Change In Food Kills Fish?

[FoilTinFish]

Hello All, im new to the forum & I need help ASAP... guess ill try to fill out this form as best i can


Tank size: 10 gallons
tank temp: 78 degrees F

Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior):
ok heres the story: Last night I gave my fish a new food, TetraColor Tropical Crisps. The fish ate it all up quick and were fine. This morning when i woke up I fed the fish the same food then quickly realized that all my fish were covered in a thin white/grey film that covered every inch on their body and really collected around the fins and eyes. Each fish was barely moving...swimming very slowly and lethargically on the bottom of the tank. They didn't eat any of the food. Their respiration rates were extremely faster than normal as well. The only fish that appeared completely unaffected was my Tiger barb. The only thing i can think of that caused this was the new food; nothing else was different from their normal routine. Roughly 8hrs later the fish are doing better. They lost all the film covering, although its still floating around the water some. They aren't acting as lethargic but they are extremely skittish, which isn't normal. The food that they didnt eat this morning is all gone. I have one bala shark that is still half covered in the film and cant use its tail fin much at all. The other bala shark has had a bright red string of poo since this morning (8hrs ago) which i find very odd. And, it appears as though one of my tinfoils barbs has a slightly swollen abdomen, but it's hard to tell for sure.
Has anyone else had this happen? Can someone explain what even did happen? I'm not sure why fish food would cause this???

Tank inhabitants:
* 3 Tinfoil Barbs
* 2 Bala Sharks
* 1 Tiger Barb

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration): None

Exposure to chemicals: Acurel F which i have been using successfully in the tank since i purchased the fish almost a year ago.

 

[kelly528]

Well, I have never heard of fish food having that sort of effect on fish. It may bloat them, but nothing beyond that. What I can tell you is that your tank sounds massively overstocked. Bala sharks and tinfoil barbs get huge-- balas grow well over a foot, as do tinfoil barbs. I am shocked that they physically fit in your tank! In fact, I wouldn't even put a tiger barb in a 10 gallon. The only thing that I can think of is that your fish didn't finish all the fish food and it caused an ammonia spike. Large fish housed in a tank that small also experience very stunted development-- maybe your fish's digestive tract is a little warped from all the cramping they experience?


In any case, I urge you to either purchase a larger tank (at least 60g, probably a lot more) or give your fish away on craigslist or a local aquarium forum. They may have been small when you got them, but there is no humane way to keep them all in a 10g for the rest of their life.

Good luck,
Kelly

 

[llamalord305]

Ive never seen food do that before, unless maybe it went bad or something?

I agree, 10 gallons is far too small for those fish....

 

[FoilTinFish]

the 10 gallon tank was just our starter tank... its doing great, the fish are happy and healthy and have never ever had any health problems what-so-ever in the last year until this morning. I've never ever had a fish die while in my care. I am aware of how large each fish gets, I did a ton of research before I ever bought them. I will be purchasing a larger tank once I have the money to do so... as you all know they aren't exactly cheap. None of my fish are deformed from stunted growth either. I will agree that maybe their digestive tract couldn't handle it? All of the fish food was eaten...i watched each fish eat it all within a minute or two. I can absolutely guarantee that if any of you saw my tank you would agree the fish are fine. Yes, they will be moved into a tank to fit their size as I said before.

Anyways, my fish are fine now. Completely back to normal. It's the weirdest thing I've ever seen happen. I'm just happy they're all alive

 

[FoilTinFish]

ok this may sound silly but maybe the increase in protein from the new food made the fish poop more causing a dangerous spike in ammonia??

 

[WILDER]

Water stats please in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph.

Your tanks severely overstocked and the bala sharks need 100 gallon tanks. Shouldn't be kept in less than a group of 3.

It sounds like bad water quality to me.

Immediate water change and increase aeration.

 

[kelly528]

This is also a really long shot but lower quality fish food (like flakes) has a lot of crap that is not absorbed by the fish's digestive system, therefore more waste. Maybe? The again , I don't know what you were feeding them before. Best to stay away from that stuff!

 

[FoilTinFish]

yes Wilder i know...everyone says its overstocked. I honestly don't care, that's not what this post was about. They're all smaller fish.. I don't see the point in wasting hundreds of dollars on a 100gallon tank for a 2" fish. My fish are healthy, happy and taken care of extremely well. The water is changed often (but not all of it, I always keep some original water in the tank) and the tank has a large aerator which runs 24/7. & I clean the tank to keep it free of any algae all the time.


