Weird Situation :s

[matty101]

hey everyone! love my platies and guppies. I have 2gupps and a platy in a .5gallon which they surprisingly love. I keep up with regular water changes and the only thing is this. They enjoy being at the surface; they relax and are usually happy there. Problem, they like the surface to be dark and covered. But I also want them to have some air. What material or idea should I use? I'm currently using a rag but it doesn't provide a proper amount of air.

 

[Barbie Bubbles]

Hey Matty nice to see someone from my neck of the woods. I live in Wasaga Beach and work in T.O. About your question..why do you keep your fish in the dark under a cloth anyway? Maybe they arn't used to having a light shining on them from a canopy but if you just put on a glass lid (with no light) I'm sure they would not mind natural light, and you would see them better.

 

[theotheragentm]

Fish should have regular light cycles. As long as there is surface agitation, there should be plenty of oxygen dissolved in the water, even if there is a rag on the top. A rag would not stop air from permeating it.

 

[matty101]

well i had just tossed on a rag for the night so it would'nt be warm but found that they loved it! And the tank is unflitered, unheated but it is in the hottest room in the house (74F) I was thinking maybe aluminum foil with holes? I have to change the water newayz...but yeah it seems they like the dark...AND BUBBLES, GOOD TOOO SEE SOMEONE CLOSE...or relatively close..lol I live about 2h away form wasaga...u live near there? It's such a nice place!!!

 

[theotheragentm]

I just finally noticed it says .5 gallon and not 5 gallon. This is too small for these fish, especially without a filter. You'd have to do huge % water changes for this size tank. I'd almost say it would have to be done a couple times a day. You might have fish that are surviving, but any levels of ammonia or nitrites are going to be harmful for the fish. You should get a larger tank, at least 5 gallon for those three fishes. I would also recommend a small hang on back filter. The temperature in that room doesn't stay at 74 degrees all day, does it? These are tropical fish you have and should have a heater to keep the water warmer. Although they will survive at lower temperatures too, they are ideally kept with a heater to maintain a stable water temperature.

I don't mean to be rude, but it seems like you are not well equiped to handle these fish. Spending about $50 should get you what you need to take care of them properly.

 

[matty101]

YEAH I KNOW i should but i cant. I was thinking about mayb putting them in .5g each an then putting them there. It does stay at 74F all day I know it is small and I do water changes every 2 days

 

[theotheragentm]

Well if it stays 74F all day, that should be fine as far as temperature goes. 10-gallon tanks are only $10 or so from PetSmart or PetCo. That's like two lunches. That's the analogy my friend gave me when I found out he was playing World of Warcraft, which has a monthly subscription.

 

[dwarfgourami]

If a fish that is naturally as bright and curious as the platy prefers skulking in the dark, then I'd say that's a sign that something's wrong. I imagine they feel stressed because they are in too small a tank. IMO platies need at least 10 gallons to move around in, with plants or ornaments or something to explore, and they are sociable fish.

 

[matty101]

ok well I don't have any PetCo's or Petsmarts in my area :cry: But the only thing I could think of was giving them as much space as my little room can fit. So I used a 1g jug of water to hold the 2 gups and the platy is in the 0.5g bowl himself. The platy seems quite happy and doesn't sulk now. I think he did need his own little privacy without the guppies darting around like monkeys with bananas. I also tossed in a fake plants with tons of shelter and protection so he can relax and hide every once in a while. Hope it makes a better home

 

[theotheragentm]

It's great to see that you're looking out for your fish. Another suggestion I thought of just now. If you have a Home Depot store or something like it, they have 5-gallon plastic buckets. There's no reason you couldn't use one of those for the time being. They cost about $5.

 

[matty101]

oh no My platy can't submerge...at least not for long...thats y he perfers to be at the top!!! Poor guy...anything I could do to help


EDIT: I'm actually not quite sure anymore...he submerges every once in a while and can stay there for long periods of time...but he swims a bit odd...spine and back seems in good condition...mayb im just overreacting. Hope I am

 

[theotheragentm]

Read up on fish swim bladder infection. I'm not familiar with it, but it might be something you want to look into for your fish.

 

[matty101]

ok well I isolated the platy and the guppies are together...but what I'm going to do is keep ione the the bettas (who needs a little bit or fin recoopeerating) in the .5 gallon and the guppies and platy in a 5gallon. It would probably be for 1 week or so.