Fish Not Eating (Maybe Pearl Danio?)

i suppose the first question is "what fish is this?!"

i have a 10 gallon tank with 1 platy (used to be 2), 1 of these guys (maybe pearl danio as suggested by someone on this board), and 4 (!) baby platys in a breeder tank (these are surprise babies...the female platy must have come to us pregnant from the fish store). there are 2 babies about a month old and 2 that are a few days old.


we've had the tank for about 2 months and the current problem is that mystery fish seems off. he is normally very crazy and swimming around like mad. and loves to eat. but for the past few days he hasn't eaten anything at all. he's still swimming around but my kids and i are starting to worry.

any thoughts?

here is a current photo of him.

Hi when did Your Other One?

Water stats? How long since youve added anything ?

i don't really have water stats. we changed 1 gallon of water 2 days ago that was treated with the correct amount of quick start and stress coat?

Hi

what filter are you using atm? Have you clean the filter for the last 2 months? Did you siphon your gravel?

In the mean time, try to do 50% water change slowly.
Your tank is 10G (40L). so try to do 5G (20L) slowly and add 1tsp of salt, you can use cooking salt or sea salt for cooking. I use 1 tsp salt for every 40L.

Took out 5g from your tank. add 1g every 30min, slowly to the tank. add the quick start and stress coat for 1g.
This is to avoid any shock from water temp.

try to get dechlorinator for your tap water. try to get seachem prime or you can use this http/www.apifishcare.com/Products/Product.aspx?ProductID=46

If your tank had been cycled properly, you do not need to add the quick start when you do water change.

Try not to feed the fish for 2 days and give half food in the next 3 days with half amount that you normally feed.

Good luck

One more thing for regular water change, do 2g weekly.

add some tap water conditioner and some salt 1/4 tsp.

gundamcichlid said:

Hi

what filter are you using atm? Have you clean the filter for the last 2 months? Did you siphon your gravel?

Click to expand...

i'm using the tetra power filter (PF10). i changed the filter cartridge three weeks ago.


salt is okay for the fresh water tank? is it okay to use regular table salt (iodized) or should i use kosher salt (without iodine).

thanks so much...i already fed them this morning but i'll stop for a couple of days! i still have the babies in a breeder tank...should i feed them still or none of the fish?

You say you changed the filter cartridge three weeks ago - is that all there is inside the filter? Any other media? Depending on what was left in the filter from before you changed the cartridge you are either staring to cycle from scratch (if you removed everything) or posibly going through a mini cycle (if there was some other medium besides the cartridge that you didn't change). Any ammonia and/or nitrite in the water they could well be affecting the fish.
It sounds as though you don't have your own test kit, so it would be a good idea to take some water to a shop that does tests - but make them write down the actual numbers, not just something like 'fine'.

The fish in the photo looks like a giant danio. It will grow to about 4 inches long. These fish are shoaling fish and need a much bigger tank than you have - the minimum size is 4 feet long x 18 inches wide. Have a look at the pic in here see if it looks like yours http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/42796-giant-danio/ If yours is a giant danio, you either need to rehome it, or get a much bigger tank and more of them, as it will be stressed from not being in a shoal.

Edit - the platies might tolerate salt but the danio won't.

rosiegirl said:

gundamcichlid said:

Hi

what filter are you using atm? Have you clean the filter for the last 2 months? Did you siphon your gravel?

Click to expand...

i'm using the tetra power filter (PF10). i changed the filter cartridge three weeks ago.


salt is okay for the fresh water tank? is it okay to use regular table salt (iodized) or should i use kosher salt (without iodine).

thanks so much...i already fed them this morning but i'll stop for a couple of days! i still have the babies in a breeder tank...should i feed them still or none of the fish?

Click to expand...

Did you mean you change the carbon cartridge or the sponge too?
if you change all the stuff in the filter, then your tank is missing the beneficial bacteria that work as your bio filter.
If this was the case, you should add the quick start again to recycle the tank. if only the carbon, it should be ok as the benefial bacteria still exist in the other media.

For the babies, feed them in the small amount and if you could, feed the 3-4 times a day.
For the adult, feed them again with small amount once a day and half with your normal feed amount.
The food should be eaten in 1-2 min. try to scoup out any excess or syphon.

I have stop using carbon in my tank as if you do routine water change and maintain your filter regularly, you water should be clear already. Anyway, this is just how i do things in my tank, other fish keeper may not agree for the carbon use in the tank.
Try to make a day or two days gap when you do your waterchange and filter cleaning and feed them half the amount of food after you do waterchange or clean the filter.
It would be better if you had a dechlorinator for the tap water, try to get seachem prime, the 50ml bottle should last you for 50 times water change. Google it.


Salt should be ok for the freshwater and you should introduce the salt slowly (1tsp flat for 10g or 40L), add quarter tsp per 30min when you do the 50% WC.
I have use this measure for my tropical fish before and I found that half amount of the salt is better for any scaleless fish and catfish.

All the best