Is there any help for my dying Danio?

[ktmgrant]

Hi guys,

I am new to the forum and to fish. (Ask me about dogs and I am good, but I am learning quickly how little I know about my finned friends.)

We keep a small tank of glofish and we have had it for about a year and a half. We have, in that time, lost two fish. One, about a year ago, had big red tummy, and was dead the next day. Another, about a month ago, just turned up dead in the gravel one day with no warning.

My last little member of the original family looks like she is close to joining her friends. She is swimming on the bottom of the tank and barely. She is on her side. She has a strange shape to her too. Sort of like a hunched over old lady if that makes sense. She is about 2 years old which seems a little young to be calling it a day for old age. She has always been a hider. She only ever came out from under the ornaments to eat and swim around a bit.

I know another fish in the tank struggles with being plugged up and perhaps this is her issue too.

Is there anything I can do to keep her with us or does it sound like her demise cannot be stopped?

Thanks for your time.

Katie

 

[mfdrookie516]

Welcome to AA

What size tank are they in? Have you tested your water for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate? Could you post the readings? How often do you change the water, and how much at a time? What are you feeding and how often?

 

[ktmgrant]

I am afraid to answer you as it will further show my ignorance.

I have 3 in a 2 gallon. Is that too small?

I have not tested before, but I can get a kit tomorrow. I did not know I needed one.

I feed them a very small portion of Tetra tropical flakes every other day.

I change their water about every other week. I usually do about an 80% change.

I think I failed this test did'nt I? I want to change my ignorant ways and I hope that counts.

 

[dkpate]

Welcome to AA!
That tank is too small for any fish IMO, except for maybe a betta.
Test kits are nice! Liquid test kits are the best.
Glad you are doing water changes every week, but no need to do 80%, 50% is good, unless your tank is not cycled, but since you have had it going for a year and a half, I would think it is. That's good. BUT, since it's such a small tank, you will need to change the water more often. In my 5g split betta tank, I change 50% of the water twice a week.
To "unplug" your fish (LOL) you can try feeding boiled, de-shelled peas, which is a laxative for fish.

 

[ktmgrant]

Dang Walmart!
Why do they sell that little glo-fish tank kit if it is too small for glo-fish? It even pictures it with 3 times the amount of fish I put in!

Walmart.com: Tetra Glow Fish Aquarium Kit, 1.5 Gallons: Fish

 

[dkpate]

Why does Walmart sell fish to people when they know they will get WAYYY too big for most people's tanks? LOL. In fact, why do they sell fish at all, because they are usually very sick or dead.

 

[mfdrookie516]

is there any way you can upgrade to at least a 10g tank?

 

[Viper]

Glad you are doing water changes every week, but no need to do 80%, 50% is good, unless your tank is not cycled, but since you have had it going for a year and a half, I would think it is.

It was every other week which is way too infrequent for such a small tank. Follow the advice that dkpate has given, but do your water changes on a weekly basis.

 

[ktmgrant]

I will upgrade the water changes right away.

Don't think I can $$$ to upgrade the tank, but I can probably re-home them with one of my friends who has a much better set up.

In the meantime, is there anything that can be done to help little Gracie who is hanging out sideways on the gravel at the bottom or does it sound like she is on her way out?

I have an old betta tank (1 gal) left over from before I upgraded my betta tank. I can move her in there by herself. Would that help?

I also have some antibiotic, would that help?

Is it too late for her?

Thanks for all the responses.

 

[peachykeen]

Ugh, even somepet stores carry crap aquariums like that. I have a 3 gallon for a betta and a neon tetra and i wouldnt go smaller then that for them.

I hope your fish pulls through but its not looking good

 

[dkpate]

You can try the antibiotic, keep up with water changes and you can try the peas.

 

[cwt]

unfortunately 2 years is a typical (*) lifetime for the zebra danio. I have several from the first batch of fish I ever bought, and the oldest ones are much like yours is right now. We'll both have some deciding to do when the fish can't feed themselves near the end. Until then just keep an eye on it.

(*) - most online resources list the lifespan as 2-5 years, but I can't see them lasting that long... danios are prone to certain physical defects, like the crooked back, velvet infection, and 'fish TB'. The 'giant danio', which is another species, does last longer.