# One fish not looking too good :-(



## paulfoel123 (6 mo ago)

Its been a week. Been checking the water using the seachem. All looks good.
Bought an airstone.

Today one of the white guppys does not look well. Seems to be floating down to the bottom, gets a burst of energy, repeat.

Any ideas? Is it normal that fish just die like this?


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## Arny (Jul 29, 2017)

Do you know what the temperature of the water is?
With how hot some houses are getting with the heatwave the water could be too warm.
Swings in temperature are also worse than a constant, even if that constant may not be ideal.


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## paulfoel123 (6 mo ago)

Yes been keeping an eye on. Its OK 25C


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## Arny (Jul 29, 2017)

I’ve just read your other post that the tank wasn’t cycled.
Unfortunately when you do a fish in cycle it’s very common to lose fish due to stress. 
That can even be weeks, months down the line when everything seems all sorted with the tank.


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## LinznMilly (Jun 24, 2011)

paulfoel123 said:


> Its been a week. Been checking the water using the seachem. All looks good.
> Bought an airstone.
> 
> Today one of the white guppys does not look well. Seems to be floating down to the bottom, gets a burst of energy, repeat.
> ...


How is the fish this morning?
Have you been doing the regular water changes? If so, how much?

@Arny , I believe OP is using Seachem Prime, which locks up ammonia and nitrite into ions and protects the fish while still allowing the tank to cycle.

That said;
@paulfoel123 Do you have a test kit yet? If so, can you tell us the latest results in ppm or mg/l?

What you’re describing sounds like swim bladder disease but could also be constipation. Swim bladders help the buoyancy of the fish, and the fish can inflate and deflate it at will. True swim bladder disease is rare, and difficult to treat, so treat for the constipation first.

Starve the fish for 3 days (they’ll be fine - and it’ll help keep the toxins low) then feed thawed, deshelled, crushed peas for 3 days.


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## paulfoel123 (6 mo ago)

LinznMilly said:


> How is the fish this morning?
> Have you been doing the regular water changes? If so, how much?
> 
> @Arny , I believe OP is using Seachem Prime, which locks up ammonia and nitrite into ions and protects the fish while still allowing the tank to cycle.
> ...


Thanks both - can't see it so its not looking good at the moment....

Yes been changing the water every two days - 20% at a time.

Its weird it looks like the fish is dead and is basically sinking upside down then it springs into life. 
OK never heard that about peas.


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## paulfoel123 (6 mo ago)

Aw guppy is gone :-( Just found him bottom of the tank.
Luckily, daughter hasnt seen so wife is off to get a replacement.

So can they die from constipation?

Is there anything I should be concerned about now with the rest of them? i.e. anything contagious?

Certainly is stressful having a fish tank....


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## paulfoel123 (6 mo ago)

LinznMilly said:


> How is the fish this morning?
> Have you been doing the regular water changes? If so, how much?
> 
> @Arny , I believe OP is using Seachem Prime, which locks up ammonia and nitrite into ions and protects the fish while still allowing the tank to cycle.
> ...


Sorry Linz - yes got a test kit. 7 in 1 one? 
Which results do you need?


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## LinznMilly (Jun 24, 2011)

paulfoel123 said:


> Sorry Linz - yes got a test kit. 7 in 1 one?
> Which results do you need?


All of them.


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## bunnygeek (Jul 24, 2018)

The most important readings for a cycling tank, or indeed when a fish looks a bit poorly, are ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. For a healthy cycled tank, ammonia and nitrites should be zero, nitrates should be under 40ppm. For a cycling tank I expect there to be some ammonia and nitrite readings - both these are toxic to fish and scorch their gill tissue and the stress lowers their immune system.

Is the 7-in-1 a test strip type test? They tend to be less accurate than the liquid test kits.


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## paulfoel123 (6 mo ago)

bunnygeek said:


> The most important readings for a cycling tank, or indeed when a fish looks a bit poorly, are ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. For a healthy cycled tank, ammonia and nitrites should be zero, nitrates should be under 40ppm. For a cycling tank I expect there to be some ammonia and nitrite readings - both these are toxic to fish and scorch their gill tissue and the stress lowers their immune system.
> 
> Is the 7-in-1 a test strip type test? They tend to be less accurate than the liquid test kits.


Its the strip test type.....


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## paulfoel123 (6 mo ago)

LinznMilly said:


> All of them.


NO2, NO3, CL2 - ZERO
GH - 25
TA - 80
KH - 200 (bit high?)
Ph-7.8 maybe 8


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## bunnygeek (Jul 24, 2018)

Hmm that doesn't have an Ammonia reading - Ammonia is NH3


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## paulfoel123 (6 mo ago)

ah yes no NH3


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## LinznMilly (Jun 24, 2011)

KH is the water’s buffering capability. 200ppm = 11 dKH, that’s not that high.

