Larkspur
Fish Crazy
Hello, I am new to the forum. I decided since I am now caring for something other than just guppies I ought to join a forum that discusses more than just guppies. First off I won't lie. I have a tank that has entirely more fish than recommended. 10 in a 5.5 gallon to be precise. Don't bash. *Runs from the flying tomatoes*
I shall give you a little background on my tank. I got the tank about a year ago. Started with guppies and danios. Had trouble keeping guppies alive. Still do. So I decided to go with something else. A few weeks ago I added 3 asst tiger barbs to my tank that already had 3 asst danios, a lone surviving guppy, and 2 otocinclus. Then a week ago I was at walmart and they had the fish of the month which was a BN catfish. How could I resist an albino BN catfish? So I made a spontaneous choice to purchase it. It died 2 days ago. Took the fish back, replaced it with one of the 3 remaining ones at walmart and into my tank he went today.
All my fish seem healthy, but for 1. I believe it is a female tiger barb. She has very little red on her. She's been hiding in the plants since I got her while the other two dart around like they rule the tank. I keep expecting her to be dead when I wake up in the morning, but she keeps on going. Her coloring is drab. She seems weak and depressed. I have caught her once or twice "flashing" in the last several days, but because it hasn't been constant and its only her I dismissed the thought. I tend to be one to over-analyze situations.
I noticed on the tiger barb two or 3 extremely small specks on her tail. Have kept an eye on it. The specks are still there. Don't appear to be multiplying. I declared my tank had Ich last week. Waited to see more signs. None. I looked up on the life cycle and I believe by now with my tank being at about 78 F I'd have seen more specks develop in a good 4-5 days? Either way this fish in particular is stressed. I don't know if she's upset over a crowded tank (the others are happy and enjoy nibbling at the plants and digging around in the gravel) or sick.
And moving on to the new BN catfish I added today. When I went in today to get my replacement. (There was no refunding. Only replacing since they still had some) I just came from an eye exam. My eyes were dilated. I couldn't focus on anything within 5 feet of me. Had to hand my receipt and such to the walmart employee because I couldn't read off it. I was able to spot a rather frisky looking BN catfish alone in a tank with platy's. I asked, "does he look healthy?" The employee nodded. I didn't think twice and I was rushing to get home with the bright walmart lights pounding my poor eyes. It was bagged up and put in my tank when I got home.
Went BACK to walmart later on with my mom and went to look at the fish again with my eyes less dilates. Was checking out the platy tank and noticed several rather sizable white spots on 2 or so fish. There were only 1 or 2 flecks on each fish. On their tails if I recall. Of course in my head I was going, "You've got to be kidding me." It was after all the tank my new BN came from.
So now I have a second reason to suspect I /might/ need to treat my tank. I'd hate to have to. It'll be troublesome. Sometimes things come back to bite you in the rear. I have only quarantined a fish once and it was a guppy I got from walmart in the past. Neglected to with the BN. And the tiger barbs. And all these fish came from different locations. Different exposures to different things.
My BN seems fine, but then again I haven't had it 24 hours yet. My one tiger barb is hiding in plants stressing and has been pretty colorless for days. And I just noticed a single white fleck on the fin of my leopard danio, larger than even the flecks on my tiger barb's tail that is hiding. I thought it was an air bubble, but it's still there and now I'm concerned. I have 3 tanks in this house. My 5.5 gallon, a 2.5 gallon in my brothers room, and a bowl with 2 tetras upstairs that belongs to my other brother. All the fish equipment is used in all 3 tanks too.
What to do? What to do? And I just wrote a novel!
Here are some specs on my 5.5 gallon:
High pH, I use the recommended salt dosage, and I was told the water is hard. The tank has gravel rocks. No sediment. Contains java fern, amazon swords, and a banana plant.
I shall give you a little background on my tank. I got the tank about a year ago. Started with guppies and danios. Had trouble keeping guppies alive. Still do. So I decided to go with something else. A few weeks ago I added 3 asst tiger barbs to my tank that already had 3 asst danios, a lone surviving guppy, and 2 otocinclus. Then a week ago I was at walmart and they had the fish of the month which was a BN catfish. How could I resist an albino BN catfish? So I made a spontaneous choice to purchase it. It died 2 days ago. Took the fish back, replaced it with one of the 3 remaining ones at walmart and into my tank he went today.
All my fish seem healthy, but for 1. I believe it is a female tiger barb. She has very little red on her. She's been hiding in the plants since I got her while the other two dart around like they rule the tank. I keep expecting her to be dead when I wake up in the morning, but she keeps on going. Her coloring is drab. She seems weak and depressed. I have caught her once or twice "flashing" in the last several days, but because it hasn't been constant and its only her I dismissed the thought. I tend to be one to over-analyze situations.
I noticed on the tiger barb two or 3 extremely small specks on her tail. Have kept an eye on it. The specks are still there. Don't appear to be multiplying. I declared my tank had Ich last week. Waited to see more signs. None. I looked up on the life cycle and I believe by now with my tank being at about 78 F I'd have seen more specks develop in a good 4-5 days? Either way this fish in particular is stressed. I don't know if she's upset over a crowded tank (the others are happy and enjoy nibbling at the plants and digging around in the gravel) or sick.
And moving on to the new BN catfish I added today. When I went in today to get my replacement. (There was no refunding. Only replacing since they still had some) I just came from an eye exam. My eyes were dilated. I couldn't focus on anything within 5 feet of me. Had to hand my receipt and such to the walmart employee because I couldn't read off it. I was able to spot a rather frisky looking BN catfish alone in a tank with platy's. I asked, "does he look healthy?" The employee nodded. I didn't think twice and I was rushing to get home with the bright walmart lights pounding my poor eyes. It was bagged up and put in my tank when I got home.
Went BACK to walmart later on with my mom and went to look at the fish again with my eyes less dilates. Was checking out the platy tank and noticed several rather sizable white spots on 2 or so fish. There were only 1 or 2 flecks on each fish. On their tails if I recall. Of course in my head I was going, "You've got to be kidding me." It was after all the tank my new BN came from.
So now I have a second reason to suspect I /might/ need to treat my tank. I'd hate to have to. It'll be troublesome. Sometimes things come back to bite you in the rear. I have only quarantined a fish once and it was a guppy I got from walmart in the past. Neglected to with the BN. And the tiger barbs. And all these fish came from different locations. Different exposures to different things.
My BN seems fine, but then again I haven't had it 24 hours yet. My one tiger barb is hiding in plants stressing and has been pretty colorless for days. And I just noticed a single white fleck on the fin of my leopard danio, larger than even the flecks on my tiger barb's tail that is hiding. I thought it was an air bubble, but it's still there and now I'm concerned. I have 3 tanks in this house. My 5.5 gallon, a 2.5 gallon in my brothers room, and a bowl with 2 tetras upstairs that belongs to my other brother. All the fish equipment is used in all 3 tanks too.
What to do? What to do? And I just wrote a novel!
Here are some specs on my 5.5 gallon:
High pH, I use the recommended salt dosage, and I was told the water is hard. The tank has gravel rocks. No sediment. Contains java fern, amazon swords, and a banana plant.