Sick Cobra Guppy

[djarchngl]

Last year I had a cobra guppy that stopped swimming, and sat at the bottom of the tank until he eventually died.
It was during a transport when I was moving, so I assumed it was from the transport.

Before his death, he mated with a female guppy, and has produced fry!
They are now at breeding age and I have 3 males, and 9 females in a 30 gallon tank.

One of the males has started to show the same signs as the previously mentioned fish, and is sitting at the bottom of the tank, so I moved him to a small 10 gallon planted tank with 2 other male guppys. (His tail also looks slightly tattered)




Possibly helpful information:
The tank he was moved from gets weekly water changes, is 80% planted, well filtered and very healthy.
The other inhabitants in the tank are 5 harlequin rasboras, 3 golden tetras and a glass shrimp.


Any advice?

(Oh, and I use Carbon and aquarium salt.)

 

[roka64]

What are your water parameters?

 

[djarchngl]

No clue.

Last time I was on here I asked a question, and everybody mocked me for not knowing my water parameters, so I bought some test strips, I asked how to use them and then everybody mocked me for buying test strips...


So... I have no clue.

But I take good care of the tank, and there is no overfeeding, and thus-far, no other fish have been ill.

 

[roka64]

Hmmm, I'm surprised you were mocked on this site. I can see people commenting on the test strips not being as accurate as a Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Freshwater Master Test Kit http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=4454&N=2004+114130 and they are easy to read. I would suggest getting one of those. We really can't guess on our water parameters. I'm sorry you felt mocked. Hook up that test kit and see what we get. What are your strips reading?

 

[djarchngl]

Nitrate: 20-40
Nitrite: 0-.5
Hardness: 200
Alkalinity: 150
PH: 7.8

 

[papa_bear_21]

do you have an ammonia reading? that will also be helpful in trying to help you with this fish issue. I hope things are brought to light for you before a fish is lost

 

[roka64]

Do you have an ammonia test? I would do a PWC to get rid of your nitrItes. Nitrites and ammonia are toxic to fish (ammonia being more toxic than nitrItes).

 

[djarchngl]

no ammonia test... but a 40% water change was done 4 days ago, and previous to that a 10-20% was done weekly.

 

[roka64]

Hmm, I think papa_bear_21 and I were posting at the same time. Unfortunately, without the ammonia test it is going to be diffigult. Are his gills really red?

 

[djarchngl]

Gills are not red....


UPDATE!
I moved him into the smaller tank, and he is moving around a little more!

(And thank you all for your quick and helpful responses. I do appreciate it)

 

[papa_bear_21]

I picked up an API master freshwater kit from the lfs for I think 20ish. its a great kit, I wont knock the paper test strips, as I've not used them. I agree that without an ammonia reading, it can be tough to decipher the mistery. I'm not sayin to run out an buy the kit, they do sell the test on its own.

 

[papa_bear_21]

Gills are not red....


UPDATE!
I moved him into the smaller tank, and he is moving around a little more!

(And thank you all for your quick and helpful responses. I do appreciate it)

glad to hear he's doin better...

hope he continues to improve

 

[djarchngl]

New update:

Sitting at the bottom again.

 

[roka64]

Ack! Are you acclimating him to each tank? Moving him from tank to tank may be stressing him more. Do you have a QT?

 

[djarchngl]

yes, i took my time acclimating him.

and i do not have a quarantine tank... i have my main tank, my breeding tank (w/ about 40 fry in it), and a tank i keep reserved for new plantlife and male guppys i don't want breeding. i put the sick fish in the latter, because the other 2 options didn't seem responsible.