Change In Food Kills Fish?

[WILDER]

A thin greyish film on fish can be bad water quality, toxins, parasites, ph shock, ammonia poisoning, bacterial.

 

[FoilTinFish]

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.

Yes I did research the fish and adult size, tank requirements, and compatibility with other fish. I never ever planned on keeping the fish in 10g forever... as ive stated over and over and over again. They WILL receive a larger tank.

I'm not stupid. I know I'm responsible for an animals welfare... I live on a darn farm lol I train horses... they're much harder and more involved to care for than a fish.

Ill buy a test kit. thanks for that advice, i appreciate it

 

[Curiosity101]

Thing you don't seem to be understanding though is that in this past year the fish will have been stunted. They should have grown more than they have, and if they were in a tank that was sized closer to the size they need as fully grown fish, you would find they would've grown MUCH MUCH more than they have right now.

That's the point people are making. You say you will upgrade when they outgrow this tank...in a big tank you would find that they 'should' have outgrown the 10g by now. But as yours have been in a 10g till now they're growing much much slower. This isn't good for them. Fact.

Also as for the horse comment... What relation does that have to a fish tank? I've lived with and trained horses myself...I would still give my fish as good a level of care as I would any other animal...

Nice to hear you're getting a test kit. I think you may be shocked by your water stats.
I personally test my water once a week just so I know how things are ticking over, but overtime you get to know when something is up.

Also back to the original food question. I agree with indigo, I don't think your problem actually stemmed from the change in fish food...but more the living conditions the fish are in. It'll be a VERY fine balance by the sounds of it, and any little change can upset it alot.
Where as in my tank I switch between all sorts of food throughout the week to give them a varied diet. I never stick to a schedule and have never once experienced anything even slightly like you have.

 

[River Dog]

A test kit is an absolute must. You made no mention of filtration in your post about how you care for your fish, so what filtration do you use ? I think you did everything with the right intention in the first place, but if you come on a forum full of fish fanatics, you are bound to get advice about anything that could be the cuase of your problem, and it is a fact that smaller volumes of water are much harder to keep stable than larger volumes. The new food could have tipped the already delicate balance and given you a massive ammonia spike. As you have already been told that your tank is too small, without having a go at you, let me explain that by housing such fish as yours in such a small aquarium, they will almost certainly be stunted. Stunted fish sometimes give the appearence that everything is tickety boo. But although the fish is stunted, its organs quite often are not. which means that your fish could live a much shorter and painful life. Its not about having a go at you, its about the welfare of the animals you choose to keep. indigo, Wilder and myself are all experienced aquarists, and all we want is to help you, give your fish the care they deserve. Thus enriching your life with a very rewarding hobby.

 

[JustKia]

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.

A liquid based test kit for freshwater.
First why liquid rather than strips? Simply because the strips are well known to give inaccurate results.

Second why test? Well because the ammonia, nitrItes and nitrAtes that could be in your water aren't visible to the naked eye at the levels that are toxic to your fish.
Now, that doesn't mean that the fish are going to shrivel up and die right away, what it does mean is that your fishes gills and other organs are going to suffer from (possibly) small amounts of damage accrued over a long period of time.
This will shorten their lifespan. That's not a maybe - it will shorten their lifespan, by how much I don't know as it depends on the level of damage done over time.
Ammonia at 1ppm (part per million) can "burn" fish. It can cause them to produce more slime coat to try and protect themselves - I'm expecting this is probably what has occured in your tank just recently and most likely wasn't really related to a change in food.
At 1ppm it can also burn the gills of your fish, sure you might not see anything, but that doesn't mean that their gills are still working as they are intended.

There's a lot more to it than that, but I'm just trying to give you a simple view of what people are trying to say to you and why.

Fishes growth can be stunted by living in too small an aquarium. Now, I expect the average person will just think it is a small fish or that it has stayed small. But really it's growth has been stunted and thus it's potential lifespan has been reduced. Just because it might live in a 10Gal and not growth as much as it should as fast as it should doesn't mean that it's right to do it.
Ok I, and I'm guessing a lot of people, can appreciate you don't want to go running a 100Gal tank for a (then) 2" fish. But, you should be prepared to know that that 2" fish should be x inches long within however many months and have a suitable home to move it into before it's growth has a chance to become stunted - not to think about buying a bigger tank when your fish don't have room to move anymore (not saying you would wait that long, just trying to illustrate the point).

Another thing is that in a larger volume of water any waste produced by your fish is going to be diluted more and thus less toxic to your fish and thus doing less damage to them. The waste from your fish is going to be quite concentrated in 10Gal at the moment, even if you are running a filter (which you haven't said you are yet). If you aren't running a filter then all the waste produced by your fish (and that includes ammonia, not just the visible poop) is just going to be building up in the water until you do a water change.
To illustrate the point it's kind of like you being in an air tight box. The oxygen is replaced with waste gases from your body. Then suddenly someone opens the door and the room is filled with clean fresh air. Then they shut the door again and the waste gases slowly build up again until the next time. You can't see those waste gases but they sure won't make you feel good and those wastes can probably build up quite high before you would actually look ill.

To move to your original question: I use tetra crisps (along with other foods) in my community tank. I've never had fish have an adverse reaction to them. Unless they were out of date (and even then it's very unlikely) I can't see they'd cause such a reaction. Could the food have been contaminated with something? Were any sprays (hairspray, deodorant, furniture polish, air freshner, etc) used near the tank or in the same room? Could anything else have potentially contaminated the tank?

