blazingnate
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2013
- Messages
- 17
I have a 10 gallon tank with multiple plants and drift wood. It has been cycled for a good month and a half or so at least. I purchased a male GBR about a month ago. after getting him home, and acclimating him he seemed to adjust well to the tank. After about a week I noticed him "flashing" against drift wood and rocks. He did it a couple of times a day for a few days and then he stopped. a week and a half ago I added a female because the male looked bored and would swim up and down the sides of the tank following his own reflection. When i added her the pH was 7.0, the ammonia 0 nitrites were 0 and nitrates .25 and water temperature 82 F, water was a little hard. 3 days after adding the female, they were both doing great and she layer eggs and he fertilized them. Their colors were amazing during this time. well about a week later I noticed the male had began flashing again, but this time it was a lot more and he started developing other symptoms. He started hanging out at the top of the tank and looked like he was gasping for air. His tail also seemed to kind of hang down and he looked lethargic. I did a couple of big water changes try to help (30%), but he just kept flashing like crazing and rubbing his gills agains the substrate and rocks. The female flashed one or twice but that was about i, she seems to be just fine. From doing research online i suspected gill flukes so i purchased praziopro and added it 2 days ago. after day 1 I have noticed less flashing but the male still spends most of his time at the suface and he is really "Twitchy" and seems like he's uncomfortable. I tested the water after a day and ammo was 0, nitrites .5 and nitrates .25, ph 8. today is day 2 and the male is flashing less but still does a 10 times or so that i have seen. he still looks really sick and is twitchy, and is spending more time in his cave and under the drift wood. The female is fine! no flashing and she looks good.
Tonight the female laid eggs again! the male is still not looking good but he stopped by to help fertilize them and is now standing guard with her. This makes no sense to me! one minute he seems like he is dying and the next they are mating. I could be wrong but don't only healthy fish fertilize? If he has gill flukes wouldn't that put him "not in the mood?" I know having .5 nitrites isn't good, but if that were the problem wouldn't the female be sick too? Anyways, I just want to know what is going on. thanks.
Tonight the female laid eggs again! the male is still not looking good but he stopped by to help fertilize them and is now standing guard with her. This makes no sense to me! one minute he seems like he is dying and the next they are mating. I could be wrong but don't only healthy fish fertilize? If he has gill flukes wouldn't that put him "not in the mood?" I know having .5 nitrites isn't good, but if that were the problem wouldn't the female be sick too? Anyways, I just want to know what is going on. thanks.