How To Tell A Sick Fish?

[Pidgecbr600rr]

One of my fish has been sitting on the bottom under a rock for the last 3 days without eating, what could have happened to it? it looks healthy, the only similar thing i have had is when one of the other fish got stuck in the rock and i had to break it out, that stayed in a similar way for several days but is fine now

All the other fish are lively and seem fine, my tank seems to have cycled now as the nitrites have dropped to 0, and nitrates are just slight (hope i got that right way round)

So i just cant figure out what is wrong, any ideas what i should do? or do fish go through stages like this?

Also my plants are developing stalks that are reaching towards the gravel, look kinda like vines i guess, what are these and why are they growing like that, and are the 2 linked in someway?


Thanks

Paul R

 

[WILDER]

Did you use the fish to cycle the tank, as it takes it's toll on them and there immune system shuts down causing desease, has the fish slightly darkened in colour, what does it look like when the fish goes to the toilet.

 

[Pidgecbr600rr]

Yeh i cycled the tank with the fish in, they seemed so good though, and all the others seem happy, i added the first 3 platy 3 days after setting tank up, and then added the other 3 after a week and all seemed to be perfectly fine, the only one i ever worried wouldnt make it was the one that got stuck in the rock, but that one is fine and healing well

It doesnt seem any darker, but considering it hasnt come from under the rock yet its hard to tell, it almost like its trying to hide from me??

All the fish poo seems to vary sometimes clear sometimes brown, sometimes mixed, what would be considered bad? it all comes out long tho, sometimes upto 1.5 inch is that ok?

Thanks

Paul

 

[WILDER]

See a cycle shortens a fish life as it takes alot out of the fish, try some shelled peas and check the body to see if he has darkened or gone paler, plus check for fungus and bloating.