 

[WILDER]

I had a pony as a child and I think fish are far more difficult to keep.

 

[FoilTinFish]

Curiosity, River Dog, & JustKia... wow to all of you thank you so very very very much. You told me all the facts without coming down on me like an anvil. I would like to make responses to each of your posts and learn more, but I don't have the time this very moment. I will be back online a little later today. You all presented me with great information and everything... and i apologize to all others who I got mad at. Apparently I still have a lot to learn, but I'm willing now. Anyways I'll get back to all three of you later today, thanks!

p.s. yeah i use filtration... ill get back to you on what kind it is.. i think theres carbon in it.. it came with my fish tank.

oh and the horse comment... im just saying theres a lot involved with taking the best care of a horse... and my point was if im capable of treating a horse so well i can obviously treat a fish just the same (which i thought i was doing) .. and wilder...ok think what you want. horses are much more difficult...

 

[indigoj]

I agree with Wilder - having owned/ridden for over 20 years they are a doddle compared to fish.

The API Master Test Kit is a good reliable one - usually under £20 on ebay.

Just to make an observation on stunting - I own 2 kissing gourami. 1 came with my first tank (3ft/100l) she was about 5" then and I have no idea how long she had lived in that tank. The second I stupidly bought about 1 month later (typical beginner mistake)- he was about 2". In the 2 years since I have discovered that these kissing gourami can reach 12" and need far more space, they are now in a 6ft tank, having been upgraded first to a 4ft, 5ft then the 6ft. The original fish has not grown at all while the second has now reached 6" and still growing. Outwardly they look normal, swim normally and eat normally - if I didn't know she hadn't grown in 2 years I'd think there was nothing wrong with her. She is stunted and will not live as long as she should while the other hopefully will reach his potential 10-12" size over the next 15-20 years.

The point - you can't tell just by looking what damage may be done - fish can look perfectly well and happy on the outside while suffering long term internal damage.

 

[FoilTinFish]

Ok thank you all so much for telling me about stunted fish and sharing examples. I didnt realize I could cause damage to my fish without being able to see it. I went to the pet store and found a 60g tank that comes with everything i need. I was thinking about purchasing that, or do you advise against it because it, too, would be to small?

I have an Aqueon filter and i believe the cartridges have carbon in them. I'm not sure really what other important information you need about the filter?

I will go buy a liquid test kit as suggested at the same time I buy my new tank, which will be soon now.

haha wow then the horse people on here must not take as good of care of their horses as i do lol (jk dont wana cause anymore angry posts)

thanks for the good example indigo.

 

[indigoj]

A 60g would definitely be a massive improvement. Could be worth you looking for bargains locally on ebay or aquarist classifieds (if in uk) or whatever equivalent you have if not in the UK. I got my 6ft off ebay with an FX5 filter for just £125 and my 5ft off a member here for £25! With 60g you could also add 5 more tiger barbs to make the 1 you have happier.

Filter wise the carbon is really only necessary if you've been using medication, beyond that the bigger the better without causing a whirlpool is good, for a 60g tank I'd aim for filtration enough for at least a 100g tank, don't clean your filter unless it becomes slow running and only change media (foam pads, ceramic rings etc) if it is falling apart.

For water testing - as you have a problem right now then test daily once you have the test kit (the liquid tests last ages - so daily testing is no problem) - you want zero for ammonia and nitrIte - these are the important ones, don't worry about the others initially apart from for information so you know what they are.

It may be an idea if you are upgrading to read the cycling articles in the beginners section too so you can get the new tank perfect for your fish.

You know that in time a bigger still tank will be required or the fish rehoming but 60g is a really good start.

I suspect you've had some rubbish advice about fishkeeping up to now but you've found the right place now!

 

[FoilTinFish]

ok thank you so much indigo! yeah id like to get the 60g and definitely find an even larger tank in the future. It would be cool to have one that big and let my fish grow...and adding more tiger barbs would be nice too

oh ok, well the filter cartidges that go with my filter come with carbon in them... is there a different type I should be buying? oh yes, one thing i have been doing right lol... when ive cleaned the tank i havent ever clened the little bio-holster in the filter...just the foam part.

ok i will start testing and once i have the bigger tank how often should i test the water?

yeah ive read some cycling articles online...but i think the articles here in the begginers section will be much more helpful

thanks so very very much!!!!!!

 

[indigoj]

It really is worthwhile having an appropriate size tank - it makes a difference to how the fish behave and interact too.

In a fully cycled problem free tank testing monthly is fine and if anything odd happens, or if adding new fish.

 

[Curiosity101]

If you don't mind me asking FoilTinFish...
Where abouts are you? As in USA or UK, then where abouts are you in that country.
If you wanted to tell us that along with your budget (aswell as how much the 60g costs) we could see if we can find you a bargain??
Ie. Cheaper + bigger tank...better accesories etc.

 

[River Dog]

Curiosity, River Dog, & JustKia... wow to all of you thank you so very very very much. You told me all the facts without coming down on me like an anvil. ...

We were all new to the hobby once, and all of us are still learning. I am so glad that you have decided so quickly to go with some advice and get that bigger tank. You will find things a lot easier with it, also your fish will love you for it. As others have pointed out, new isn't always the best way to go. There are a lot of bargains out there, here in the UK there is Aquarist Classified and obviously Ebay, and in the USA there is a site called craigslist where bargains can be had. Any questions you have, be sure to post here and we will help you all we can.