Is history repeating itself?

[Rocky998]

Ok, so remember when I got my first 3 gudgeons and then two days after getting them one sadly died due to what I think is stress? Well its exactly 2 days after getting the new gudgeon and he/she is showing the same symptom the other one was before it got worse BUT its only staying near the top, it is not swimming strange or floating weird... I have the lights dimmed way down to avoid further stress and Im wondering if I should use salt... Any ideas? I really dont need this "replacement" gudgeon to die on me... All the other fish are extremely healthy.

 

[itiwhetu]

What is your pH in this tank? Both fish have shown signs of pH shock IMO. Have you got zero nitrite, zero nitrate in your tank.

 

[Rocky998]

What is your pH in this tank? Both fish have shown signs of pH shock IMO. Have you got zero nitrite, zero nitrate in your tank.

Let me test real quick... My ph is always around 8.1 btw and he was in the fish store for over a week with the same PH as my water. They have told me that they dont chamge their water conditions for the fish cause its too much to do for all the tanks and with the high KH it makes it even harder... I will test ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates.

Right now the gudgeon is laying under one of the caves I made and looks lethargic.

 

[itiwhetu]

Let me test real quick... My ph is always around 8.1 btw and he was in the fish store for over a week with the same PH as my water. They have told me that they dont chamge their water conditions for the fish cause its too much to do for all the tanks and with the high KH it makes it even harder... I will test ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates.

Right now the gudgeon is laying under one of the caves I made and looks lethargic.

Your local fish shop runs all their freshwater tanks with a pH of over 8?

 

[Rocky998]

Yes... But its not their fault. Its the water companies fault

Your local fish shop runs all their freshwater tanks with a pH of over 8?

 

[itiwhetu]

Yes... But its not their fault. Its the water companies fault

You live in a different world to me. When I used to buy and sell lots of fish, all my tanks had a pH under 7. The reason was to do as much as I could to avoid ammonia spikes when I was putting large numbers of fish into small tanks.

 

[Rocky998]

You live in a different world to me. When I used to buy and sell lots of fish, all my tanks had a pH under 7. The reason was to do as much as I could to avoid ammonia spikes when I was putting large numbers of fish into small tanks.

Trust me... I wish I had your water... Lol

 

[Rocky998]

This is him/her now... He is having a hard time swimming but I know he/she is alive because it has its gins moving all around... Also, my dominant gudgeon found him/her and started body slamming it... I was like: "WTH CHILL M'DUDE. " He wasnt going face first into em, he was using the side of his body to slam em... Never seen that before.

 

[Rocky998]

Nitrites are 0 and nitrates are 10... I'm thinking about using salt to see if it helps but I want an opinion first

 

[itiwhetu]

I can't help you with the salt question. I do know that these guys like zero nitrites and nitrates though. Maybe do a water change and see if your nitrates go to zero.

 

[Rocky998]

I can't help you with the salt question. I do know that these guys like zero nitrites and nitrates though. Maybe do a water change and see if your nitrates go to zero.

I cant right now... We're about to have dinner and my dad just came home ... But tomorrow is my weekly water change day

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

This is him/her now... He is having a hard time swimming but I know he/she is alive because it has its gins moving all around... Also, my dominant gudgeon found him/her and started body slamming it... I was like: "WTH CHILL M'DUDE. " He wasnt going face first into em, he was using the side of his body to slam em... Never seen that before.
View attachment 154091View attachment 154092

Hearing what the dominant one is doing, I'm wondering if he's injured the fish, or whether he's doing what many fish do, and targeting a weak fish when they sense it's in trouble. I'm not familiar with this species at all though, hoping @Byron , @Colin_T @Slaphppy7 @Naughts or @DoubleDutch have some better advice.

In the meantime, is there a way to keep him safe from the other fish? A QT tank, even a breeder box, so the other fish can't hurt him any further?

 

[Byron]

I do not think this has anything to do with water parameters. I do think it is a species aggression issue, which was something I cautioned about back when this gudgeon discussion began in another thread.

I do not know anything about this family, and there is limited reliable data online. SF says the species lives in loose shoals and should have a small group--they don't define "small group" but from the rest of the information in the profile, and what I have been able to find elsewhere, it seems this means a group of five or six, otherwise a pair is better.

I think you are better staying with the two that get along, they might be male/female by the sounds of it. But this is just my reasoned opinion based upon what I do know from other fishes.

 

[Rocky998]

I do not think this has anything to do with water parameters. I do think it is a species aggression issue, which was something I cautioned about back when this gudgeon discussion began in another thread.

I do not know anything about this family, and there is limited reliable data online. SF says the species lives in loose shoals and should have a small group--they don't define "small group" but from the rest of the information in the profile, and what I have been able to find elsewhere, it seems this means a group of five or six, otherwise a pair is better.

I think you are better staying with the two that get along, they might be male/female by the sounds of it. But this is just my reasoned opinion based upon what I do know from other fishes.

ok... so I wasted my money basically

 

[itiwhetu]

The money should always be secondary to the fishes life. A fishes life is always the most important aspect of this hobby