Zebra danio sick (need help fast)

[rusilja]

Hello
The las 2 days my only Zebra Danio (who lived for 3 weeks happy in my tank, 5 gal)
Is now very unactive and has red spots near his head, he's constantly on the bodem breathing and not moving.
I googled and I heard of a crooked spine, (I think it's very slightly bent, but not sure)

Can this be caused by the sea shells I added to my tank (I washed them off and then boiled twice)??

My cardinal tetra's (4) aren't that active either, they are schooling slow & sometimes just in a corner.

I changed the water twice today (2x 10% or something) and added lot's of bacteria...
(I have no test material... :/ )
Any ideas?

Picture:

 

[rusilja]

And I think he's ichy....

 

[mfdrookie516]

red gills are usually a sign of high ammonia. is that what you mean? also what do you mean by ichy?

 

[i3k]

10% water changes aren't enough. You need to do one big water change like 50% and see if the fish improves. You definitely need an ammonia test kit. As mentioned above very red gills can mean high ammonia levels. And if by itchy you mean he is scratching itself against the plants/gravel, then you either really do have high levels of ammonia or your fish has ICH.

 

[Asbestos]

and added lot's of bacteria...

Are you using a dechlorinator? And what do you mean by adding bacteria.

 

[roadmaster]

I agree with others. You also have fish that prefer different water parameters and danios are active fish that need more swimming room than five gallons. Danios also like water that is perhaps cooler than the cardinals enjoy. I keep long finned danios at 75 degrees and cardinals around 80 degrees.
In five gallon aquarium, I would be changing 50 percent twice a week and replacing the water with fresh water that has been dechlorinated with conditioner that detoxifys chlorine,chloramines,and ammonia. PRIME would be my choice for water conditioner and many others use it as well.
I would also feed the fish in five gallons ONCE each day and about half a dime size amount of food.Your water quality can deteriorate quickly with numerous feedings in a smaller enviornment.

 

[rusilja]

To cycle the tank faster I added bacteria.
Yes, I read that adding sea shells can raise PH (amonia)
And I think he just died today, he's not moving...
So I just boil him for 1 min & then throw away?

If the amonia was that high, why weren't my cardinal's effected like the danio was...
I'll go to the pet store & ask for info...
I'll test my water there

 

[roadmaster]

To cycle the tank faster I added bacteria.
Yes, I read that adding sea shells can raise PH (amonia)
And I think he just died today, he's not moving...
So I just boil him for 1 min & then throw away?

If the amonia was that high, why weren't my cardinal's effected like the danio was...
I'll go to the pet store & ask for info...
I'll test my water there

Not all people catch the flu at same time. Not all fish show effects at same time. If it is ammonia or nitrite poisoning, and no water change takes place,,Will only be a matter of time before all fish show symptoms.
I would take sample of water and place it in whatever your gonna take it in to the store to have tested. In the meantime, I would as others mentioned do a sizeable water change. If you wait for results, it may be too late for the fish.
Would get my own test kit so that I would not have to rely on others to perform the test and I would look for test kit that uses drops of liquid rather than test strips.
Ask fish store that test's your water to provide numbers for test results,, not words like fine,great,safe,o.k., etc

 

[meegosh]

I would not boil the fish. You can use clove oil to knock them out then euthanize him. I would figure out what is wrong before adding anymore fish. You may want to consider getting a 10g tank. Danios are way too active for a 10g, let alone a 5g!

How to humanely euthanize a fish:
What Is the Most Humane Way to Euthanize a Fish?

 

[Blueiz]

Out of curiosity, why would you boil the fish if you think it's already dead?

If you want to make sure it's dead, meegosh posted some great info.

 

[rusilja]

Out of curiosity, why would you boil the fish if you think it's already dead?

If you want to make sure it's dead, meegosh posted some great info.

Don't know, Just read somehwere boiling may kill bacteria still in the fish

But I'm going to store right now and get the results & information on what to do...

