Dying Zebra Danios

[tzimpfer]

I had 3 Zebra Danios, I lost my first one sometime overnight and I think I am getting ready to have another one go. The first one that died was hanging out at the top of the tank being very lathargic and breathing heavily. This second one is starting to do the same thing but I am noticing some red on him. I posted a pic and I circled the red areas which does include his gills. Anyone have any thoughts?

The background:
I setup a 29 Gallon fresh water on Christmas day and let it run for 24 hours, added bio boost to it and had my local pet store test the water, everything tested fine so I added 3 zebra danios, that was last Monday. On Friday I had my water tested again and it was good so I added 4 more fish: Power Blue Gourami, Pink Kissing Gourami, and two Gold German Ram's. I did a 20% water change yesterday and added a chemical to the new water to remove chlorine, that's it. I lost my first danio last night. I tested the water this morning and my results are as follows:

pH: 6.5
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 20
Ammonia: 0

Hope this is good info, any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

 

[This Old Spouse]

Your tank is not cycled if you just set it up on Christmas Day, sorry to say. Your photo and description of their behavior suggests ammonia poisoning. Who tested your water?

You're now in a fish-in cycle. Please click on my link below my signature photo for the beginner's section and read up on how to proceed. Right now you need to do a large 80-90% water change, and about a 50% water change every day. Use temperature-matched water that you've treated with either StressCoat + or Seachem Prime. Don't use any other chemicals.

Then get yourself a master test kit by API, Nutrafin or Salifert. They all have kits that will work for you. You should be testing your water every day until your filter media is cycled.

OR .... if you can find someone with a tank that is already mature and has mature filter media, ask if they'll kindly donate 1/3 of their media to you. This will help your cycle along MUCH faster.

Keep us posted. And to the forum. Glad you could join us!

 

[tzimpfer]

Thank you for your quick response, really apprecaite it and I will certainly check out your link.

In response to who tested my water, I had two different stores test my water, Petland and Aquarium Adventures. In the past week I have had my water tested 4 times, twice by each. Petland is a chain pet store that has fish but does not specialize in just fish. Aquarium Adventure is a very high end store that caters more to high end aquariums and ponds. I have also tested my water twice, yesterday and today with the API test strips that you recommend.

I am a little confused with what you mean about ammonia poisoning, if my ammonia is reading 0 how can there me poisoning. Perhaps that is a newbie question.

I will do another water change today, as I said before I did a 20% change yesterday.

The danio is question at times does dart back and forth but it mostly lathargic, his tail also seems to curve up a bit.

Another newbie question, danio is a schooling fish, I had three and lost one, schooling is recommended 3+, should I be replacing to keep this 3+ quota?

 

[This Old Spouse]

Thank you for your quick response, really apprecaite it and I will certainly check out your link.

It's a link to the TFF section for beginners. We generally send everybody there at some point, as there's loads of great information about everything to starting your tank and maintaining it correctly.

In response to who tested my water, I had two different stores test my water, Petland and Aquarium Adventures. In the past week I have had my water tested 4 times, twice by each. Petland is a chain pet store that has fish but does not specialize in just fish. Aquarium Adventure is a very high end store that caters more to high end aquariums and ponds. I have also tested my water twice, yesterday and today with the API test strips that you recommend.


I didn't recommend test strips, which are notoriously unreliable. I recommended the master test kits which are in liquid form and quite accurate. Also, if you're having the LFS (local fish shop) test your water, have them write down the results. "Fine" doesn't give us enough information.


I am a little confused with what you mean about ammonia poisoning, if my ammonia is reading 0 how can there me poisoning. Perhaps that is a newbie question.


You should really first get a master liquid test kit and make sure your parameters are at 0 for ammonia and nitrite. The red gills, swimming near the surface, and tail clamping are all signs of ammonia poisoning and should be dealt with immediately. You've already lost one fish. More will follow. Do a massive water change. 20% is NOT ENOUGH. You're barely diluting it at 20%.

I will do another water change today, as I said before I did a 20% change yesterday.


As I said, 20% is not enough. You'll need to do 50% daily water changes until your filter media is cycled. But start with a huge water change today to get the levels down.

The danio is question at times does dart back and forth but it mostly lathargic, his tail also seems to curve up a bit.


Again, it's being poisoned. You should also cut back on feeding to every other day, and tiny amounts at that. Just a tiny pinch, every other day until your media is cycled.

Another newbie question, danio is a schooling fish, I had three and lost one, schooling is recommended 3+, should I be replacing to keep this 3+ quota?

