Help pls.

I have recently received some river/stream fish as a gift. Unfortunately, I never had pets before so I am still clueless on how to raise them. If anyone could help me identify this species, it would be a great favour. I suspected that they were danios but I'm still not sure. Someone told me that they were babies too... some of them have a single lateral black stripe and some don't. I suspect they could be pregnant too and I think i might have to separate them for a bit. Please reply ASAP. Attached pic and video.

Edit: today, their stomach swelling has gone down. So i don't worry that it is dropsy anymore.

OK. There is no video cause of the size. So here are some more pics.

No clue what they are, but when someone who does know comes along they are gonna need your water parameters. Do you know your general hardness, pH, water temperature and tank size. You can find your general hardness and pH if you look up "Your City water Parameters". Your water looks super cloudy, did you just fill the tank up? Did you dechlorinate the water?

M.K.A said:

I have recently received some river/stream fish as a gift. Unfortunately, I never had pets before so I am still clueless on how to raise them. If anyone could help me identify this species, it would be a great favour. I suspected that they were danios but I'm still not sure. Someone told me that they were babies too... some of them have a single lateral black stripe and some don't. I suspect they could be pregnant too and I think i might have to separate them for a bit. Please reply ASAP. Attached pic and video.

Click to expand...

Try not to worry too much, we will get you sorted out ASAP! Welcome by the way
Edit: Spelling

Hello and welcome to the forum!

First off, you need to make sure it is legal for you to capture wild fish.

The fish in question is most likely a Semotilus Artomaculatus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semotilus_atromaculatus

This fish is common where I come from. I know it can get quite big, up to 12 inches long.

(At least the one in the first picture, the others kind of look like ringer chubs, which can also get big)

Umm, I live in a more rural area and we get out water supplied from the nearby river. I did age the water for a bit - a few hours, I think.. It became like this after a day. When I introduced them to the tank, they became hyperactive and explored the new place. They are especially fond of the bubble making filter and like to sit on it. It's been six days since I got them.

How big is the tank?

This sounds like a disaster waiting to happen...

These fish are wild, and they don’t belong in an aquarium, unless it is good sized. Also, getting water from the creek may seem good for them, but the water also may contain micro organisms that are harmful to fish.

It does seem like that. The tank is actually a bit small, about 30 ×18 cm with a height of 24 cm. They were caught by the stream near my more rural house. I was planning on returning them back to the stream when they became a little bit bigger and when I have the chance to go to the stream again (cuz of lockdown). I didn't know what to do with them for the time being (they were quite an unexpected gift) so we ended up getting a small tank and a sponge filter that was available nearby. For now they eat some tropical fish pellets Taiyo or something... all of them are at most an inch big. They do jump a lot too so I had to cover the top with aluminium foil as a makeshift remedy.

Also, some of them have developed a slightly bulging belly and it is making me very, very concerned. I do not know if they are developing some problem or if they are pregnant. I do not want to cause them harm but the materials I have are limited for the time being.

Wait, could it be that my fishes have developed dropsy?? Please tell me no.

I think that even with their small size, it would be best to return them to there natural environment asap. We don’t know how big they’ll get or if a few had previous internal health problems that could spread to and harm the other fish in such a small environment. For now, I would be doing waterchanges atleast twice a week, with stream water from where they came from if possible. I’m not sure what the lockdown restrictions are where you live, so if you can’t return them or use stream water I would monitor the water parameters as much as possible with a test kit and upgrade the tank, if you think you’ll be caring for them long term.

I doubt it’s dropsy- you should see scales sticking out if it is. It more sounds like overfeeding to me, I would try feeding them every other day to replicate their natural environment (assuming they aren’t able to eat as much in the wild as they are when fed by us).

I concur... returning them would be best. (For the reasons I stated above)

I do partial water changes every morning because sometimes my naughty little brother tries feeding them when I am not looking and it fouls up the water (he was the one that caught them with a net). I have done complete waterchanges only once in the past six days since I got them. Also, if these fishes are of the ame species as Phoenixkingz said above, then they still haven't developed any scales for it to stick out if by chance it was actually dropsy.

they will be returned. But I think I wouldn't be able to travel for about two weeks (I have a major exam coming up and I dunno if it will get postponed)(Also, it depends on whether my Father has work in that area). So please do tell me of some ways to keep them alive until then.

Some more pics of their bellies.