Oranda in hiding

[Julie2901]

I bought 2 orandas to add to my tank on Friday,the one has adapted very well and is very sociable with my other 2 existing ones.i am concerned about the other one as he hides all the time,either behind the filter,or in the crevices of a rock in the tank.he comes out very occasionally to feed,then disappears again.from what I can see he looks a bit bloated,is this normal behaviour?im thinking maybe he is constipated or is he just shy? I can't get a proper look at him as he's always disapearing.hence I have named him Houdini .would be grateful for any advice.im worried that he is diseased and that it will spread to my other 3 seeming healthy orandas.

 

[jlk]

Hi! Welcome to AA!!! Can you please provide some more information so we will be better able to help?

Tank size?
Filtration?
Levels of ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, ph, temp?
What you are using to test (liquid or strips)?
What you are feeding (brand/type food, other foods)?
Did you qt the new fish?
How did you acclimate the new fish to the tank?
Any symptoms in the fish question besides hiding (any spots, discolorations, clamped fins, strange poop, flashing, etc)?

Thanks!

 

[Julie2901]

Thanx for your reply,my tank is interpet fishpod64 litres,I have a interpet pf2 filter,with Venturi device,cleaned filter and carbons yesterday,and added fine filter pads,as water a bit cloudy,did a 25%water change Friday morning before I bought new fish,all levels were showing ok via test strips,tetra strips I used,going to get a master kit tho I think.feeding them twice a day,but I will give a days break from feeding now and again,freeze dried daphnia,freeze dried bloodworm and flaked food is what I have been giving them,and have also gave mashed up cooked pea,without the husk.no I didn't quarantine new fish,that is something else I have just learnt in the last few hours,as I'm relatively new to fish keeping.he looks either pregnant,bloated and very depressed,no poo wotsoeva,can't get a proper look at him as he is in continual hiding.thanks.

 

[jlk]

Thanks for the info! Can you please test your water asap? If ammonia & nitrite are anything above zero, please do a 50% water change immediately with properly conditioned, temperature matched water. Invest in a good liquid test kit (such as API master test kit) now- strips are inaccurate at best and will cost way more money in the long run.

Ok, now for the bad news, 64l is just under 17g tank. This is only suitable for a single fancy goldfish. You will need atleast a 50+g (200l) tank for four fancies. Adding two fancies to an already overstocked tank likely has caused spikes in your ammonia & nitrite levels because your good bacteria has not adjusted to the increased bioload yet. The weakest fish will be the first fish to display symptoms of a water quality issue. Water changes will be the best thing you can do for now until you figure out your stocking situation. Offer them a quality sinking goldfish pellet & daily plain cooked veggies with fresh/frozen bloodworms, daphnia, etc on occasion- no more flakes or freeze dried items.

I would consider fasting everybody for a day or two then only offering only veggies and frozen brine shrimp (defrost for feeding) for a couple of days (along with lots of water changes) and see how everyone does. Hopefully, its only a case of constipation and nothing more serious. I would keep a very close eye on the sick fish and let us know if anything changes!

 

[Julie2901]

Thank you for your advice I am definatly going to follow it all up,unfortunately I have to go to work tonite,but will get on the case as soon as I get up tomorrow,and I will let you know how it goes!! I just hope it won't be too late tomorrow for them.once again thank you...julie

 

[Julie2901]

Hi jlk,just an update,got api test kit as you said,so glad I did,ammonia was quite high! Over last 3 days I have done 3 water changes,50%each time,hadn't fed them for 3 days now,water change earlier and yesterday is showing zero nitrites,but still 0.25 ammonia?? Is this normal? And do I water change tomorrow,how much would I do on that one?by the way my sick fish died this morning,I took him out Tuesday nite and quarantined him but alas he didn't make it,thank you for your advice.

 

[jlk]

I am sorry your sick guy didnt make it You will want to test your tap water for ammonia, nitrite & nitrate & see how these numbers look. You may have ammonia in your tap water. I would continue to test your water daily. Its likely you are going to have to continue with lots of water changes to keep toxin levels under control until your good bacteria can adjust to the bioload your tank now has. I would seriously start looking into a possible tank upgrade for these guys. Stay on top of your tests & water changes in the meantime. Dont hesitate to ask questions!