Please don't get any other fish until your tank is cycled. Shoaling fish should be kept at 6 or more, preferably more. But don't replace anything yet.

 

[tzimpfer]

Ok got it, Master Kit not test strips, glad I wasted $36.

So another point of confusion and I ask because I hear two different things. Do I add enough stress coat of the water I am adding or for the full tank? For example, 29 Gallon tank, add measurement of stress coat for 29 gallons or enough for say 15 gallons if I am doing a 50% change?

 

[ShinySideUp]

Ok got it, Master Kit not test strips, glad I wasted $36.

So another point of confusion and I ask because I hear two different things. Do I add enough stress coat of the water I am adding or for the full tank? For example, 29 Gallon tank, add measurement of stress coat for 29 gallons or enough for say 15 gallons if I am doing a 50% change?

Just the 15 gallons, you treat the new water.

 

[This Old Spouse]

Unless you're pouring in water straight from the tap, then you add enough for the whole tank.

 

[ShinySideUp]

Unless you're pouring in water straight from the tap, then you add enough for the whole tank.

Well, that didn't help you did it? Two posts two opposing views. Wait and take an average if I were you, or split the difference.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

There are two common ways to refill during a water change...

1. Add dechlorinator directly to the tank, but this method requires you to add enough for the whole volume your tank holds, not just what you are replacing. Then pour fresh, similar temp water directly to the tank.
2. Add dechlorinator to each bucket to at least safely detoxify that bucket's volume, then fill bucket with temp matched water, add dechlorinated water to the tank.

I've always done method 2 personally, generally saves on dechlorinator and when I want to overdose on Seachem Prime I add a little extra per bucket, but method 1 works great in theory if you use a hose/python to save you carrying all that water between the tap and your tank.

 

[Man of fish]

You treat the new water if you treat in buckets but you treat the whole tank if your pouring in temp. Matched water straiht from the tap before dechlorinating.

 

[This Old Spouse]

+1

Apparently I didn't explain myself well enough. Not two opposing views at all. Just two different methods depending on how you replace your water.

 

[Man of fish]

Also danios are suggested for at least a 4 foot tank. A 29 gallon is usually only 30 inches. I have one as well. I thought it was 3 feet but it wasn't. Humph.
Follow what TOS has told you and please don't get any more fish for a while or at least until the cycle is over.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Heavy breathing is a classic symptom that something is bothering fish, my young Hoplo Catfish in my Rio240 were doing just this yesterday. I tested the water with my API test kit and got borderline results, a slight hint of green, so not quite 0.25mg/l. Now as my tap water is quite hard and alkaline and the tank is temp is currently 24C, such a reading gave me enough cause for concern about free ammonia ion levels that I replaced ~220l of my 240l tank by bucket, knowing that my fish should not have toxic ammonia issues if especially if I feed them sparingly in the coming days. Even before seeing the test result, I was readying myself for a massive water change when seeing the unusual activity of my Hoplos, thinking that a recently added piece of bogwood might be leaching something that was bothering the fish.

Adding fish to an uncycled tank is risky at the best of times, even with hardy Danios and daily 50% water changes for something like the next three or four months (yes, 3 or 4 months), but sensitive fish like German Rams would be more likely to win the lottery that survive a "fish-in cycle." Not only that, Zebra Danios Gouramis, and German Rams have very different setup needs...

• Zebra Danios are hyperactive fish and despite their small size really need a 4-foot long tank to "stretch their legs." They need cool water in the 18-20C ballpark for most of the year, with a strong upper water current really appreciated. Very social, less than six are likely to become nippy with each other and other tankmates.
• Gouramis are usually quite sedate fish that might get upset by zippy danios flying around them. They need typical tropical water temps around 24C, but they detest water current. Not very social, need to be singletons or 3+ groups, ideally with only one male in the tank.
• German Rams need high-end tropical temps of at least 27C, notoriusly sensitive to bad water quality, will tolerate some water movement but not of the strength danios thrive in.

 

[tzimpfer]

Thank you everyone for your replies, I completed a 50% water change and tested the water, 0 ammonia. I have not purchased a master kit yet because I haven't had time to trim to the store.

Regarding the Gouramis though, the two I have are super active, the powder blue run swims like a crazy fish all over the place. The pink kissing gourami will two but then will calm down and does this at random. The German rams are fairly shy and tend to hide, especially when we walk in the room.

Danio update, very lathargic still, the one with the red will zip around a bit but then stops. The other one just follows it around.