I Need Help With My Fish

[Sadie_BGK]

Tank size: 30g
API test strip
pH: 6.5
ammonia:
nitrite: 1-1.5
nitrate: 40-80
kH:0
gH: 30
tank temp: 79 F

Fish Symptoms: My black ghost knife when I got him about a week and a half ago was fine and then he had a sort of scrape looking spot a bit behind his right fin. The sort of white scrape turned into a bump that seemed to have a bit of white stuff on it. Now today I found him lieing still on his side in his hide out. When I toughed the lid he got up and swam again but since then I see him doing it every once in a while. At night I'm not sure if this is normal but my male guppies sort of sit against the gravel and in the day time they are fine.

Volume and Frequency of water changes: 25 percent water changes a week. When I found out my nitrate and nitrite levels I started doing it daily yesturday.

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank: I have the original filter that came with my new filter system Whisper 45.

Tank inhabitants:
1 Swordtail(Giving away)
1 Black Phantom Tetra (Probably giving away)
1 Otocat (i think thats the correct name)
2 Albino Catfish
4 Guppies (2 male 2 female)(Giving away a couple)
2 Golden wonder killi (size of a guppy)
2 Wagtail Platies(male)
1 6in Black Ghost Knife

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration):
Black Ghost knife
Female guppies
Golden Wonder Killis
Exposure to chemicals:
Cycle, Water Conditioner, Waste Control

Thank you if anyone can help in anyway. I have tried to get a photo and I got a blurry one that barely shows the mark. i can probably get the pic on here tomorrow afternoon. I am worried about my black ghost knife.

 

[reflexhunter]

Your nitrite level is way to high this by its self can kill your fish or atleast stress them out making them prone to other problems, it sounds like you have a few too many fish, how long have you had your tank?How long did you let it cycle?Did you notice the problem before or after you added new fish?Did you quarintine the new fish?How often do you feed your fish and what kind of food do you use?How much do you feed them? I would start with a 25% water change using a good water conditioner checking my water parameters daily and doing 20% water changes every 24 hrs until the nitrite levels are at 0. gl

 

[Sadie_BGK]

I have had this tank for a few weeks.I let it cycle for a day because I needed to change all my tanks around. I had to get my kribensis babies out of my ten gallon and into my 20 gallon and the only way I could have done that was to empty most of my tanks out and switch them around. I noticed the problem after I added the new fish. I didn't quirintine the fish because I don't have a spare tank. I had to give my 10 gallon away. In the morning I put in a cube of bloodworms. The BGK eat about half of that or more usually but now he only pics out what is near his hiding place. The other fish eat some also. At night when I turn the lights off I give them a cube of brineshrimp. The bgk also eats much of that usually.

I have started to do the water changes yesturday so today I need to do another one. I have a few strips now. If I need to I can take my kribensis out of the 20 gallon and put my BGK in it. Would that help?

 

[richie1craw]

the way your fish are behaving sounds quite normal, i've had my knife fish over 2 years, and to be honest,when your not feeding them as they get older they get quite lazy, what kind of filter are you using? maybe change the pads, although leave your good bacteria ones, try an airstone as well, might liven yourfish up a bit, if it's quite a new tank then i'd put it down to too many fish at 1 time,
hope this helps

richie

 

[Sadie_BGK]

Thank you. I believe the guppies behaviour is normal but I don't know about my BGK. Some times he looks dead till I touch the glass or lid. Then he starts swimming again. I really would like some way to heal him.

 

[Curiosity101]

Those nitrites are WAAAY too high.

You NEED to get those down. If the BGKF already has some sort of wound, those water conditions could finish it off.

You need to do an 80% water change at least.

Then get some pics of the wound if you can.

Also your tank IS overstocked. And it ISN'T cycled.

These conditions can and probably will cause further illness in other fish if you aren't quick to act.

 

[Sadie_BGK]

OKay I will do that. I'm still not sure what it is on my BGK. When it first started to be a bump all it was was white mark.

I'll have a shower then do the water change.

 

[Curiosity101]

If it were me I'd be having my shower after the water change...but perhaps I splash too much! Hehe.

And it could be a few things that made it go white.
Eitherways with nitrite levels like that it'll lower the fishes immune system. So if it has an infected cut then it wont be able to heal itself and so may well succumb to septicemia.

 

[Sadie_BGK]

OKay so how would you suggest doing my water change. I want to keep they fishes stress levels to a minimum.

 

[Sadie_BGK]

My albino catfish are cories.

 

[Curiosity101]

To be honest with those sorts of levels it is less stressful to do an 80% water change than to do smaller ones.
Just syphon out 80% and then refill with clean de-chlorinated water.

 

[Sadie_BGK]

Okay thank you. Should I remove the fish?

 

[Sadie_BGK]

I did the water change and THANK YOU so much. My nitrate levels are 0-20 and my nitrite levels are 0-0.5. I will continue doing a regular water cahnge and really thank you. I just need to see if my BGK will recover now. Do you think I should add salt?