My fish barely eat!

[vanimal]

I have 3 bala sharks, a rainbow shark, and an eclipse catfish. When I feed them they never seem to eat much what should I do? I feed flakes, freeze dried bloodworms, and sinking pellets. Anything else I should try? And if anyone has any of these fish please tell me what you feed them

 

[emerald76]

Tank size and params would help

 

[vanimal]

I have a 45 for now. My fish are about 2 inches long each.

 

[Cichlid Kid]

By parameters they meant levels of the nitrogen cycle in your tank. ie- ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. Also ph.

 

[siva]

They should be eating those foods. I agree you should first check the tank parameters to see if toxins in the water could be making them sick.

 

[ashleynicole]

They should be eating those foods. I agree you should first check the tank parameters to see if toxins in the water could be making them sick.

I second that. How long has the tank been setup? How was it cycled? How long have you had the fish?

 

[vanimal]

About 3 weeks and I had the tank running for about 1 week before I put my fish in it. But when I first got it setup I put some gravel in it from my other tank to help the bacteria start to grow. And before I got my fish I put some guppies in to make sure it was ok. They are still alive and they eat a lot. But I don't have anything to test the params with but I can do Ph tonight. What Ph do my fish need???

 

[vanimal]

I just found my testing stuff.
Ph is 6.8
Ammonia is 4 and I will do nitrates tonight. How do I fix this?

 

[My Fish Babies.]

Hi vanimal,
Ammonia at 4 is quite toxic for your fish. Anything over 0.25 is too much. I am guessing your tank is not through its cycle yet. What you need to do is start doing some major water changes to bring down the ammonia levels. Do a major water change 50% or more wait a few hours and test ammonia again if its anything over 0.25 you need to do another water change. I am sure others more experienced will chime in but, water changes is a must for you right now.

 

[vanimal]

Ok thank you so much I will update after my water change! And is my Ph fine??

 

[My Fish Babies.]

I cant honestly comment on your ph. For me personally mine runs at about 7 to 8. This is where my tap water sits at. I only keep goldfish and a higher ph is ok for them. One last suggestion I have learned. Have you tested your tap water? By this I mean sit out a bowl of water directly from your tap do not put any water conditioner in it. Test it in 24 hours to see what the ammonia and ph level is for your tap. Mine has a 0.25 ammonia reading and ph of 8. Also during your water change make sure to match the temp of the water as closely to your tank temp as possible hand testing is ok also remember to use your water conditioner add it directly to the tank prior to putting in the new water.

 

[vanimal]

Ok ill try that when I get home. Do you recommend doing a large water change too??

 

[My Fish Babies.]

Goodness YES! At least a 75% to start out with. Ammonia reading of 4 is way up there you want to bring it down and water changes is the only way to do that. What sort of testing equipment do you use? I suggest API liquid test. Test strips can be inaccurate.

 

[vanimal]

Idk I mix fluid with my tank water in a vile and then compare the color to a chart.

 

[BlaseMrNiceguy]

That's the liquid test it should be fine but it seems general consensus is that the API test is the best. Definitely massive water change then more than likely you will have to do another pretty massive water change to bring the ammonia down to comfortable levels. I would suggest daily tests at this point because more than likely what's going on is you weren't fully cycled when u added your fish and now your beneficial bacteria is struggling to keep up with the bio load being produced by the fish. More than likely you will need to do 50% changes every 2-3 days for the next couple of weeks but after that everything should stabilize and I would suggest a routine of a 50% pwc once a week to keep water params in check. I would definitely test your tap ph to see what it is and if it's low and you don't feel comfortable with it there are was to bring it up if you want. In the mean time research your fish and see what's most desirable for them.

 

[vanimal]

Ok ill definitely do a huge water change when I get!! Thanks for your help

 

[vanimal]

I just researched and all my fish will do fine with a Ph of 7

 

[vanimal]

Just did a 25 gallon water change and my fish seem happier!! They are swimming around and are more active than I've ever seen them! Ill post in about an hour once I've tested my water. Thanks everyone!

 

[vanimal]

Amonia- . 25
Ph- 7
Nitrites-1
It's not the best a big improvement

 

[BlaseMrNiceguy]

Glad to hear now just try to keep all your readings down with frequent water changes until no ammonia and no nitrates show you want to try to keep your nitrates low at that point.