Ageing And Shrinking

[ratfink]

Hi All, quick question I need your help on please... I bought 3 fish from my lfs last week since then I have noticed a dramatic change in the gold guppy.

It's as if "he" has aged dramatically, and "he" has shrunk to almost half his size and appears a to be a darker colour, I am wondering if I have introduced an unfriendly bacteria to the tank, and how to treat it?

The tank is well established, I cycle 25% of the water weekly, there are 7 fish in the 30/40 litre tank.

Sorry for the lack of detail I'm new to the forum, let me know if you need anything specific.

Thanks.

 

[Colin_T]

Sounds like external parasite along the lines of costia or chilodonella. Gill flukes may also cause it to lose condition but do not normally make it go darker. However, the fish can go darker when they are stressed.

Is the fish scatching or rubbing on ojbects in the tank?
If yes then perhaps add a heaped tablespoon of rock/ pool or sea salt per 20litres of tank water. See how the fish goes over the next two weeks and if it is ok then start doing daily 10% water changes to diltue the salt out of the water.

***NB: Don't add salt if you have corydoras catfish, they don't like it.***

Bacterial infections usually kill guppies within a few days. Parasites generally take longer.

 

[ratfink]

Hi and thanks for the reply.

The guppy was "rubbing" against the bottom of the pump occasionally, so I have added the advised amount of rock salt, I will continue to monitor over the coming week(s) and start the 10% water change to dilute the salt content. Can anyone advise on a readily available ph testing kit of quality please? I have the test "paper" strips but I have now been told they aren't up to much.

Cheers

D

PS. we didnt have any Cory's

 

[Colin_T]

if there are no corydoras in the tank and the guppy gets worse over the next day you can increase the salt. Add another heaped tablespoon per 20 litres.

For PH testing I buy a bottle of Bromothymol Blue and use that. It is plain old PH indicator in liquid form and you add a couple of drops to a small phial of water. You then compare it to a PH colour chart. If the test goes blue it is alkaline, green is neutral and yellow is acid. The PH colour charts have more colours and you match it up to whatever it is.
A basic PH test kit should have a phial, Bromothymol Blue and a colour chart. There are heaps of different brands and you can spend heaps or only a bit. Sera does a good test kit but a bit expensive.

 

[rdd1952]

Test strips are indeed pretty useless. I would advise you to get a god liquid master test kit so you can test ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH. As far as the pH is concerned, the exct reading isn't really that important. Most fish will easily adapt to the pH of the tank as long as it is stable. A pH that is constantly swinging up and down as is the case when pH adjusters are use is what realy gives fish problems.

 

[ratfink]

Thanks for the info,

Can I just say that as of last night the guppy appeared a lot more active already! Still monitoring...