all looked well in my tank this morning, got back from shopping and noticed one of the male zebras is 'hovering' just above the sand with is long fins kind of resting on the sand, his tail looks as if it is 'bending' downwards, as if it s to heavy for him he looks thin and sad. even at feeding time he made a bit of an attempt to move but it was in slow motion and he stopped half way. the female has been trying to chase him about but he's having none of it (its usually him chasing her!!!)

stats of water are (using test strips not liquid)
NO3 (mg/l) - between 0 and 10
NO2 (mg/l) - 0

GH- >6

KH - 6

PH - 7,2

ive only had him around three weeks, the only thing that has changed is he used to have red mosquito worms daily but i stopped giving the a few days back as they were causing the female to bloat terrily. now they just have flake food

he is in a community aquarium A Juwel 180L.

*is worried*

This post has been edited by Spishkey: Jun 27 2008, 07:15 AM

I would take a sample of your tank water to the lfs and tell them to write the readings down for you.
How old is the fish as they can go thin as they get old.
Is the fish still eating.
Any bent spines.
Being thin can be old age, fish tb to internal parasites.
Check his anus to see if its enalarged or red and inflamed.
What does it look like when the fish goes to the toilet.

are my readings no good?

the fish was supposedly 'young' when i bought it a few weeks back. i dont think its old, he is still eating when he can get to the food, he seems a little faster now but then sinks back down to the bottomish. have just got a pic, its not so good but you can see how he kind of bends down half way. his 'poops' are dark, his rear doesnt look swollen or red.

here is a pic i got when i last fed them, he was really slow moving, not his usual self at all, he's now hiding in the plec cave



This post has been edited by Spishkey: Jun 26 2008, 01:48 PM

You havent got an ammonia reading and them test strip cards are not accurate.
Liquids test kits are the best.
He dosn't look right does he, does his tail weigh him down in the water.
Was he thin when you bought him.
Resting on the bottom can be a sign of a bacterial infection, other signs with sytoms are being pale or darker
in colour and being listless and lethagic.

Signs of swim bladder are.
the tails weight them down in the water.
Sinking back down to the bottom of the tank.
Unable to get off the bottom of the tank and top.
Head standing, and resting in plants and on there sides at the bottom of the tank,.
Barrel rolls, turning upside down.
Look under swim bladder.
http://www.fish-disease.net/diseases.htm

This post has been edited by Wilder: Jun 26 2008, 03:23 PM

as soon as i get some spare money i shall buy some liquid water testers, right now though i shall have to do with my strips/local pet shops will hopefully do me a reading.


mr fish has just had a zoom round the tank and is still again now.

shall go and have a read of the link you gave me now. thanks

Do you mean he's darting around the tank.
Does he flick and rub.

no just a normal super speed zebra fish type dash after the lady. no flicking just a bg super sonic zoom at hyper speed.

This is a good link to zebra danio's.
http://www.aquarticles.com/articles/breedi...bra_Danios.html

thats an interesting link, it could be that my fish IS old and nearing the end of its life? could a fish really be in a shop for nearly two years??

I doubt a fish shop with have a fish two years unless someone locally as fetched it to the shop to be sold.
Never kept danio but he look quite big.

well he looks 100% back to mormal today, eating, zoomoing back to his old usual self!


very bizarre??

Might have eaten something off. How big is your gravel and how much do you feed? Do the fish eat everything at every feed? If your gravel is fine (but sometimes it lands on decor as well) food can land on something and start to decay. Small active fish like danios could easily pick up a piece of rotten food. Hope that's all it was.

funny enough i moved my little rock corner out the day before yesterday to clean out any dirt that accumulates in the corner and the zebras were having a field day on the bits i missed, its very possible they found some bit of old food.

i feed twice a day but they usually eat it all within seconds, if any drops to the sand, the corys get it (they get cory food too put pick up the flakes/worms that hit the bottom too)

well now i know what it could have been!


thank you all!

Glad he's on the mend bless him.