is my fish dying?

[shuvit]

I can't even tell you what it is as the woman that id'd everything has been wrong so far, he's staying on bottom of tank, no moving for ages, then swimming off and hiding then quick swim then back to the floor.

 

[shuvit]

Anybody? He's still doing it :-(

 

[Borderlesscott]

Looks like a Platy, can't help more as I've never kept them and do not know there behaviours bar what I've seen in the shops - I have seen them resting on the substrate so possibly might be okay just stressed. Is he taking food?

 

[Lexilove]

Is it a he or a she? Is it getting bullied? Is your tank over stocked?

 

[shuvit]

It's a he. No bullying and not overstocked. Had a problem with poor water quality about a week ago but that's sorted and according to lfs all in normal parameters. Just finished a course of treatment for fin rot as lost a few guppies.
All the other fish are looking fine.
I have a micky mouse platy that won't leave his side only for food.
He's making no attempt really to eat.

 

[Lexilove]

It could be the fact that he is just recovering he should be fine in a couple of days.

 

[Borderlesscott]

Could be still suffering from the water problem, a spike in levels won't always kill straight away. Just keep up on the water changes and checking levels with any luck he will pull through. Good clean water can work wonders with fish.

 

[shuvit]

Thank you. Have done another 25% change today and will do one Monday as trying to wean them off the daily ones I had to do to get the water good. Fingers crossed he's feeling better tomorrow. :-(

 

[Lexilove]

Me too, good luck keep updating

 

[Bbarb27]

I agree it's a platy. Sorry he's not doing well.

Did you have high ammonia levels last week? If so, you might have elevated nitrites now. Sometimes fish can survive the ammonia spike but then succumb to damage from nitrites. Do you have a test kit so you can test your parameters?

Hope he is ok. Keep up with your water changes.

 

[Aquavic]

Is there loss in appetite?

 

[paytertot]

What are your exact water parameters? You said "according to the lfs" does that mean you don't have your own test kit? Is the tank cycled?

 

[shuvit]

The ammonia wasn't bad but the nitrites were at the highest end of the scale 3 weeks ago. Worked really hard at getting them down and were finally normal when we got them tested beginning and midweek. Don't have a test kit as normally get the water tested at our local shop, the man there is really helpful and has been doing it 27 years now si I trust him lol.
We bought the tank second hand with a couple of fish already in it (2 kuahli oaches, plec, 3 golden barbs, 2 bloodfin tetra, a red fin shark that we gave away, a sailfin molly also given away after wrong advice and an Apple snail).
We transported it with 1 third of 'mature' water in and trusted when she told us she had just cleaned filter. I filled with conditioned water. My husband against my advice added a further 3 mollies and some guppies.
They really weren't looking good after a few days and developed fin rot after being nipped by shark.
I had the water tested and everything was high except ph. Turns out there was hardly any filter media in and what was in there was so old it was brown. It was all coarse with no bio media, nitrate sponge and carbon, they were all completely missing.
Bought all new, left 2 sponges in with the new ones and had water checked twice a week since with water changes.
Sorry for long post!

 

[shuvit]

Is there loss in appetite?

Yes he's not eating. They have a varied diet and are fed every other day at the moment until water stays good. I alternate bloodworms, courgette/broccoli, algae wafers and fish flakes.

 

[paytertot]

You really need to buy your own test kit. In the meantime, do you know if the shop is using a liquid kit? Hopefully they aren't using strips because imho, they suck. Even people who have been in the fish business can be unknowingly doing something wrong due to old misconceptions. Such as the 1 inch of fish/gallon idea.
It would be really helpful if we could get the parameters.
Since you had to put in all new filter media, it sounds like the tank is not cycled. Especially since it was nitrites you said were high. Those should always be zero in a cycled tank.

 

[shuvit]

I'll be getting one Monday. He uses liquid kits, does it infront of you. The readings 3 weeks ago were
ammonia 2.0
NitrAte 80
NitrIte 20
Ph 7.0
Slowly came down with a 50% water change and then daily 25% over 2 weeks. Had water tested twice over the next week and he said the water is brilliant now so doing changes every other day them every 3 days etc until I'm back to once a week.

 

[shuvit]

He's died :-(

 

[Bbarb27]

I'm sorry he died

Having your own test kit will let you monitor your water and know when you need to do a water change for the sake of your fish.

 

[Lexilove]

I a, so sorry

 

[Borderlesscott]

That sucks man, don't let it get you down - lost a few myself this week, happens to us all - only downside of the hobby, chin up!