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Possible relapse (formely called "Urgent help please")

confusedman

Member
Joined
30 Jan 2021
Messages
151
Location
London
All of my fish are very quiet. Three of them sitting at the bottom of the tank. Hiding. Not moving.
The shrimp are nowhere to be seen
Yesterday eve changed the heater but temperature seems to be ok. This morning they ate and moved normally
Yesterday added some floating plants in the main tank and in the quarantine tank. Quarantine fish seems to be normal.
Water parameters are ok except for Nitrates that might be ten: not sure about the colour. Can that be the reason? should I do an immediate water change? I am worried that if thats not the reason a water change might upset them even more.

Please advise
 
How long since last water change?

I’d be inclined to do a 50% water change and see if fish improve - if yes, I’d likely do another 50% water change soon after
Use extra Prime as well
 
Any more background information about the tank would help further. How long tanks been set up, the fish, filtration etc. Nothing you have mentioned so far would cause issues other than if the water change had been iffy by some work on the pipeline but if you have used something like Prime to treat the water that should be fine.
 
How long since last water change?

I’d be inclined to do a 50% water change and see if fish improve - if yes, I’d likely do another 50% water change soon after
Use extra Prime as well
Last Sunday
In my experience its either issues with water quality or oxygen levels. Both can be fixed with a water change. I'd get one started ASAP. If the Nitrates come down and you still have issues make sure you have enough surface movement for gas exchange
For some reason de Filter flow was very low. Its my first tank and I don't know how it works. i opened (found a dead shrimp, washed the sponge in the tank water bucket -but there wasn't much muck on it- put it back and the flow went back to normal. I struggle to believe that the body of the shrimp could have blocked it. I don't know if that might have been the reason.
Maybe I put too many floating plants and that affected the oxygen levels?
I have now removed most of them.
Any more background information about the tank would help further. How long tanks been set up, the fish, filtration etc. Nothing you have mentioned so far would cause issues other than if the water change had been iffy by some work on the pipeline but if you have used something like Prime to treat the water that should be fine.
First tank. Just a small Aquael Leddy 60. Filter Asap 300. Two platy two molly two honey gourami. 6 amanos and 3 bloody shrimps The last platy is big and was added the day before yesterday. I wonder if he ate the shrimp because I only see one amaño and the corpse I found in the filter.
 
Are you sure the temperature is okay? I once forgot to turn my heater back on for 24 hours and the temperature dropped below 20 degrees, and my Embers clung to the bottom and wouldn’t eat. As soon as I realised and the temperature got back up, they were fine.

I only mention this as you say you changed your heater, and the next day saw the new behaviour.

I doubt it will be the floating plants affecting the oxygen levels, as the fish would be at the top of the tank trying to sup from the surface layer if that were the issue.
 
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Hi @confusedman,
Are the gourami hanging near the surface (gulping)?
You say the temperature seems ok, do you know what the temperature is?

I wouldn't worry about your nitrates if they are reading 10, chances are your London tap water will be far higher than that.
I'd be inclined to go with low oxygen levels, possibly brought on by perfect storm of clogged filter and maybe sudden temp rise.

If the water change seems to help then maybe try lifting the filter up a bit or altering the outflow angle to get more surface agitation, also adding in a bubbler (air stone) if you don't already have one could help.
 
Hi @confusedman,
Are the gourami hanging near the surface (gulping)?
You say the temperature seems ok, do you know what the temperature is?

I wouldn't worry about your nitrates if they are reading 10, chances are your London tap water will be far higher than that.
I'd be inclined to go with low oxygen levels, possibly brought on by perfect storm of clogged filter and maybe sudden temp rise.

If the water change seems to help then maybe try lifting the filter up a bit or altering the outflow angle to get more surface agitation, also adding in a bubbler (air stone) if you don't already have one could help.
Gouramis were close to the surface earlier but they just looked a bit slow, but not like they were struggling to breath. Now they are quietly around. They all seem to be moving a bit more now apart from the Molly.
temperature is 25.6. I saw three shrimps alive
 
Also worth noting that now you no longer have the Rams dropping the water temp a little wouldn't do any harm. If you do lower it do it slowly, maybe drop a degree over the next 12 hrs.
 
The last platy is big and was added the day before yesterday.
Was this fish quarantined before adding to the main tank?

While low water flow, and plants may’ve raised issues, disease is also possible when adding new fish - but water change is still best treatment without further information/symptoms (and as shrimp are also affected, water quality seems more likely)
 
Water changes help with most problems, even if you don't know what's wrong.
Why did you change the heater? If the old one works OK, I would try swapping back, it's just possible that the new heater caused the problem and easy to eliminate that possibility if the old heater is still good.
 
Hi @confusedman

What are you using to test the water parameters? Is it test strips or bottled liquid reagents? And, who is the manufacturer - API, Tetra, etc? This is very important.

JPC

In case you don't get a reply tonight jpc there was some reference to the kit here. Post no 1

I put 2 and 2 together and came up with this.

I could however be barking up the wrong tree.
 
Hi @confusedman and @John q

If the NT Labs test kit is being used, the OP needs to be aware of the following (from the NT Labs website):

"This test kit reports concentration in terms of nitrogen (NH3-N), (NO2-N) or (NO3-N) to be compatible with reported safe concentrations as they apply to fish and plants. If you are interested in knowing the ionic concentration of the measured parameter, multiply your result by 1.21 (NH3-N), 3.29 (NO2-N), or 4.43 (NO3-N)".

This is unusual practice for a European, nay British, aquatics company. I once spoke with one of their lab guys about this.

JPC
 
So have you changed any of the water yet, and if so did you see any improvement in fish behaviour.
Yes I changed 50% of the water around 6. They seem to be moving a little more but Mollys are still pretty still
Was this fish quarantined before adding to the main tank?

While low water flow, and plants may’ve raised issues, disease is also possible when adding new fish - but water change is still best treatment without further information/symptoms (and as shrimp are also affected, water quality seems more likely)
It wasn't quarantined. I need to quarantine the swordtail because it had a fin problem, so I had to swap them around and put the new Platy in the main tank
Water changes help with most problems, even if you don't know what's wrong.
Why did you change the heater? If the old one works OK, I would try swapping back, it's just possible that the new heater caused the problem and easy to eliminate that possibility if the old heater is still good.
I needed a heater for the quarantine tank. So i bought a new one that i put in the bigger tank and I used the old one (smaller)for the quarantine tank
 
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If water temperature, filter flow, water change haven’t really improved the situation and new fish added, I’d consider treating with an external parasite remedy (as this is one of the most common issues in fish)

If shop is close by (call and confirm that fish have not all sold etc), you might go back in and observe other fish in that Platy tank
 
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