Does skinny fish mean healthy fish?

[zain611]

Hey guys so for a while now I've noticed one of my cardinal tetras to have gotten skinny. When I feed them I try to focus trying to feed him. He kind of isolates himself from others however he was happily to eat. Today not long ago I saw him on the bottom of the tank and saw one cardinal nipping him. My amano shrimp came in and got him and sadly killed him.

Could there have been a problem which caused him to go skinny? Other cardinals are fine.

 

[FishGuest5123]

Normally when a schoaling fish isolates himself there is something wrong.

 

[Colin_T]

post picture of sick fish.
describe symptoms of sick fish.

the following has information about what to do if your fish gets sick. It's long and boring but worth knowing.
http://www.fishforums.net/threads/what-to-do-if-your-fish-gets-sick.450268/

 

[AbbeysDad]

@Colin_T - He wrote that the Amano shrimp got him!

A skinny withdrawn fish often has stopped eating and will likely pass on in spite of our best efforts. It just happens sometimes. The best we can do is keep a clean tank, with good water, and quality food. The rest is up to the fish. I haven't used any medicines in many years now....sometimes I think the best medicine is fresh water!
Too many hobbyists think their filter cleans the water when in fact it just makes it look cleaner...detritus breaks down in the filter and pollutes the water. Without sufficient routine periodic partial water changes of sufficient volume, the water quality just gets worse and worse in time!
[end soapbox]

 

[FishGuest5123]

I agree that isolation is a bad sign. If a schoaling fish goes off alone it’s because he is weak or sick and doesn’t want to be messed with. I believe in trying clean water changes and perhaps a little salt in most cases. However, I do have a different opinion on medications. Some illnesses need fast treatment to improve and waiting can mean a dead fish and possibly a contaminated tank. This would be in a case of columnaris or severe Popeye, for example. I worry about antibiotic resistance too but not at the point of killing my fish to preserve the effectiveness of the meds. If we aren’t going to use them then why fight to save them? I am one who barely takes a Tylenol even and certainly agree that we need to reserve meds for specific diseases that will benefit from them. Don’t go dumping a lot of cure all meds into your tank if you don’t know what you’re treating. I am not against them though when a fish is suffering and needs help quickly. In some cases, waiting to see what clean water does is simply not always an option. If you have kept fish long enough, you will sadly become experienced in identifying many diseases and learn how to treat them effectively. Here in the States we are fighting measle outbreaks again after years of not hearing about it. Ill informed parents took it upon themselves not to vaccinate their children. Now children are risking blindness and death again as a result of a disease we had under control. We are damned if we do and damned if we don’t. Off my soap box too.

 

[AbbeysDad]

@Deanasue I think you misunderstood - clean water and quality food is the prevention, not the cure!
Excluding wild caught fish not properly quarantined, I think the root cause of many fish diseases results from poor water and/or low quality food. Conditions that lower if not destroy the fishes immune system.
------
Most of the fish I have were bred and raised right here (I currently have over 100 fish in the basement!), Other fish either come from a reliable source (e.g club member) or go into a quarantine tank for weeks. I have not had a reason to consider using medicines in the last 20 years! I have a fish die here and there from unknown causes - it happens.
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Just my nickle, but without a dedicated hospital tank and advanced knowledge, I feel that dumping chemical cures in an established tank should be avoided.
If/when a fish is suffering, sometimes the best approach is clove oil euthanasia.

 

[Colin_T]

I currently have over 100 fish in the basement!)

fish serial killer, keeping them in the basement until, you know what I mean

I keep people in my basement. bwa ha ha ha haaaa

 

[AbbeysDad]

fish serial killer, keeping them in the basement until, you know what I mean

I keep people in my basement. bwa ha ha ha haaaa

Uhm, accidental breeder - now my LFS's source for quality Swordtails...bred, grown out and 'sold' about 12 dozen in the last year...and they just keep coming!

ps. let the people go!

 

[FishGuest5123]

I totally agree! I sadly had to euthanize an entire betta sorority recently after several died from columnaris. Betta’s are one thing I don’t breed myself! All of my Goldie’s are bred here, platies, plecos, guppies, etc. I thought I had bought my female bettas from a reliable source but that back fired. Right now I have black moor, fancy calico’s, and pond Koi fry all growing out. To be honest, I had decided not to breed the pond fish this time and thought I had separated all of the males from the females. One little guy named “Jack Sparrow” turned out to be “Jackie Sparrow” and decided she was old enough to scatter fertilized eggs all over her pond. Keep finding new fry everyday. I keep my koi’s on a special diet so I guess they are too full to eat their fry. Dang it! Fortunately, I work with one Lfs who purchases all the goldies I can bring them. Sometimes we trade in credit for items I need. I even have a brood of red cherry shrimp eggs waiting to hatch after Momma died. I wasn’t really addressing you specifically on the idea of no meds. A lot of members don’t believe in meds. I was just confessing my own sins and beliefs.

 

[FishGuest5123]

You guys are so lucky to have basements. You can’t raise fish in attics. Lol!

 

[Colin_T]

You guys are so lucky to have basements. You can’t raise fish in attics. Lol!

nope, but you can hang bodies in there

little guppy bodies, hanging on the wall, one named Peter, one named Paul

 

[FishGuest5123]

Uh, what are you sipping on today, Colin?

 

[AbbeysDad]

Uh, what are you sipping on today, Colin?

More like chuggin or sluggin 'em down!

 

[zain611]

I'm happy you guys put me in a happy mood since this sad time

 

[Bettawhisperer]

Parasites. Add garlic juice to the tank. It's great for all the fish and takes care of getting rid of parasites. You can get a jar if it at your grocery store. Also you can crush the garlic up smaller and feed some to the fish they love it.