GloFish not very active

[briangorke]

Hi there-

I am relatively new to the hobby and have had my ten gallon tank for about 6 months now. I have had many different species of fish in my tank, but have given them away to friends, a few die off etc. As of the past 3 months, I have 4 GloFish in my tank. At first, when I put them in the tank, they were very active, but all of the sudden, they have stopped moving much, and only swim around every once and a while. I do my bi-weekly water changes and have my water tested in the off weeks at my local fish store. I am not overly worried, as all they do is like float there and move their fins, but I would really enjoy a more active aquarium, while I wait for the winer to subside, and I can add more fish (yes, I live in an area where we have to crank the heat, so it is extremely difficult to regulate temperature).

Can anyone give me advice on how to possibly make them more active?

Thank!

Brian

 

[FroFro]

Hi there-

I am relatively new to the hobby and have had my ten gallon tank for about 6 months now. I have had many different species of fish in my tank, but have given them away to friends, a few die off etc. As of the past 3 months, I have 4 GloFish in my tank. At first, when I put them in the tank, they were very active, but all of the sudden, they have stopped moving much, and only swim around every once and a while. I do my bi-weekly water changes and have my water tested in the off weeks at my local fish store. I am not overly worried, as all they do is like float there and move their fins, but I would really enjoy a more active aquarium, while I wait for the winer to subside, and I can add more fish (yes, I live in an area where we have to crank the heat, so it is extremely difficult to regulate temperature).

Can anyone give me advice on how to possibly make them more active?

Thank!

Brian

I don't see how its difficult to regulate temperature of you have an automatic heater, which you should if you keep tropical fish. The heater will only turn on when it senses a change in the water and then heat the water to its setting, then turn off again. I lived in Ohio before I moved a few months back and had fish in my bedroom with three large windows in an old house. An aquarium heater kept them nice and toasty at 78 degrees Fahrenheit. You can find one at your local pet store, even walmart sells them in the pet aisle.

And as for your fish being inactive, this could be due to many things. Let's get a bit of info on your tank.

What size is your tank and is it properly filtered?

What are your water parameters, Ammonia, Nitrate, Nitrite, Ph, and alkalinity?

"Glofish" does not tell us what KIND of fish they are, only that they were modified to glow under ultraviolet light. Are they tetras? Danios? Barbs?

Since you don't have an aquarium heater I can almost guarantee that the lethargy is caused by cold water. When tropical fish are cold they become lethargic and disinterested because it's harder on them to swim and be active in a cold environment. Please get a heater ASAP. Even a cheap one is better than nothing. Depending on the size of your tank, they aren't even that expensive.

 

[briangorke]

I don't see how its difficult to regulate temperature of you have an automatic heater, which you should if you keep tropical fish. The heater will only turn on when it senses a change in the water and then heat the water to its setting, then turn off again. I lived in Ohio before I moved a few months back and had fish in my bedroom with three large windows in an old house. An aquarium heater kept them nice and toasty at 78 degrees Fahrenheit. You can find one at your local pet store, even walmart sells them in the pet aisle.

And as for your fish being inactive, this could be due to many things. Let's get a bit of info on your tank.

What size is your tank and is it properly filtered?

What are your water parameters, Ammonia, Nitrate, Nitrite, Ph, and alkalinity?

"Glofish" does not tell us what KIND of fish they are, only that they were modified to glow under ultraviolet light. Are they tetras? Danios? Barbs?

Since you don't have an aquarium heater I can almost guarantee that the lethargy is caused by cold water. When tropical fish are cold they become lethargic and disinterested because it's harder on them to swim and be active in a cold environment. Please get a heater ASAP. Even a cheap one is better than nothing. Depending on the size of your tank, they aren't even that expensive.

Hi-

I do have an aquarium heater, and it is set to 78 degrees, but for some reason my tank is almost always at like 82-84 degrees in the winter when the heat is on in my house. I almost never have a problem with the temperature of the water in the summer, only in the winter. I currently have a fan on y tank cooling it down to 82, because if i do not, it has risen to higher temps than 84.

- Yes my tank is properly filtered. I have the Fulval 30, as it is a 10 gallon tank. I do biweekly water changes and have my local fish store test the water every off week to ensure that it is balanced. I do not have any of the numbers, as they do it, but as of Tuesday, everything was at normal levels.

- The GloFish are Tetras.

- Should I possibly invest in a chiller to get the temp down?

Thanks.

 

[StevenF]

I almost never have a problem with the temperature of the water in the summer, only in the winter. I currently have a fan on y tank cooling it down to 82, because if i do not, it has risen to higher temps than 84.

Sounds like your heater is bad. If the temperature regulator in it was working correctly it should go to the set point (78F) and stay there. It should not go over the set point. You should never need a chiller in the winter to cool an aquarium unless your room heater is set to 85F or higher. However there is the possibility the heat is not coming from the filter. Try turning off your aquarium lamp. Does the tank cool off to the set point? Put your hand on the filter pump does it fill hot? Normally the lamp and filter pump don't add enough heat to cause any issues. but check them to be sure.