Fish acting weird! PLEASE HELP.

[nirbhao]

It sounds like, during a recent water change, your fish were exposed to chlorine or a temperature shift. Both of those could cause stress- enough stress to kill a fish.

The parameters are good now, so they should be able to recover soon.

 

[Anna94]

The last water change I did before today's was last Thursday and I noticed them having these issues a day or two ago. Wouldn't they have showed stress right after the water change?

 

[nirbhao]

Last Thursday as in the 8th?

If so, I'm going back to parasites.

 

[Potluck]

Don't think it's parasites either, she had an ammonia spike, probably a nitrite spike too but she stated she never checks one of the if not the most important one, so it could of recycled and she might not know the nitrites went up cause she didn't check them.


Feed them 2-3 times a day in small increments, turn the lights off or Lunars if you have them on, let them relax watch the tank you might have a bully, how many fish do you have in this tank?

 

[Anna94]

Don't think it's parasites either, she had an ammonia spike, probably a nitrite spike too but she stated she never checks one of the if not the most important one, so it could of recycled and she might not know the nitrites went up cause she didn't check them.


Feed them 2-3 times a day in small increments, turn the lights off or Lunars if you have them on, let them relax watch the tank you might have a bully, how many fish do you have in this tank?

I have 2 platys (the affected fish) and 5 cardinal tetras (they seem fine). If it was an ammonia and/or nitrite spike then why didn't the cardinals get affected?

 

[Anna94]

When the platys swim, their tail fin kind of curls in and they wiggle, especially one of them.

 

[Toad]

I've tried googling it, from what I can find it may be an intestinal issue, I keep finding hints about but when I click on the articles I can't seem to find the reference. Have you fed anything differently lately?

Sent from my SM-G930T using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Autumnsky]

if they last pwc didn't have enough water treatment for the whole tank water volume it could have killed off some BB and caused a mini cycle. Perhaps as well the Nitr I te spiked before testing it finished the nitrification process then when you tested and is now down.

The fish look better. In that pic you posted after the pwc.

 

[Autumnsky]

Oh, also wondering about if, since the front glass is off maybe some kind of cleaner air freshener was sprayed as might not be thinking of any issue if there was a top front lid, but without the lid in place, some kind of contamination?

Always thinking too that one of the first things is to do pwc.

Watch the poop of the fish and look for any wiggly things in the gills, eyes, between scales, mouth, anal, vent or on the body, anything which doesn't belong there.

 

[Potluck]

I have 2 platys (the affected fish) and 5 cardinal tetras (they seem fine). If it was an ammonia and/or nitrite spike then why didn't the cardinals get affected?

Because some fish are stronger than others, I'm not saying that a spike of ammonia /nitrite wouldn't affect the tetras but it might not, here's an example zebra Danios, I had 5 that survived through whatever it was that killed half my other fish. The fish do look better in the second pic, also they require live foods have you tried frozen blood worms, daphnia? What food do you get as the food has to be high quality for platys I would recommend omega one or cobalt there's many other good brands out there.

 

[Anna94]

Because some fish are stronger than others, I'm not saying that a spike of ammonia /nitrite wouldn't affect the tetras but it might not, here's an example zebra Danios, I had 5 that survived through whatever it was that killed half my other fish. The fish do look better in the second pic, also they require live foods have you tried frozen blood worms, daphnia? What food do you get as the food has to be high quality for platys I would recommend omega one or cobalt there's many other good brands out there.

I was feeding my fish Spirulina and Omega One freeze dried Bloodworms, but I was told to stop feeding them the Bloodworms and feed my fish LFS Thera A, so I've been feeding them that. They eat it a little bit, but they don't go crazy for it like they did with the flake food and the freeze dried Bloodworms. This morning though, one platy ate a little bit, but the other fish didn't. The cardinals hardly ever come out to eat.

 

[Potluck]

Okay there's a difference between frozen blood worms and freeze dried, I looked up the recommended diet for them and it says frozen blood worms, daphnia, shrimp, black worms, here's the thing you have a huge bio load in that tank so you have you do pwc's maybe twice a week, what size aquaclear you have a 20/30?

 

[Anna94]

7 fish in a 20 gallon long is a huge bio load? I have an AquaClear 50

 

[Potluck]

Where did the 5 glo fish, 6 neons and 2 Danios go?, so you added 5 cardinals , and 2 platys? That's 20 fish if you lost 9 like you stated in a previous post that's still 11 but you wouldn't be overstocked at 11, you also stated you only do water changes every month which is bad because you're not replacing the minerals the fish need, water left unchanged the minerals break down.

So I'm kinda confused where did the other fish go? did they all die and you started over? With all new fish?

The 50 is fine for that tank I run a 110 and a 70 on my 55, no you're not overstocked but it's recommended you do 14% water changes weekly on aqadvisor, but i would still do 25%.. Here's the thing when you don't test your water..

One week you could have a spike , the next everythings good because its starting to build bacteria, then it spikes again to finish the cycle, the next week its good, you keep saying "sometimes I don't see ammonia" ... You should never see it as a well maintained tank will have 0 ammonia and 0 nitrites at all times.

