Signs Of Stress

[Akasha72]

I'm beginning to think my fish are stressed but I'm not sure. I have a female wag tail platy swimming up and down in the same spot with her nose to the glass, my male platy is doing a lot of hiding in the plants as are my neons. They seem to be very hungry too. I'm trying not to feed too much though

Does it sound like stress and what do I do?

I'm planning a 50% water change today. Will that chill em out a bit?

 

[HayzH]

could be...are they new to the tank?
maybe a day with the lights off my help, i find mine settle a bit when the light is off.
You def need a bigger tank, as the neons are happier in groups of 6 or more as is the Corydora.
Do a very gentle waterchange as they can get more stressed otherwise. I refil with a jug and submerge the jug rather than pour it in.

 

[soybean]

Is the stock in your sig up to date?

 

[Akasha72]

Hi HayzH and Soybean. Yes my stock in sig is up to date - I'm looking at a bigger tank after xmas as I know they need it. I've also suggested to my Dad that he sets his old tank up and takes my guppies away (I blame them for the stress - they go through stages of hyperactivity)
I don't want any more neons - I find them a bit boring which is why I've not brought them up to a shoal of 6 or more. I also darn't get anymore cory's ... if the bigger tank comes off then I'll be adding a couple more cory's for definite.

So you don't recommend a large w/c then? I could do a smaller one - just give the gravel a going over and nothing more.

I don't like seeing them stressed

 

[soybean]

Waterchange, keep the lights off maybe... I do think maybe they're feeling a bit crowded. But they'll come to little harm while you're waiting for a new tank.

I know you don't want anymore neons but it's still not great for those two, they'll be quite stressed. Try advertising them in the classifieds here, I'm sure someone will take them.

 

[HayzH]

w/c 's cant do no harm....but bigger ones may not help the stress. x

 

[Akasha72]

I've just stuck a block of tubiflex on the glass and turned out the lights. The male platy has come out of hiding at last but the cory's have gone into hiding now. I'm also beginning to wonder if they are getting enough to eat. The male platy especially - he's not a bold fish at all, quite to opposite really and he's the skinniest fish of the lot. I think he's having to compete too much for food. Maybe that's why he's stressed. And now there's food in there the platy has stopped zooming up and down in one spot and is making sure she get more than her fair share.

I just hope either santa brings me enough cash for the bigger tank or my Dad gets bitten by the bug again and takes these guppies away ... both would be good then I can keep all my baby platies lol

 

[HayzH]

my smallest male seems very delicate..he is the one who always gets picked on by the others, i think this is why he is small, because he is the runt as it were and in the back of the pecking order.
When i add the wafers for the Cory's and the platy all go for it, i can scare the others away, but Tiger is not scared at all and i leave him to snack on the wafer.

 

[Akasha72]

my male platy is so small .. he's not grown at all since I got him. He's half the size of my wag tail (she's big and bossy) and even his mate (female sunset that's had 13 of his babies) is getting a lot bigger than him now. The cory's have come out and are attacking the tubiflex block now so it's looking a bit happier in there for now ... that poor male platy is still hanging around in the background watching the others eat though

 

[HayzH]

drop something at the back for him...i scatter the food about the tank so all have a chance.

 

[Noahs ark6]

Api stress coat, does what the name suggests and does it well

 

[Akasha72]

the tubiflex block was only small so I routed around in the tub and found another small one and put that at the other end of the tank so there was a chance for all to get some. Next time I'll try putting one at the back like you suggest HayzH. Thanks, not so worried about them now

Api stress coat, does what the name suggests and does it well

I put some in a couple of days ago as I didn't have time to do my mid week mini w/c (I do a small 10% mid week cos I know I'm overstocked)

Should I put some more in now? Surely the 10ml I put in on Wednesday will still be 'active'?

 

[HayzH]

the tubiflex block was only small so I routed around in the tub and found another small one and put that at the other end of the tank so there was a chance for all to get some. Next time I'll try putting one at the back like you suggest HayzH. Thanks, not so worried about them now

Api stress coat, does what the name suggests and does it well

I put some in a couple of days ago as I didn't have time to do my mid week mini w/c (I do a small 10% mid week cos I know I'm overstocked)

Should I put some more in now? Surely the 10ml I put in on Wednesday will still be 'active'?

No probs xx

 

[Noahs ark6]

If it were me i would put a little more in (maybe 1 or 2 ml)

 

[Akasha72]

okay, well I'll probably do a small gravel vac/water change this afternoon now anyway so I'll double dose the fresh water