Albino Catfish Behaviour?

[trellis]

Hi

I set up a new freshwater aquarium for my son about a week ago and introduced the first fish to it yesterday - 6 neon tetras and one small albino catfish, as recommended by the shop. Yesterday I was concerned as the catfish was very lethargic, sitting on the bottom of the tank and just occasionally swimming to the surface for air. Today, however, it is swimming about frantically and I am not sure if this change is because it has settled in and is getting used to its new home or if the frantic activity is a sign of distress. I am aware that it can be risky introducing fish to a new tank with a brand new filter etc. The water is currently around 25.5 degrees C and the filter seems to be working fine. I have only fed the fish once today (didn't feed yesterday as they had been fed at the shop) and only gave the tiniest sprinkle of food which I had crushed up as the guy in the shop recommended. Do you think this behaviour is normal or is it likely the catfish is not happy for some reason? I would hate to come down in the morning to a dead fish, though I guess there's not a great deal I can do to prevent it now if there is something wrong with the water quality or something? The tetras all seem perfectly content - as far as I can tell, swimming around in a shoal in the bottom third of the tank.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi trellis

Welcome to the forum!

I don't know why I found your thread invisible and in the Corydoras section. Aside from the fact that one lone cory sad because it's a schooling fish, you need help cycling the tank. This is critical if your fish are to survive.

I'll move your thread to the Your New Freshwater Tank section where the members will help you get through the process. My posting will move your thread up to the top of the list.

Good luck with your new tank.

 

[arobinson1984]

Hi,

As inchworm mentioned you need to read up on the topic of cycling, you can read cycling guides by clicking on the links in my signature, you are currently in a fishin cycle which can be very hard work, the easiest option would be to return the fish and perform as fishless cycle as this would prevent any harm to the fish / and any upset to your son should any of the fish die during the cycle.

Albino corydoras are notoriously active, more than most other corys so the frantic swimming about is normal, although these fish need to be kept in groups of minimums of 6 as they live in large shoals of 100/1000's in the wild.

DO NOT add anymore though until the cycle has fully completed otherwise you will be making the situation worse.


Andy

 

[waterdrop]

Yes, Hi trellis and welcome to the beginners section of TFF!

Andy is one of our best advisors and you've received some good comments up there! He's really good with stocking so I'm sure he'll check back in after you've got your tank all cycled and ready for more fish.

As said, you've missed a major topic of new aquarium startup. This is quite common and we deal with dozens of people in the same situation each month. Unfortunately, the hobbyist and typical tropical fish retail have gone down their separate paths over the years. As the world has grown faster and more impatient, the retailers have had to follow along and the slow puttering hobby of tank keeping has not been a thing their sales pitches could handle and still get sales. Meanwhile, the hobbyist side of things has continued the tradition of understanding this calm hobby and have added a few interesting bits of practical science along the way. And the topic at the center of all this is the "cycling" that Andy mentions.

The problem is the filter. When you buy one from the retailer, its really just a bunch of hardware and it needs to have a hobbyist that has learned about cycling be able to understand some things about it. It has three functions: mechanical filtration (catching debris,) chemical filtration (an optional thing we don't need at the moment,) and finally, "biological filtration," one of core bits of magic in the hobby and a crucial one for beginners. Our three articles in the Beginners Resource Center: The Nitrogen Cycle, The Fish-IN Cycle (the one you'll actually use for your actions,) and The Fishless Cycle (another one to add more perspective to your learning.)

You are unexpectedly in a Fish-In Cycling situation and are going to need to change lots of water (unless you can work out the return or temporary return (they will try like crazy to talk you out of it of course) of these first fish you have.) A water change (and they are probably urgent for you) must be done with good technique: A gravel cleaning siphon should be used to deep clean the gravel as the water is siphoned out (this helps greatly with a couple of the poisons you are removing.) Prior to getting a good test kit, you should change the maximum amount (85%, 75%?) that you can such that the fish are still barely submerged. The return water (tap water) should be treated with your conditioner (to remove chlorine and chloromines) at 1.5x to 2x the amount the instructions say. If you don't have conditioner, Seachem Prime is very concentrated (thus costs less) and is very good for beginning tanks. You must also roughly temperature match (your hand is good enough for this) the return water.

Second to the urgency of the first water changes is obtaining a good liquid-reagent based test kit. Most of us like and use the API Freshwater Master Test Kit, which has tests for ammonia, nitrite(NO2), pH and nitrate(NO3) in it. The test kit will save you from too many water changes and will help you determine your progress and when you've accomplished the goal of cycling.

Speaking of that goal: You have to be a bit of a detective and use your tests to figure out the percentage and frequency of water changes which will keep your water always at or below 0.25ppm ammonia or nitrite (same max number for either one, makes it simple) before you can be home again to test and potentially do another water change. With attention you can figure out as reasonable a pattern as accomplishes the need your fish have.

WHY? Why are the water changes needed? The reason is that you are having to be a "manual" biofilter for your fish until the two needed species of beneficial bacteria can grow in the biomedia portion of your filter. This takes typically one to two months. Nowadays we mostly do this with a fishless cycle but when necessary, a fish-in cycle can accomplish the same thing, its just a lot more work and more risk to your fish!

When fish move water through their gills, they give off ammonia. Fish waste, excess fish food and plant debris all break down into still more ammonia. In nature this ammonia is quickly diluted by millions of gallons of fresh water. In our tiny tanks it builds up quickly. Ammonia, even in tiny concentrations, causes permanent gill damage leading to shortened lives or death. The first species of bacteria we grow can "eat" this ammonia and turn it in to nitrite(NO2).