I would find a way to take 30 min a week (the time it takes me to manually do my water change no python) on a 55 gallon with lots of decor /drift wood /plants /rocks and do a pwc every week, I would not wait took your api conditioner is out I would go with prime as pretty much everyone in her has mentioned to you it is the best.

This might of came off in the wrong way but I assure you I'm just trying to guide you in the right direction so you don't have so much issues.

As far as the lid missing Yes it could be the issue, if you clean around the tank with chemicals they can get inside the tank, my buddy lost all his fish from painting the room the tank was in because of the vapors I guess, I don't know how that works as paint didn't get into the tank, do you have any chemicals by the air pump? Because the pump could suck in the vapors and put them into the tank, when you clean the outside if the tank you use a clean rag and just water right, never use anything to clean the glass with, just wipe it down with a clean rag no window cleaner nothing just water.

 

[Anna94]

Where did the 5 glo fish, 6 neons and 2 Danios go?, so you added 5 cardinals , and 2 platys? That's 20 fish if you lost 9 like you stated in a previous post that's still 11 but you wouldn't be overstocked at 11, you also stated you only do water changes every month which is bad because you're not replacing the minerals the fish need, water left unchanged the minerals break down.

So I'm kinda confused where did the other fish go? did they all die and you started over? With all new fish?

The 50 is fine for that tank I run a 110 and a 70 on my 55, no you're not overstocked but it's recommended you do 14% water changes weekly on aqadvisor, but i would still do 25%.. Here's the thing when you don't test your water..

One week you could have a spike , the next everythings good because its starting to build bacteria, then it spikes again to finish the cycle, the next week its good, you keep saying "sometimes I don't see ammonia" ... You should never see it as a well maintained tank will have 0 ammonia and 0 nitrites at all times.

I would find a way to take 30 min a week (the time it takes me to manually do my water change no python) on a 55 gallon with lots of decor /drift wood /plants /rocks and do a pwc every week, I would not wait took your api conditioner is out I would go with prime as pretty much everyone in her has mentioned to you it is the best.

This might of came off in the wrong way but I assure you I'm just trying to guide you in the right direction so you don't have so much issues.

As far as the lid missing Yes it could be the issue, if you clean around the tank with chemicals they can get inside the tank, my buddy lost all his fish from painting the room the tank was in because of the vapors I guess, I don't know how that works as paint didn't get into the tank, do you have any chemicals by the air pump? Because the pump could suck in the vapors and put them into the tank, when you clean the outside if the tank you use a clean rag and just water right, never use anything to clean the glass with, just wipe it down with a clean rag no window cleaner nothing just water.

The 6 neons, 5 GloFish, and 2 danios all died over the course of a month almost a year ago when I upgraded from a 10 gallon to the 20 gallon. Since I've been without the lid, I haven't used any cleaning chemicals and even when I do clean or dust I use those Pledge dusting wipes and I never use any cleaning chemicals on the fish tank. For about a month and a half now I've been doing weekly 50% water changes.

 

[Potluck]

The 6 neons, 5 GloFish, and 2 danios all died over the course of a month almost a year ago when I upgraded from a 10 gallon to the 20 gallon. Since I've been without the lid, I haven't used any cleaning chemicals and even when I do clean or dust I use those Pledge dusting wipes and I never use any cleaning chemicals on the fish tank. For about a month and a half now I've been doing weekly 50% water changes.

Okay awesome (not about the deaths of the other fish) , everything comes together, do me a favor, test ammonia and nitrite every couple days to make sure the tank isn't still cycling (don't think it is because you have 20-40 nitrate) but something could of gotten in the tank, as for the fishes I would just keep an eye out see if they improve if not I would personally take a pic into a reputable fish store in your area, not petsmart/petco fish store, and explain to them what's going on. As it seems us on here cannot figure it out as you say your water paramiters are perfect, rather a water sample into them as well.

 

[Anna94]

Okay awesome (not about the deaths of the other fish) , everything comes together, do me a favor, test ammonia and nitrite every couple days to make sure the tank isn't still cycling (don't think it is because you have 20-40 nitrate) but something could of gotten in the tank, as for the fishes I would just keep an eye out see if they improve if not I would personally take a pic into a reputable fish store in your area, not petsmart/petco fish store, and explain to them what's going on. As it seems us on here cannot figure it out as you say your water paramiters are perfect, rather a water sample into them as well.

Should I buy them new food or is the New Life Spectrum Thera A fine? I just bought it so I'd hate to waste it and money is tight right now.

 

[Potluck]

Should I buy them new food or is the New Life Spectrum Thera A fine? I just bought it so I'd hate to waste it and money is tight right now.

Let me look up the fillers give me a moment


It had good ratings, what mm pellets are they, some fish didn't like certain foods, I would go get a package of frozen blood worms yes frozen not freeze dried, thaw a cube in a cup if tank water (not tap water) and see how they like it

 

[Anna94]

They're .5mm

 

[54seaweed]

I'd invest in a chlorine test kit you can get one at any home improvement store in the pool section in lawn and garden there like $15.
since you been down every possible avenue , in the winter months some public water treatment plants treat with high amounts of chlorine , try filling a glass from the tap give it a good smell does it smell like a swimming pool, and I still would invest in a test kit just for a piece of mind to rule it out.