my fish are breathing funny

Question
hi, i have 3 small green terrors in a 40 gallon tank, my future plan is to breed them, but this evening i noticed that the are breathing very hard, like almost out of breath, but they havent been doing anything at all. i was wondering if they are ill or if something is wrong with the water? please help!! anything would be helpful.

Answer
Hi Travis,
 It could be something with the water.  The most likely problem is that your water is getting too warm -- this is a common problem in the summer.  Check that it isn't over about 83 degrees.  

 If that isn't the problem, then consider doing a partial water change of about 20% of the water.  In general, you should be changing 20% of the water once a week, every week, to keep your fish happy and healthy.  

 Also, be sure that your filter is working properly.

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
  Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>