with a small enough fish population (very few fish)...to show all zeros.

Those are the rare exception to the rule. I'd bet folding money that a tank containing a Gulper, fed a meaty diet, doesn't fit that mold. I'd suggest checking the expiry on your test reagents, reading the instructions carefully regarding thorough cleaning and shaking of tests...and then following them to the letter.

 

[Gulper catfish is cool]

That is a great way to create an "instantly cycled" tank; my favourite route, by far. Depending upon the volume of media you use and assuming that the tank from which it came had a sufficient bioload to support a decent bacterial population, you can easily have a new tank that shows zero ammonia and zero nitrite, right from day one...and if not, the cycled can be completed within only a day or two, versus a month or two if starting from scratch.

But...that simply means that all fish wastes are being converted from ammonia to nitrite and finally to nitrate as soon as they are produced. In other words...nitrates start to appear and to accumulate immediately.

All too often, we read about new tanks that are supposedly fully-cycled...based upon the aquarist doing water tests that show zero readings across the board. If your water testing indicates zero ammonia, zero nitrite and zero nitrate...it usually points to contaminated/expired testing materials and/or faulty testing procedures. Yes, some tanks...very few!...have sufficient plant growth (a very large amount) combined with a small enough fish population (very few fish)...to show all zeros.

Those are the rare exception to the rule. I'd bet folding money that a tank containing a Gulper, fed a meaty diet, doesn't fit that mold. I'd suggest checking the expiry on your test reagents, reading the instructions carefully regarding thorough cleaning and shaking of tests...and then following them to the letter.
[/QUOTE

I don’t think it’s the tests. I really don’t know. He woke up better today. Also a common thing I see in gulper is where the black part meets the white part of its skin. I often see little tiny dots of the color in the section of the color change. I’ve seen mine move that line up and down. It’s usually the higher the line is and the more dots you see is probably more stress? I’m not too sure if I explain myself too well

 

[Gulper catfish is cool]

That is a great way to create an "instantly cycled" tank; my favourite route, by far. Depending upon the volume of media you use and assuming that the tank from which it came had a sufficient bioload to support a decent bacterial population, you can easily have a new tank that shows zero ammonia and zero nitrite, right from day one...and if not, the cycled can be completed within only a day or two, versus a month or two if starting from scratch.

But...that simply means that all fish wastes are being converted from ammonia to nitrite and finally to nitrate as soon as they are produced. In other words...nitrates start to appear and to accumulate immediately.

All too often, we read about new tanks that are supposedly fully-cycled...based upon the aquarist doing water tests that show zero readings across the board. If your water testing indicates zero ammonia, zero nitrite and zero nitrate...it usually points to contaminated/expired testing materials and/or faulty testing procedures. Yes, some tanks...very few!...have sufficient plant growth (a very large amount) combined with a small enough fish population (very few fish)...to show all zeros.

Those are the rare exception to the rule. I'd bet folding money that a tank containing a Gulper, fed a meaty diet, doesn't fit that mold. I'd suggest checking the expiry on your test reagents, reading the instructions carefully regarding thorough cleaning and shaking of tests...and then following them to the letter.

Yea so for some reason during the day he is normal and when lights go off his gills turn red and he looses almost all his color and turns very light brownish greenish color. I don’t mind much about the color change but the gills color changing worries me. Probably as his color becomes lighter his insides are more visible therefore more red appears

 

[Gulper catfish is cool]

Yea so for some reason during the day he is normal and when lights go off his gills turn red and he looses almost all his color and turns very light brownish greenish color. I don’t mind much about the color change but the gills color changing worries me. Probably as his color becomes lighter his insides are more visible therefore more red appears

He also acted wierd some times when he

Yea so for some reason during the day he is normal and when lights go off his gills turn red and he looses almost all his color and turns very light brownish greenish color. I don’t mind much about the color change but the gills color changing worries me. Probably as his color becomes lighter his insides are more visible therefore more red appears

he acts pretty normal it’s just he turns extremely pale and white sometimes