Face Down Fish

[sawyer]

Hi - Can anyone help. I am new to keeping fish (4 months) and have 16 fish Danios, Guppys, Cherry Barbs and Glow lite Tetras. One of my Leopard Danios has been having trouble swimming for about a week now and hasn't eaten. Now he is just nose down in plants like he is tring to hide!! I perform a partial water change every week as my tank is quite small and I did try and get him swimming around today but he just darted about not really in control and just found another place to hide his head so to speak. Does this sound like a problem with his swim bladder? All my other fish are acting normal. Sould I leave him and see what happens but it's been a week now and although he's moving his body he doesn't actually swim anywhere just stays face down at the bottom of the tank. I don't want to take him out if there is a chance he will recover but I don't like to see him like this either.

 

[phoenixgsd]

how big is your tank, you say small with 16 fish, how small? also what are your ammonia nitrite and nitrate levels

 

[sawyer]

how big is your tank, you say small with 16 fish, how small? also what are your ammonia nitrite and nitrate levels

My tank is 19lt and to be honest I haven't check my levels as I thought my other fish would be showing signs if there was a problem with the tank. Danios are supposed to be quite hardy.

 

[CezzaXV]

First off, 19L is waaaay too small for that many fish! Not to mention the fish you have just aren't suited to a small tank.

Don't assume you dont have water problems, test your water! This should be the first thing you do whenever you notice a problem with any of your fish as most fishy problems are cause by bad water quality.

Have you cycled your filter?

 

[phoenixgsd]

19LT is really small, 6 or 8 fish max, it sounds like your overstocked for a tank that size and the ammonia the fish are producing through their waste is poisoning them as the filter cant cope, do you have a liquid test kit?

 

[fluttermoth]

Some fish are always going to more sensitive to toxins than others, whatever their species; it's also possible that the fish is already damaged by high ammonia and that it's only now it's showing symptoms.

You need to do some large water changes; leaving just enough water for the fish to swim upright before refilling with warmed, dechlorinated water.

Then you either need to rehome some fish, or get a larger tank, as a matter of urgency. I don't want to sound harsh, but it's just cruel to keep so many fish in such a small tank.

 

[Judgejudy]

Danios are really active. So you need a fairly big tanks. That tank is WAY too small

 

[sawyer]

First off, 19L is waaaay too small for that many fish! Not to mention the fish you have just aren't suited to a small tank.

Don't assume you dont have water problems, test your water! This should be the first thing you do whenever you notice a problem with any of your fish as most fishy problems are cause by bad water quality.

Have you cycled your filter?

I've tested my water now and all the readings are fine and the filter has been cycled, the tank was up and running for 6 weeks before I added the fish and then I did it gradually. I always purchase my fish from the same source and they know how big my tank is and they suggested the kind of fish I brought and advised on the quantity so I am a bit concerned that it seems that the information I received contradicts what you are all saying on here. Mind you some of the research I did and books I purchased give different info as well. I don't know what to do now.

 

[Noahs ark6]

Fish shops have got a bad reputation for selling lots of fish to beginners with tiny tanks. All they care about is money. I advise that you ask on this website to knowlegable people than your LFS. If you took your danios and cherry barbs back to the shop, how many tetras and guppys would you have left?

 

[fluttermoth]

I'm afraid fish shops are well known on here for giving out very poor advice.

Don't forget that they're there to make money. It doesn't matter that much them whether your fish get sick or die; in fact, in some ways, that's better for them, because then they know you'll be back buying medicines and new fish

The members here have years of combined experience and care only about the welfare of your fish; we're not here to make a profit. We also keep ourselves up to date with the very latest news and techniques, whereas most fish shops don't.

What exactly are the numbers from your tests? When you cycled the tank by running it for six weeks, were you adding anything, or just letting filter run?

 

[sawyer]

I'm afraid fish shops are well known on here for giving out very poor advice.

Don't forget that they're there to make money. It doesn't matter that much them whether your fish get sick or die; in fact, in some ways, that's better for them, because then they know you'll be back buying medicines and new fish

The members here have years of combined experience and care only about the welfare of your fish; we're not here to make a profit. We also keep ourselves up to date with the very latest news and techniques, whereas most fish shops don't.

What exactly are the numbers from your tests? When you cycled the tank by running it for six weeks, were you adding anything, or just letting filter run?

When my tank was empty I added the correct doses of Nutrafin Cycle and Aqua Plus and also add Aqua Plus to any new water when I do a change. My readings are 0.1 ammonia 0.5 nitrite 50/75 nitrite & my Ph was 7. I'm getting really concerned now about the info I was given and feel really stupid that I didn't research further. You tend to think that they know what they're talking about and have even tested my water on several occasions when my tank was being established.

 

[Noahs ark6]

I ask again, If you took your danios and cherry barbs back to the shop, how many guppies and tetras would you have?. Your ammonia and nitrite should be zero, how often and how much water do you change in the water changes.

 

[phoenixgsd]

When my tank was empty I added the correct doses of Nutrafin Cycle and Aqua Plus and also add Aqua Plus to any new water when I do a change. My readings are 0.1 ammonia 0.5 nitrite 50/75 nitrite

ammonia and nitrite is too high they need to be zero, do you mean nitrate is 50/75? you need to do large daily water changes adding a good dechlorinator and of course a bigger tank, if you cant afford one immediately get a plastic storage tub and put your heater, filter and fish ect in there untill you can get a bigger tank