Who Gives A Fish Forums

just checked my tap water and the ph is 9.5 - 10.0, thats crazy high right?

I'm no expert but I think your tank's a bit cramped for these fish, could be wrong though. The aeration itself isn't the main issue, it's more about surface agitation to help with air exchange, and the Fluval edge's tiny hole doesn't exactly help with that.

You could try making a small hole just above where you think the fish is, then flushing it out that way.

my apologies, i thought those filters were external, not hang on backs. personally, i've never been a fan of HOBs.

i think you're good on the filter front, the one you got and the new one should handle it, over filtering is always a plus