Fish not eating/low energy after moving tank (please help)

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Thank you so much! I'll definitely look into that, unfortunately I've just found out that I'll be away from home for the next 6 days, and will have the house tended to by pet/house sitters. Is changing the ground an urgent matter? I am concerned still about the way he's sitting on an odd angle, it's all so much to worry about! Thank you so much, though, for all your help. I'm going to tell the petsitters to feed him in maybe 2-3 days? Just with some bloodworms and algae pellets.

Changing the substrate = not super urgent, no. But him being unused to this brand new and alien-bright white substrate helps explain why he's so withdrawn, and you know now that most fish don't like a bright substrate, especially bottom dwellers. Think of how well they would show up against a light substrate like that to predators, and you'll have a better understanding why it can be stressful for them So when you can, putting a layer of darker substrate on top or replacing it with a dark substrate will make him more comfortable.

Are you able to get any more photos of the way he's sitting?

As for others feeding him while you're away - my concern would be that if he doesn't eat it, it will rot away, and could cause an ammonia spike... without you there to either remove the uneaten food, or check the water parameters and change them if needed.

In your position, I would probably keep the lighting really dim, then try him with a little bit of food. Check after an hour or so whether he's eaten it and if he hasn't, remove the uneaten food.

If the petsitter tries to feed him while you're away, tell them to put onto a very small amount of food in, and if it's still there 6-12 hours later, to remove it with a turkey baster.

When you set up the new tank, did you move his existing filter onto the new tank?

 

[triivk]

Changing the substrate = not super urgent, no. But him being unused to this brand new and alien-bright white substrate helps explain why he's so withdrawn, and you know now that most fish don't like a bright substrate, especially bottom dwellers. Think of how well they would show up against a light substrate like that to predators, and you'll have a better understanding why it can be stressful for them So when you can, putting a layer of darker substrate on top or replacing it with a dark substrate will make him more comfortable.

Are you able to get any more photos of the way he's sitting?

As for others feeding him while you're away - my concern would be that if he doesn't eat it, it will rot away, and could cause an ammonia spike... without you there to either remove the uneaten food, or check the water parameters and change them if needed.

In your position, I would probably keep the lighting really dim, then try him with a little bit of food. Check after an hour or so whether he's eaten it and if he hasn't, remove the uneaten food.

If the petsitter tries to feed him while you're away, tell them to put onto a very small amount of food in, and if it's still there 6-12 hours later, to remove it with a turkey baster.

When you set up the new tank, did you move his existing filter onto the new tank?

Thank you again for the advice! I’ll definitely try to pass that on, I don’t have a turkey baster so perhaps tongs would work? For the new tank, it came with a filter in which I rinsed thoroughly. My old tank had a problem with black algae.

These images are of how he’s been sitting.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Thank you again for the advice! I’ll definitely try to pass that on, I don’t have a turkey baster so perhaps tongs would work? For the new tank, it came with a filter in which I rinsed thoroughly. My old tank had a problem with black algae.

These images are of how he’s been sitting.

Aahhh, that's my concern... Was it a second hand tank with a cycled filter?

If it was cycled (as in, used on an established tank and still wet/recently used) and you cleaned the filter in tapwater, without declorinating it, the chlorine in tap water would kill most of the nitrifying bacteria, crashing your cycle.

What happened to the filter on his old tank?

Do you know what I mean by cycling?
Really concerned about this fish now, have you checked the ammonia/nitrites recently?
@Naughts @madmark285 or @Essjay , perhaps one of you can help, please? I have a lot to do this afternoon, and now thinking this fish might be in an uncycled, new tank, while the owner is away...

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Please tell the petsitter not to feed him. He'll be fine for another six days without food, I promise.

Since you didn't move the filter, filter media or substrate from the old tank (sounds as though nothing from the old tank went into the new one?) this is a brand new, uncycled tank, without the colonies of bacteria necessary to process fish food and fish waste into harmless nitrates.

Food in = ammonia out, whether he eats it or not, and ammonia is toxic to fish. You're going to have to do a fish-in cycle now, and you're not there to do the necessary water changes to dilute ammonia and nitrites while the necessary nitrifying bacteria begin to grow...

He's really at risk, this is urgent! Please don't wait for hours or until tomorrow, he's now been in an uncycled tank for what, three days? Ammonia levels are probably high as we speak, and if it gets too high, it will kill him. Can the petsitter handle a water change? Using declorinator and temperature matching the new water to the tank temperature before adding it to the tank?

 

[triivk]

Aahhh, that's my concern... Was it a second hand tank with a cycled filter?

If it was cycled (as in, used on an established tank and still wet/recently used) and you cleaned the filter in tapwater, without declorinating it, the chlorine in tap water would kill most of the nitrifying bacteria, crashing your cycle.

What happened to the filter on his old tank?

Do you know what I mean by cycling?
Really concerned about this fish now, have you checked the ammonia/nitrites recently?
@Naughts @madmark285 or @Essjay , perhaps one of you can help, please? I have a lot to do this afternoon, and now thinking this fish might be in an uncycled, new tank, while the owner is away...

Hi sorry for not replying! I don't entirely understand what you mean by cycling, and the whole tank was entirely new. When I rinsed everything, I used water I had put in a bucket with this 'dechlorination treatment' for fishtanks. I've tested for ammonia levels quite frequently, every time it comes back 0ppm. What other tests should I buy? He's eating a little I think but still not moving a lot? I've covered sides of the tank that see a bit of traffic from my cats (the cats never bother him). He moves around a little, but not a ton, I'm going to be adding new darker gravel soon, as well. I am trying to do everything I can - his old tank conditions were absolutely awful. High ammonia, too much algae, rarely cleaned and when my mum added new water she wouldn't treat it. I want him to be okay but it's so overwhelming!

 

[triivk]

Please tell the petsitter not to feed him. He'll be fine for another six days without food, I promise.

Since you didn't move the filter, filter media or substrate from the old tank (sounds as though nothing from the old tank went into the new one?) this is a brand new, uncycled tank, without the colonies of bacteria necessary to process fish food and fish waste into harmless nitrates.

Food in = ammonia out, whether he eats it or not, and ammonia is toxic to fish. You're going to have to do a fish-in cycle now, and you're not there to do the necessary water changes to dilute ammonia and nitrites while the necessary nitrifying bacteria begin to grow...

He's really at risk, this is urgent! Please don't wait for hours or until tomorrow, he's now been in an uncycled tank for what, three days? Ammonia levels are probably high as we speak, and if it gets too high, it will kill him. Can the petsitter handle a water change? Using declorinator and temperature matching the new water to the tank temperature before adding it to the tank?

The ammonia levels are really low, from all the tests I've done! I can check again for you now.

It's definitely gone up while I was away, it's at I think 0.25 borderline 0.50ppm, how do I fix it?

 

[Naughts]

The ammonia levels are really low, from all the tests I've done! I can check again for you now.

It's definitely gone up while I was away, it's at I think 0.25 borderline 0.50ppm, how do I fix it?

75% water change. Make sure to add dechlorinator and match the temperature.

 

[triivk]

75% water change. Make sure to add dechlorinator and match the temperature.

Thank you! I’ll do a water change, and I added some ammonia neutraliser stuff.