two american flag fish

[nell]

Hi

My tank is new and so am I. Have cycled for 7 weeks with neons a 100 litre tank. Nitate and nitrates have been eliminated ph is a little acidic. 3 days ago added 2 silver shark, 1 red tail shark, 2 american flag fish, and 5 x-ray neon. This morning I noticed one flag fish settling on the bottom but breathing fine. This evening the other flag appeared to be nudging it (to help it swim? they appeared to play earlier), on closer looking it was eating it's fins perhaps that was why it wouldn't swim! The neons joined in too intermitently on closer inspection the poorly flag had hardly any fins left underneath, it's dorsal was very spiny what was left too. Unfortunately I had to dispose of the fish it would get stranded every time it moved and start to get eaten again.

I read that the american flags were very passive. Has this flag fish been aggressed by it's mate or could it have been the neons even? I have not seen the red tail or the silver shark be aggressive. I have seen a neon occasionally take a nip at the silver shark though.

Any help for future would be welcomed.

Thanks

Sorry first post seems so serious

 

[Dwarfs]

Welcome to the forum

I've never kept american flag fish (They look beautiful though)
They fish that died could have been picked on by it's tankmates, or might have just been unhealthy at the store

Don't worry about your first post being serious, this forum is here to help out people with fish problems, from minor things to major illnesses

 

[nell]

Thanks. Strange thing is now its gone they all seem to be getting on much better! The flag has become a little reclusive though perhaps having 2nd thoughts about being a cannibal?

 

[fishdudein]

Hi Nell, and welcome to the forums! Reading your post, one thing that comes to mind is that you want to add fish slowly, especially when just starting up a tank. Your seven week cycle was a good thing, but the amount of beneficial bacteria that it established was only enough for the neons, which don't really put much of a bio-load on the aquarium. Slowly adding fish after a cycle gradually bumps up the beneficial bacteria count, adding too many all at once will overwhelm it. Depending on the size of the fish that you added, you probably haven't "way" overdone it, though. But if one of your flagfish was unhealthy at the store (as Dwarfs suggested), this would make it a hard environment for it to get better.

Usually any fish like that, that is injured or unhealthy, will end up being the target of aggression from other fish in the tank. Just a natural thing for fish to do.

And finally, just so ya know , cycling with neons is quite a feat in itself. Neons are, for the most part, considered a more "delicate" fish by most people. Much loved, but a little touchy!

Good luck... hope to see you in the forums!