Nitrite(NO2), even in tiny amounts, causes suffocation and rapid permanent damage to nerves and the brain. The second species of beneficial bacteria we grow can "eat" this nitrite(NO2) and turn it in to nitrate(NO3). Nitrate(NO3) is not nearly as deadly a problem and can be kept at a reasonable concentration in our tanks by weekly water changes.

Once we have grown two fully funtioning and robust colonies of the two types of beneficial bacteria in our filters, we say the filters are "cycled" (they are now carrying out the "Nitrogen Cycle" of environmental science) and we can retire our emergency maintenance and begin normal tank maintenance.

Hope my paragraphs will give you some more material to look back at as you are learning this new skill. It often feels a bit complicated to newcomers, but don't worry, we've all learned it and its easy! Its the key to great water and tropical fish are all about keeping great water!

~~waterdrop~~

 

[OldMan47]

I may have done that Inchy. I was moving lots of stuff out of the species index and lost track of where I was. Anything I moved from that section would automatically be hidden from the general membership until one of us approves it.

 

[trellis]

Hi

Thanks for all the advice. I have only just found my thread again as it had been moved!

As I hadn't read this, I did as I was advised by the shop, which as a 25% water change yesterday. I haven't yet tested the water as I don't have a kit and had been told to take it to the shop to test it a couple of days after the water change. I intend to do this tomorrow and could pick up a self-testing kit then. I don't think I can return the fish to the shop - they are really my son's and he wouldn't be happy about it - plus I doubt the shop would take them back!

The neon tetras still seem to be quite happy - as far as I can tell, but I am concerned about the cory/catfish (which is it?) because he is now very sedentry again. I keep checking he is still alive and he seems to keep on going but I'm not sure he's happy. Is it worse to keep him on his own until I get the water and filtration sorted or would it be kinder to get him a companion even if there is a risk to the fish? I really don't know if it's the water that's the problem or that he is on his own, or maybe both?

I will wait until I have the test results tomorrow I think and then maybe do another big water change. I need to buy a gravel cleaning tool as well because I wa stold this only needed doing about once per month so didn't buy one at the start! This fish keeping business seems far more complicated than I imagined. I will come back tomorrow when I know more about my water quality and perhaps you can all advise me what to do for the best?

I hope I can hang onto these fish, but if not I guess I'll have to put it down to experience and try again following your advice!

UPDATE!!! I decided not to wait as I was really worried about the poor little cory, so I have done a 50% water change. I will go and buy myself a test kit tomorrow, rather than trusting the shop, and will try to get it stabilised then maybe consider getting him some friends. How long should I wait, once it is stabilised, before introducing any more fish - is it the full 2 months?

 

[waterdrop]

Its not complicated. Don't worry, you're going to get it! You've done the right thing to finally meet the urge and do another water change (your subconscious mind is beginning to think we're right and eventually you'll know we are, lol!)

A gravel-cleaning siphon, a good API freshwater master test kit, a bottle of Prime, a big clean bucket and plenty of tap water! The members will have you using these tools properly in no time!

A fish-in cycle generally takes about a month and you are already part of the way in to it.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[trellis]

Its not complicated. Don't worry, you're going to get it! You've done the right thing to finally meet the urge and do another water change (your subconscious mind is beginning to think we're right and eventually you'll know we are, lol!)

A gravel-cleaning siphon, a good API freshwater master test kit, a bottle of Prime, a big clean bucket and plenty of tap water! The members will have you using these tools properly in no time!

A fish-in cycle generally takes about a month and you are already part of the way in to it.

~~waterdrop~~

I have reserved an API kit and a battery powered gravel cleaner at Pets at Home to collect tomorrow (think we may have to live on beans on toast this month after that - still need to buy the cats their monthly food supply too - argh!) What is Prime? I have some tapsafe - is that the same thing?

 

[OldMan47]

I must admit a prejudice here but a battery powered gravel cleaner is not what you need. A simple siphon type gravel cleaner does two things that are useful. First is that it removes water for your water change and in the process it will also work to clean the gravel better than any battery powered device.

 

[trellis]

They are loads cheaper too! I shall get one of them then.

 

[waterdrop]

Agree, the battery ones are not the tool you want. Prime is a very concentrated conditioner, your tapsafe will be fine but if it gets used up you could look for some Prime to replace it as it will be cheaper in the long run.

WD

 

[hillmar77]

I'm pretty new to the hobby too, but the first thing I found to be a pretty good overall agreement in alot of tropical fish sites is the value dollars in Prime and also the benefits of Prime for fish in cycle. Especially when you are doing your daily water changes therefore prime is always present in the water.
Here is a brief description from the site:
rime® also contains a binder which renders ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate non-toxic. It is very important to understand how those two functions work together. All dechlorinators operate through a chemical process known as reduction. In this process, toxic dissolved chlorine gas (Cl2) is converted into non-toxic chloride ions (Cl-). The reduction process also breaks the bonds between chlorine and nitrogen atoms in the chloramine molecule (NH2Cl), freeing the chlorine atoms and replacing them with hydrogen (H) to create ammonia (NH3).

Typically, dechlorinators stop there, leaving an aquarium full of toxic ammonia! Seachem takes the necessary next step by including an ammonia binder to detoxify the ammonia produced in the reduction process.
http/www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/Prime.html

 

[OldMan47]

Almost all of the brand name dechlorinators provide detoxification of ammonia since it is freed by breaking bonds in chloramine. The real differences are often little more than extra added ingredients like aloe vera or similar things that have little place in a fish tank. The other main difference is concentration.

 

[BethK]

If you don't mind spending the money, can I suggest 'stress coat'. I think it's a fab product