Kelly, thank you so much for your help. I appreciate it I was feeding Aqueon Tropical Fish Flakes right before I switched to the TertraColor Tropical Crisps. Maybe you know of a diet that would be more appropriate for them?

 

[indigoj]

Why post for advice if when it is given you 'don't care'. It is a poor fish keeper who doesn't care about the welfare of the fish. Of course they are small fish - they are cramped in 10g and stunted for life if they have been in there for a year.

 

[FoilTinFish]

I didnt ask for advice about how to take care of my fish. I know how to take care of my fish. I asked about help in dealing with the fist health problem Ive ever experienced with my fish and if anybody else had ideas as to why it happened concerning the recent change in food. I am NOT a poor fish keeper & I DO care about their welfare so you can just shove it. You havent seen my fish... if you had you would know they are NOT stunted and that I WILL get a larger tank. I wanted advice, not accusations against me.

 

[indigoj]

No need to be rude. I wasn't accusing simply stating fact - any fish that naturally reaches 14 inches and does so in a proper sized aquarium will be stunted if kept in a 10g for a year.

It is apparent if you think 10g is suitable for fish that reach that size for that long then there is something wrong with the care your fish are receiving. Maybe you've had bad advice in the past but people here are simply trying to help you have healthy fish that can live the length of time they should, reach the size they should and therefore be a pleaseure to keep - rather than facing premature death due to being kept in a too small tank for too long.

 

[FoilTinFish]

i apologize for ranting. Just seems as though no one really cared to answer my real question but wanted to tell me I'm a poor fish keeper who doesn't care and isn't smart enough to know my fish can grow over a foot and need a larger tank. All the fish were tiny when i bought them and yes they have obviously grown a ton over the last year but they could still last in the 10g for a few months more before I buy a big tank for them. There is NOT anything wrong with the care my fish are receiving however. I would love to have help and I appreciate any and all advice. People should quit assuming that I am not caring for my fish and don't care. My whole plan from the start after I spent so much time researching and learning about the fish and aquariums was to start with a 10g and if the fish lived and continued to grow I would love to buy the proper sized tank. That's still my goal and obviously since I've never had a fish die since I bought them I'm not a poor fish keeper. The next step in my plan is a bigger tank but I will get that when I see its necessary not because everyone tells me I'm doing everything wrong.

 

[indigoj]

That's the point though - people do care about your question and are giving very valid advice as to what is likely to be wrong.

In no way shape or form is a 10g tank ever suitable for those fish for 12 months or more and it is likely that this is a disaster that has been waiting to happen with the change of food being the proverbial straw that broke the camels back.

You say you researched - did you not reseach suitable fish for a 10g tank?

Just keeping fish alive is not all there is too it.

What are your exact readings for Ammonia, NitrIte and NitrAte , oh and your Ph.

How big were your fish when you got them? How big are they now?

 

[FoilTinFish]

apparently a 10g is suitable to start with because my fish are happy & healthy and doing excellnt

Yes, I researched the proper number and which types of fish are suited to live their entire life happily and healthy in a 10g.
(added when edited: I i know and agree that my fish should NOT be kept in a 10g for their entire lifespan, it just wouldnt work. However I believe and have proven they can live happily in 10g until they outgrow it. Mine have not at this point.)

Now here's where absolutely everyone is gona get mad and tell me I'm a bad fish parent... whatever. I honestly don't have any readings on the ph and nitrite and nitrate etc... I don't have a test kit. Suggest the kind that you prefer & tell me why I need it, without telling me my fish must be in terrible condition because their so mishapen and deformed and the waters so black they can't see and must not have enough oxygen and that i'm treating them inhumanely and they're gona die with in the next hour, and I'll be happy to discuss that with whoever supplies me with an answer. My fish have always been fine and I've never tested the water, I'm open to having anyone tell me why I should.

the tiger barb was absolutely tiny...dont really know how big he was but not hes probably 1 1/2". the tinfoils were all about 1 1/2" and are now 3-4" and the balas were also very tiny and are now 2-2 1/2" These are estimates.

If I can get a good picture of my tank I'll try posting one here if that's what you'd like and if it would help this topic any??

 

[WILDER]

Research the fish before you buy. For tank size, adult size, compatability.
Once you buy a pet you are responsible for its welfare.
You do need liquid test kits to test your water till you become an experienced fish keeper. Even when I tank is stable its still best to test the tank water at least once a month.