Fish

[Lamie]

Can I put a sick fish in a bucket of water?

 

[Colin_T]

Depends on what is wrong with it. If it has a disease, then you need to identify the problem and treat it. If a fish has a disease, then the disease is in the main tank and that should be treated.

If a fish has been attacked and needs to be isolated, then put it in a spare tank, plastic storage container or bucket. Use water from its tank to fill the bucket. Have an airstone bubbling away gently. Keep the temperature stable. Don't feed the fish very much. Change the water every day, refill the container with water from the main tank.

 

[Lamie]

Depends on what is wrong with it. If it has a disease, then you need to identify the problem and treat it. If a fish has a disease, then the disease is in the main tank and that should be treated.

If a fish has been attacked and needs to be isolated, then put it in a spare tank, plastic storage container or bucket. Use water from its tank to fill the bucket. Have an airstone bubbling away gently. Keep the temperature stable. Don't feed the fish very much. Change the water every day, refill the container with water from the main tank.

Thanks, I should really get a oxygen stone/airstone for the purposes of looking after the sick fish. I can do 2mpro. I have turned off the lights and the filter. Probably adding salt, not a good idea.

 

[GaryE]

Turning off the filter kills the filter, and maybe the fish.

The bucket has to be one that has never had cleansers or detergents in it. The temperature has to be right for the fish. What's the health problem?

 

[Lamie]

Turning off the filter kills the filter, and maybe the fish.

The bucket has to be one that has never had cleansers or detergents in it. The temperature has to be right for the fish. What's the health problem?

I'm not sure what the problem is.
I have just done a 70% water change
The fish is in a jar with some old tank water
I'm not sure whether to put it back in the main tank

 

[Lamie]

It's kind of opening and closing it's mouth. I don't know if it's going to go back to normal??

 

[Fishmanic]

post the levels of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate...is the tank cycled?

 

[Lamie]

post the levels of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate...is the tank cycled?

Ammonia is 0 (I think) Im using the freshwater master kit and the 0 and 0.25 readings are so close
Nitrite is 0
Nitrate is 0 (looks ok)
Yes, its cycled
All the levels look ok.
Thanks

 

[GaryE]

If you don't give out information, it's hard to give any back. What species of fish? Any other symptoms? How long have you had it? What's the set up?

Guesses won't help you, and it's all we can do. Give us something to work with.

 

[Lamie]

If you don't give out information, it's hard to give any back. What species of fish? Any other symptoms? How long have you had it? What's the set up?

Guesses won't help you, and it's all we can do. Give us something to work with.

There are 9 black phantom tetras in a 70litre juwel tank 5 males and 4 females. One of the males is not well. All the other fish are fine. The sick fish is lethargic, gaping mouth open and closed, resting facing head down tail up, little movement of fins, maybe changed color a little paler. I have not been doing water changes every week but levels are ok. I feed every 2nd day. I have had the tank setup for fish for 2 years. There are some plants. I've had these tetras for 6 months (not quite sure exactly when)

Temperature is 26°c

 

[GaryE]

Step one when I see something like this with tetras is to up my water change routine. Gasping with one fish is possibly just old age, and you have to see if it spreads. Gill parasites would, so you'll have to watch closely. There is so much more to water than the little test kits tell us, and water changes on a 7 to 10 day basis solve a lot of issues a test kit is blind to.

The reason the species matters is that a standard livebearer will do what you describe if the water is too soft. A tetra will do it for different reasons, and so on.

Treatment? There are several possibilities for the problem, and firing meds at them won't do much. It makes us feel better but probably doesn't help the fish. If the fish doesn't respond to a few water changes, there is not much hope.

 

[emeraldking]

Just a direct reply on your question:

Can I put a sick fish in a bucket of water?

Yes, you can...

All the rest has already been mentioned by others. Hope the fish survives...

 

[Lamie]

Step one when I see something like this with tetras is to up my water change routine. Gasping with one fish is possibly just old age, and you have to see if it spreads. Gill parasites would, so you'll have to watch closely. There is so much more to water than the little test kits tell us, and water changes on a 7 to 10 day basis solve a lot of issues a test kit is blind to.

The reason the species matters is that a standard livebearer will do what you describe if the water is too soft. A tetra will do it for different reasons, and so on.

Treatment? There are several possibilities for the problem, and firing meds at them won't do much. It makes us feel better but probably doesn't help the fish. If the fish doesn't respond to a few water changes, there is not much hope.

I've been doing regular water changes for the last 3 weeks.

 

[GaryE]

Water changes re preventative and give the fish a better chance, but three weeks after how long? It may be the old shutting the barn door after the horses are gone.

 

[Lamie]

I was leaving it over 14 days but within a least month. I was still changing the water just not as regularly. Ive put salt in the water now and so my motivation is to get the salt out. The remaining fish are ok at the mo. I have 4 males and 4 females black phantom tetras