Guppy!

[><>Jake]

my guppy is acting wierd it seems okay and is swimming happily, but it keeps rubbing on things [e.g plants] and darting around is it okay? it has only been doin this since this morning. is there anything i can d?


p.s i have this browny colour thing on my castle that i have, is it good? or shall i scrub it off?
whatever it is my guppy keeps eating it

 

[WILDER]

How long has the tank been set up.
How many gallons or litries is the tank.
How many fish and which type.
Water stats in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph.

 

[Athena]

Flicking and scraping can be caused by flukes or ich, or if the water condition is not so good (e.g. too much ammonia/nitrites). There are medications available for these illnesses.

When did you last do a water change?

Can you see any salt-like grains on the fish at all? Any red, inflammed gills?

Regards - Athena

 

[><>Jake]

How long has the tank been set up.
How many gallons or litries is the tank.
How many fish and which type.
Water stats in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph.

the tank has been set up since christmas so i am fairly new
it is a 110 litres bout 24/25 gallons
i only have 3 neons and 1 guppy(male i think) at the moment
nitrite and nitrate are really low because i have a juwel aquarium which has a filter pad which lowers it.
pH is good at 7
cant remeber what the ammonia is i'll tell u when i next do a test.
and all my other fish seem okay and havnt been doing this
one of my neons died last night and it apeared to have fin rot, does fin rot eventually spread to the body of the fish? because it was as if it could not move and just floated around with the current but what not dead.

p.s i do a water change every 4-7 days (is this okay)


thanx for the advice

 

[><>Jake]

oh and what is the browny type stuff ill get a pic soon but do you know what i mean?

 

[WILDER]

Bad water quality can make fish flick and rub, its the first thing to rule out is water quality.
nitrite should be 0 and so should ammonia be 0, that means your tanks cycled.
Need to know nitrite and ammonia reading.
Did you use the fish to cycle the tank, as neon need mature tanks of six months as they are very senstitive.
Cycling tanks takes there toll on fish as the stress weakens there immune system, burns there skin and gills, and bloodflow dosn't flow to well through
the blood vessels.
Also you need increase aeration as bad water quality fish find it hard to breath.

Flicking and rubbing can mean bad water quality, something irratating them, parasites.

Once tanks cycled you do a water change and gravel vac once a week.
Brown growing on things is normal on a newly set up tank it will soon disappear.
Just rub the brown off.

Look under brown algae.
http/www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/algae.htm#brown

 

[WILDER]

Some beginner threads here. http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=88643
Also on the link I left just go to biginners as it explains the nitrogeon cycle.

 

[><>Jake]

the nitrite and nitrate is 0
i dont have a test kit for ammonia

i pretty much have my bubles on all day so the water is very oxigenated, but i had only plastic plants until yesterday, now i have lots of REAL plants to help the cycle and could the reason why my fish are dying be because i dint have real plants? but i has only started to do this since i put them in

 

[WILDER]

I would get ammonia test kits as it's important.
For now just take a sample of your tank water to the lfs and ask them to write the readings down for you.

Plants remove nitrates for the water they don't help with ammonia and nitrite, which are lethal to fish.
live plants can fetch parasites into the tank if you don't steralise them.
Ask in the plant section on how you steralise your new live plants.

Any tiny white spot on the fish like the fish has been sprinkled in salt.
Any excess mucas on the body of the fish.
Check the gills to see if there pale with excess mucas or red and inflamed.
Turn tank lights out and shine a torch to see if you can see golden spots or patches glow up.
Any red pierce marks on the fish.
On greyish slime or bluish slime on the fish.

 

[><>Jake]

thanx for all the advice but it has decided to stop doin it now lol and looks healthier ill just check and get a test just to make sure

many thanx

 

[WILDER]

Ok. Just keep a close eye on him.
Good Luck.

 

[><>Jake]

okay thanx!

 

[Truck]

Plants remove nitrates for the water they don't help with ammonia and nitrite, which are lethal to fish.

plants will utilize ammonia

 

[><>Jake]

my Nitrate AND Nitrite are always 0 cos i have a filter pad which lowers it and i have lots of plants.

 

[Truck]

if you have plants then remove the filter pad, as it is starving your plants, and once exhausted they are supposed to leach nasties but i dont know how true that is