I'll post up the details when I'm back...

 

[rusilja]

I'm back!
Well, I said my danio died & supposed by Ammonia, they said that it's unlikely a danio would die from ammonia becuz they are the most protected to ammonia...

So they said it's a flesh wound...
And if it was poison then my cardinals would've died earlier...

Well I bought new plants (2) needle grass ^^ (any info on the growing speed?)

thank you

 

[kaiofcanada]

Sounds like your tank is not cycled yet, which means you probably have night nitrites and ammonia. You should invest in a full liquid test kit which includes ammonia asap and monitor where you are in the cycle.

In the mean time, I agree with the above advice of doing a big water change asap. And until you see ammonia and nitrite levels at 0 (zero) I would be vigilant.

Personally, I would return the fish to your LFS until the tank has finished cycling to prevent further suffering and deaths. Dosing the tank with live bacteria to speed up the cycle is only something I would advise in a fishless cycle. And most live bacteria solutions are not actually living anymore. You need to buy the refrigerated live bacteria. Because even if you speed it up, the fish will still suffer through the whole process.

Once your tank is cycled be mindful not to overstock it as you will likely be dealing with the same issues of poor water quality. A 5 gal is really only good for a couple tetra...I suggest 3 only. There are a number of helpful threads you should read on this forum about: cycling your tank (fishless cycle), stocking your tank, water quality, and water changes. Hopefully they will help shed some light on what is going on in your tank now. Best of luck.

 

[rusilja]

I don't want to buy a full test kit with monitor and such stuff,... that's lot of money -.-"
I did 50% change today...
As long cardinals are alive (weak against stuff) the water is avarege or good...
I'll observe...

 

[Blueiz]

You have received wonderful advice here. There is no fish that is protected from ammonia, there are fish that are more tolerant of it, however still suffers from burns when made to live in bad conditions. Your lfs wants your money and is giving you horrible advice. Sorry if this sounds harsh, but why do you post here, then go to the lfs toget advice and totally disregard the advice that has been given here?

Using your fish to test the quality of your water is a disaster waiting to happen. If you can invest money into buying fish, the least you can do is buy the minimal test kit to test the water quality in which you are placing them.

Your plants will rot and foul the water more if you do not provide them with sufficient lighting and fertilizers. Can you give the specific name of the plant, or a picture for identification? It is beyond me why you are coming here to ask for advice on that instead of asking the ppl in which you bought the plant from, if you are going to disregard again what advice you are given.

 

[meegosh]

I would say that a liquid test kit ($30) is the only thing you should buy now, not plants, fish, or any other additives. That $30 investment will pay for itself, in saving your fish!

Keep in mind that nitrite and ammonia poisoning is not something that happens overnight. These levels build up slowly to the.point where they are fatal. Even if the fish survive I would bet their lifespan has been drastically decreased.

Did the fish store give you any actual readings? I would bet your parameters are all out of whack.

 

[rusilja]

They didn't take any tests, they said that if it was ammonia then the cardinals would've died first!!!
They suppose it's a flesh wound or something he died from, if my cardinals die now they asked me to come back for water tests.

 

[meegosh]

Well your danio could've been stressed/weak and that is why the ammonia killed him(if that is the actual reason). We can't do much else for you until you get your water tested. For all we know it could've been bacterial.

Did your danio have any physical damage? Relying on more sensitive fish to die first is no way to go about things. Did they Guy/gal at the fish store even see the fish? I'm wondering where he got this idea of the fish being injured.

 

[i3k]

lol @ the advice the pet store gave you. Don't go back there...i'll just leave it at that.

 

[rusilja]

lol @ the advice the pet store gave you. Don't go back there...i'll just leave it at that.

From what I heard & know my fish store is one of the top rated... At other fish stores I hear are the fish sick or half dead
People don't complain there from what I hear... Just coincidence...