Angel fish acting weird

[missgingersnap]

Hi everyone. I have a fairly new tank that is still cycling. I'm at the nitrite stage and it's at .25 and slowly going down. I do partial water changes everyday. Ammonia is 0. The tank is 10 gallons...no new food or chemicals. Just using the same stuff as always. So, one of my angel fish looks fine...no visible signs of sickness....good colour etc, but he isn't very active the last couple days...just kind of chills out in the same spot and doesn't eat. He goes up to the top when I feed like he wants to eat but then he doesn't. Not sure what I should do. I know the cycle probably took a toll on him but I had no idea about cycling and trusted the dummy at the fish store when he said I could put a bunch of fish in a new tank. Thanks in advance!

 

[joy13]

Cycling with fish is always a bad idea. Do a PWC and see how it is doing you may have to do PWC everday it will slow down the cycle considerably but help with the nitrites you are seeing. If you can get your hands on some duckweed or fast growing low light plants to help with the nitrites, it will slow the cycle but it will help in the short term.

I see in your tanks you are planning to get another tank which is a good thing with the stock list you have.

 

[missgingersnap]

I know it's bad now, but at the time I bought the tank(impulse buy) I had no clue. I do PWC everyday pretty much since the cycle started. I'll see about getting a couple of plants. I just bought the new tank yesterday. 48 gallon tall tank. I'll be doing a fishless cycle on this one!
So you guys think that the angel fish is doing that from the stress of the cycle then?

 

[joy13]

I had a tank go through a mini cycle that did fine, I had changed the live plants, did to big of water change and cleaned the filter all on a weekend that is what started the mini cycle. The angel perked up after a couple of PWC and the tank has been stable since.

You are going to have a nice aquarium for your fish once your new tank cycles.

 

[missgingersnap]

Thanks joy. He's still the same. I thought he was better because he went to eat but then had one bite and decided against it. I'm doing PWC everyday to keep the nitrites down. I hope he's ok and just feeling under the weather. Anyone
else have any ideas?

 

[asudavew]

Change more water maybe?

I know my fish behave oddly.. when something isn't right with the water...

How much water are you changing?
Also.. my fish don't care for water changes much... Usually freaks em out for awhile..
The water changes you are doing might be making the fish skittish. But, of course, you have to continue until it cycles.

Do you have any friends with aquariums that you could temporarily put the fish in?

 

[joy13]

One thing you might try is garlic. I know my fish go nuts over the garlic guard. I have only found it in one store but it is basically the liquid off the minced garlic you get at the store. It is hard to use with flake food but frozen food I thaw the brine shrimp with a couple of drops of the stuff on there and put it in the tank.

Garlic some believe helps with internal parasites as well as stress related problems. I belong to another forum they pushed it so much I had to try it for myself and it does help with the appetite other than that I don't know. They push other things there to I know doesn't help that much.

 

[missgingersnap]

I was doing 50% when the nitrites were really high but now I'm down to 20-25% since the nitrites are starting to come down. I think the cycle is almost finished. WOOHOO! I don't know anyone with a tank so I'm out of luck there. I'm sure all the water changes and the cycling have stressed out my poor fishies. I wish I would have researched before I bought the tank but I didn't realize there was so much science to this.

Joy...never heard of the garlic thing. I'll have to look into that. I haven't seen that in any of the stores I've been in but I'll ask around about it.

 

[joy13]

I only found it at one store and it was expensive for what it is, my friend let me shop there with the bill on him lmao silly man should have known better he came out $200 lighter!! I had heard so much about it I said well ok sounds like now is the time to try it. All it is from what I can tell is water downed liquid from minced garlic. Save yourself about 10 bucks go the store and get minced garlic and use the liquid from that....that is what the other forum tells people to use and after trying it I actually believe that is all it is.

It is good news your water is startng to balance out.

 

[missgingersnap]

Well, he ate a bit tonight. WOOHOO!!! I guess he's feeling better. He seems to be swimming around a bit more too. I was kinda worried there for a while. Thanks everyone!

 

[asudavew]

Well, he ate a bit tonight. WOOHOO!!! I guess he's feeling better. He seems to be swimming around a bit more too. I was kinda worried there for a while. Thanks everyone!

Good deal.

After you watch him for awhile, you will recognize his behaviors.. and if anything is wrong you will see it


Good job

 

[joy13]

I know how much my angels mean to me, I am glad yours is doing better!

 

[missgingersnap]

Thanks guys! I sure appreciate the feedback.
Joy....I love mine too. They seem to love me back but I think that's just because they equate me with meal time. lol