My Poor Fish, Help!

[Krissyboo75]

About a week ago I bought a Serpae Tetra. I brought him home, and knew almost immediately something was wrong, because he wouldnt eat. I thought maybe it was just from the stress of the move to the new tank, but after a week, unless he was eating when i was sleeping, I had not seen it. I went to the pet store and the guy who worked there told me that if they are in pairs they may survive better. So I bought a second fish, and brought him home and put him in the tank with the first fish. The new fish adapted right away, and my first fish seemed happier, but I still have only seen him eat once since i got that new fish. Today was the first day cleaning the tank. I was not informed that i shouldnt replace all the water, but i did so. I got two large cups and scooped out some of the tank water then fished the two fish out with teh net and put them in the cups while i replaced the water in the tank at an acceptable temperature. Now, a few hours after this, my two fish are acting strange. They have started to swimm sideways a bit after i put them back in the tank. Then I tried to feed the fish, and one of them threw up in the tank. I really don't want my fish to die, even tho they were like 4 bucks each, SO does anyone have any idea what I should do? please help so my fish dont die!

Krissyboo75

 

[GuppyGoddess]

Did you put water conditioner to remove chlorine?

 

[WILDER]

Need more info.

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

 

[Krissyboo75]

Need more info.

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

I bought the tank a week before i got the first fish. The tank is only a gallon. There are now two serpae tetras in the tanks. I dont know the ammonia stats or anything but i use the water conditioner.

Did you put water conditioner to remove chlorine?

I did, the bottle told me to use a capfull, but i put a little extra in when i found out about the water thing. This is my first pet fish so i didnt know, and i wish the pet store had have told me.

 

[GuppyGoddess]

Hey, sorry to be the barer of bad news, but a single gallon isn't a tank, it's a bowl and it's not going to be large enough for your fish. Do you have a thermostate and know the water temp? The fish may be too cold and will require a heater AND a filter.

Here is a heater for a bowl:
http/www.amazon.com/HEATER-Aquarium-Heat...s/dp/B0006JLPFE (I'm using this one right now for one of my Bettas and he's happy)

Still, as I said the bowl isn't enough. The fish will suffer from ammonia poisoning (aside from being cold). My two guppies are in a filtered tank and still require daily water changes.

If you can, you may want to take the fish AND the bowl back and read up on tank cycling and learn about what fish need. If you only have a small amount of space, try a 3-gallon. That'll hold a betta or two small fish along with a heater and filter.

 

[Krissyboo75]

Hey, sorry to be the barer of bad news, but a single gallon isn't a tank, it's a bowl and it's not going to be large enough for your fish. Do you have a thermostate and know the water temp? The fish may be too cold and will require a heater AND a filter.

Here is a heater for a bowl:
[URL="http/www.amazon.com/HEATER-Aquarium-Heat...s/dp/B0006JLPFE"]http/www.amazon.com/HEATER-Aquarium-Heat...s/dp/B0006JLPFE[/URL] (I'm using this one right now for one of my Bettas and he's happy)

Still, as I said the bowl isn't enough. The fish will suffer from ammonia poisoning (aside from being cold). My two guppies are in a filtered tank and still require daily water changes.

If you can, you may want to take the fish AND the bowl back and read up on tank cycling and learn about what fish need. If you only have a small amount of space, try a 3-gallon. That'll hold a betta or two small fish along with a heater and filter.

The "bowl" has a little bubbling tube in it, and the water is not very cold at all. The pet store told me that that tank would be fine forr a couple of tetras...

 

[GuppyGoddess]

What is the water temp? Did you get a temp sticker to put on the bowl to keep track of what it is? Your fish need a temp of 72-79.

Here's a quick link to what they need (including they are schooling fish needing to be in groups of 6 or more and that they need at least a 10 gallon tank).

http/www.fishlore.com/Profiles-SerpaeTetra.htm

I wouldn't trust what the pet store employees say. They're just trying to make a sale. Take it from *me*. I've trusted sales people and have ended up having to return fish after discovering what they said was inaccurate. Fish keeping is a learning curve and it's best to try and ride it out.

Can you get a 3-gallon and find a different fish like a Betta? They do not need to be in groups like tetras do.

 

[Krissyboo75]

What is the water temp? Did you get a temp sticker to put on the bowl to keep track of what it is? Your fish need a temp of 72-79.

Here's a quick link to what they need (including they are schooling fish needing to be in groups of 6 or more and that they need at least a 10 gallon tank).

[URL="http/www.fishlore.com/Profiles-SerpaeTetra.htm"]http/www.fishlore.com/Profiles-SerpaeTetra.htm[/URL]

I wouldn't trust what the pet store employees say. They're just trying to make a sale. Take it from *me*. I've trusted sales people and have ended up having to return fish after discovering what they said was inaccurate. Fish keeping is a learning curve and it's best to try and ride it out.

Can you get a 3-gallon and find a different fish like a Betta? They do not need to be in groups like tetras do.

The fish seem to be doing a lot better today. They have been eating, and seem happier. As long as they are healthy I dont think Im going to worry about them. They have made it s far. If the fish die in the next few days, I can take them back to the pet store and they replace them. But I cant take the tank back, i lost the recipt and i dont have any need forr 2 tanks.

 

[WILDER]

I don't think a one gallon tank is fit for most fish.

Plus tetra are a shoaling fish and souldn't be kept in less than a group of 6.

If you can't meet the requirements maybe you should think about not keeping fish.
Once you buy pets you are responsible for there welfare.

 

[aly_starh]

1g is too small for any fish, try snails

 

[GuppyGoddess]

. If the fish die in the next few days, I can take them back to the pet store and they replace them. But I cant take the tank back, i lost the recipt and i dont have any need forr 2 tanks.
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When they die you should replace them with another species and get a larger tank. Take the loss on what you paid for the 1-gallon or ask the store if they'll give you in-store credit for a larger bowl/tank. Tetras need a lot of room. . .I wouldn't even put them in my 10-gallon!