query!

Question
hi. i have just changed the water of my aquarium and all my fishes look like they are i a frenzy jumping up and down in the aquarium. have i done something wrong? are they excited or do they have a problem??please reply!

Answer
Dear Anubhuti,
When fish are behaving this strangely after a water change, there are several things you should consider as to the reason-
Did you make sure when you did the water change that you insured the replacement water was dechlorinated with a proper water conditioner to remove chlorine and chloramines in your tap or source water? This is very important to remember at every water change or whenever you add water to your tank.
Making sure the temperature is equal or very close to the aquarium's temperature is also vital in avoiding temperature shock that can result in illness. Water that is too cold is especially bad.

How much water did you take out in your change? If your aquarium hasn't had a water change in a while (several weeks) or has only had small water changes infrequently--then if you just did a big water change, the new water could have put the fish into shock because they were accostumed to the old water.

Also, is it possible that soaps or other contaminates could have gotten into your aquarium? It's best to make sure that your hands, fingernails, and arms are well-rinsed off of any potential contaminates such as lotions or soap residue, these residues are highly toxic to fish.

Unfortunately there is not much to do after you've done a water change when your fish are acting strange. The best you can do is add an extra full dose of water conditioner to your aquarium to try to help the situation. Many times fish can pull through..And hopefully it's not too late.

Then again, there is hope too. What kind of fish do you keep? Many active fish become much more active in their behavior after a water change, the new water makes them feel better and more refreshed. They may show brighter colors, swim more actively in a school, and sometimes even spawn.
But if your fish seem stressed by gasping or frantically pacing up and down in the aquarium. This may mean that there is something wrong. It would have been great if I could know more about your aquarium and what you did when you did the water change this info would help eliminate or spring up certain possibilities as to your fishes sudden strange behavior.

I really hope this helps!
Best of luck!
Karen~