Test strips are notoriously inaccurate, and as @bunnygeek says, don’t test for ammonia, which is the most important. It would be unusual, for example, to have a 0ppm reading for NO3 - nitrate - as that occurs in tap water. They’re OK for a general, quick dip test - especially once you know what you’re doing, but when you’re just starting out, you need a liquid based test kit, like this one;
NT Labs Master Test Kit - eBay

That’s the cheapest one you can get, but you need either that or API liquid based master test kit.


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## Arny (Jul 29, 2017)

I don't know if pets at home still do free testing but that could be an option.
Definitely worth investing in a proper kit though.


paulfoel123 said:


> Certainly is stressful having a fish tank....


It will get easier once the tank is fully mature.
I've had most common pets and for me find the fish the highest maintenance, especially now my tank isn't close to a sink.


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## LinznMilly (Jun 24, 2011)

Arny said:


> I don't know if pets at home still do free testing but that could be an option.
> Definitely worth investing in a proper kit though.
> 
> It will get easier once the tank is fully mature.
> I've had most common pets and for me find the fish the highest maintenance, especially now my tank isn't close to a sink.


The problem with free testing, is they just tell you “it’s fine”, which is subjective. One person’s “fine” is another’s OMG. And you can’t test at a moment’s notice, when you need it the most.

I know we’re in the middle of an economic downturn, but I really, passionately believe a liquid based test kit should be considered as essential as a filter.


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## Arny (Jul 29, 2017)

LinznMilly said:


> The problem with free testing, is they just tell you “it’s fine”, which is subjective. One person’s “fine” is another’s OMG. And you can’t test at a moment’s notice, when you need it the most.
> 
> I know we’re in the middle of an economic downturn, but I really, passionately believe a liquid based test kit should be considered as essential as a filter.


When I've had it done at pets at home, on the odd occasion I bought fish there and they passed they required the sample before giving a refund they would do it in front of you so you could see each thing with the chart.
I agree and have always had one but I thought for here and now its something the op could do.
There's no point to keep replacing fish in the meantime till its known if the tank has an issue and this might be the quickest.


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## paulfoel123 (6 mo ago)

LinznMilly said:


> The problem with free testing, is they just tell you “it’s fine”, which is subjective. One person’s “fine” is another’s OMG. And you can’t test at a moment’s notice, when you need it the most.
> 
> I know we’re in the middle of an economic downturn, but I really, passionately believe a liquid based test kit should be considered as essential as a filter.


I think I'll get one


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## paulfoel123 (6 mo ago)

Another one gone :-(

Thats THREE in total now.
What would be killing them?


Im still using the Seachem prime.
Waiting for my proper test kit to arrive....


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## bunnygeek (Jul 24, 2018)

Have you done any partial water changes?

Guppies in particular are not very hardy these days. Pet store Guppies are extremely inbred and notoriously flakey


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## paulfoel123 (6 mo ago)

Yes quite a few times.....

To be honest, apart from the first neon tetra that died pretty much straight away, the two others have been guppies. I'll avoid them in the future!
Out of interest what are the hardiest fish?

Might change pet shops too. Mentioned to the guy that we had loads of snails now that look like they came off the plants they sold us. His answer "oh you're supposed to check then".
Yeh thanks mate. Been in there 3/4 times now and I told him at the beginning that we had no idea. Completely useless they've been.


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## bunnygeek (Jul 24, 2018)

Urgh, sorry you've got a useless shop  definitely worth visiting a few to find one that is more supportive!

Danios tend to be a bit hardier than Neons and Guppies (who are very much factory farmed intensively for the pet trade). Danios do need a lot of space to swim though as they are very zippy - at least a 2ft long tank. Zebra or Leopard Danios are the most common. I've only had Kyathit and Celestial Pearl Danios though - more unusual! The Kyathits were great but NEVER still enough to see their pretty patterns. The Celestials are tiiiiiny micro fish are not quite as hardy.


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## paulfoel123 (6 mo ago)

Jeez- got a replacement guppy this pm while daughter was in school. Pretty sure its the one thats dead now.
Thats two that have lasted literally an hour.

I just don't get why they keep dying? Is it possibly the poor quality fish from this place?
Maybe time to switch to another shop.

Thats two now that have died almost immediately.


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## paulfoel123 (6 mo ago)

Oh no just found another one - another dead guppy. So not just the new one from this pm.
Thats 5 in total gone now. What am I doing wrong here?


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## paulfoel123 (6 mo ago)

And another - SIX now.
OK got the proper test kit now.

Ph = 7.5
NH3 = 0
NO2 = 0.5 (bit high)
NO3 = 5
KH = 11 (not an easy test to do - bit high)
GH = 8 (again not easy to do - bit high?)

What to do next?
Surely these are not that bad? Still don't understand why I've lost so many fish?


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