First Post, First Thread, First Problem

[Slim Jim]

Hi all,

Apologies for the typical, not a forum member until something goes wrong and hope creating a thread on my first post is ok.

I would just like advice and would appreciate anyones thoughts.

Background - I have a 180 litre tank, it's filter has been running for about 10 months with live plants in it, I only introduced fish about 3 months ago, I know, I know the gap was for reasons I'd rather not go into. Anyway (after I tested the water) I introduced some tetras and cheery barbs 3 months ago and about a month later introduced 2 silver sharks.

Since then I have considered everything good and well, all the fish seem extremely happy bombing about the tank. On Saturday I introduced a Siamese fighter and an algae eater. From the moment of introduction the Siamese fighter I started to get concerned, I know they look like miserable fish as it is but it just hid away in the corner of the tank. Since then it just wouldn't eat and the only time I saw it move was from one hiding place to another. I really tried my best to get it to eat but as I've never seen this before just thought it'd take a little bit of time for it to become part of the community, however this morning when I went to feed the fish I noticed that his short time in this world had come to an end

Now for the question - does this sort of thing happen on occasions (a fish just not liking it's environment) or did I potentially introduced a diseased fish into my tropical tank, things are made worse by the fact that I have to get up extremely early to catch a bus and my routine is to feed the fish just before darting out to get it, so I had to leave it still dead in my tank now.

Any thoughts or advice on what I should do would be great.

Thanks

 

[toshapetriji]

Welcome to TFF.

In order to give an educated answer to your question we really need a little more information. Keeping fish is really all about keeping good water and so having readings for ammonia nitrite and nitrate will enable good advice to be given.

For sure some fish can take time to settle into a new tank but equally those symtoms could indicate water problems. For instance ammonia and nitrite are both poisonous to fish, nitrate a little less so but must still be kept quite low.

If you could re post with those readings that would be great. In addition how often do you change water?

*edit* In the mean time do a 50% water change just to be safe until you can get the readings posted.

 

[Slim Jim]

Welcome to TFF.

In order to give an educated answer to your question we really need a little more information. Keeping fish is really all about keeping good water and so having readings for ammonia nitrite and nitrate will enable good advice to be given.

For sure some fish can take time to settle into a new tank but equally those symtoms could indicate water problems. For instance ammonia and nitrite are both poisonous to fish, nitrate a little less so but must still be kept quite low.

If you could re post with those readings that would be great. In addition how often do you change water?

*edit* In the mean time do a 50% water change just to be safe until you can get the readings posted.

Thanks for this, I replace about 10% of the water on a weekly basis, I'll have to get the water tested, I'll probably have to do this myself (I assume this is easy) as being this close to Christmas it'll be impossible for me use a store over the next week.

I'll get on replacing 50% of the water tonight though, I'd be gutted to lose any of my other fish, I once heard that alive fish leave dead fish alone if they have died of a disease, is that true or a wives tail?

 

[Bigbadbaz]

Bit of a wives tale I am afraid, they will eat the dead fish. Once home, take out the fish and any bits if they have nibbled on it, do your water change and keep an eye on the tank, A dose of melafix may be wise if you have some just to be safe but if you do not have any do not worry too much.

 

[toshapetriji]

Try and get hold of an API master kit many members use it. Invaluable in keeping your water good.

Get those numbers up asap.

Good luck

 

[OldMan47]

Your dead fish will start to decay until you remove it. That decay will produce some ammonia so that will now be part of the bioload in the tank. A liquid reagent test kit is a must for sorting out a situation like this although it only will get limited use after conditions stabilize.

 

[Syphoniera]

Hi, Slim Jim,
and sorry about your loss.
Speaking as One Who Knows Nothing, I thought I'd mention that as far as bettas go (especially regarding the long-finned types) they generally hate and can't manage well under a strong or even, sometimes, moderate filter current, although others may do fine.
Because long-finned betta males tend to be slow-moving, they are also likely to be targeted by fin-nippers, and some tetras/barbs have been found to a problem in this way, although it often seems to be more a question of individual fish/circumstance, rather than a predictable certainty.
It sounds as though your fish may have been avoiding something, quite possibly a too-strong current and/or bullying fish
If you do indeed get another betta - and they are far from miserable-looking fish in normal circumstances and there's something wrong if they do - you may want to look at the suitability of the tank he's intended for, prior.
I don't know if you've been through the Betta forum here yet, but that's a good place to find out, if you're interested, what bettas are really like generally, and what sort of environment will enable them to not only survive but thrive.

 

[Slim Jim]

Hi, Slim Jim,
and sorry about your loss.
Speaking as One Who Knows Nothing, I thought I'd mention that as far as bettas go (especially regarding the long-finned types) they generally hate and can't manage well under a strong or even, sometimes, moderate filter current, although others may do fine.
Because long-finned betta males tend to be slow-moving, they are also likely to be targeted by fin-nippers, and some tetras/barbs have been found to a problem in this way, although it often seems to be more a question of individual fish/circumstance, rather than a predictable certainty.
It sounds as though your fish may have been avoiding something, quite possibly a too-strong current and/or bullying fish
If you do indeed get another betta - and they are far from miserable-looking fish in normal circumstances and there's something wrong if they do - you may want to look at the suitability of the tank he's intended for, prior.
I don't know if you've been through the Betta forum here yet, but that's a good place to find out, if you're interested, what bettas are really like generally, and what sort of environment will enable them to not only survive but thrive.

Thanks for the thoughts, I got a test kit this morning and will test the water tomorrow and removed the fish as soon as I got home, generally while I watched the other fish in my tank paid him no attention to him, but I do think I have a very strong current in the tank from the filter, if the water tests out fine I think you may have hit the nail on the head, on of his favourite hiding places was behind the filter outlet where there is no current.

Damn - I wish I knew that before and I will feel quite guilty if this turns out to be the case, also damn if that's the case as I like Bettas.