Hey fish-lovers - this is my first post to these forums...unfortunately, its because I need some serious help.
To make a long story short - after 10 years of being fishless, I bought a small 5 gallon tank/betta for my neice for Christmas. This, of course, made me want to get my own!
I found an old 10 gallon tank I had from my fish-caring days, and also purchased a new 10 gallon tank ( start small, I figured ).
I had never heard of fishless cycling prior to setting up the new tank ( figures - that'll teach me to research fully )...so I set up the tank, let the filter/heater run for about a week, and then went to the local fish store to snag me some cycle-fish.
2 Zebra Danios and a Betta ( I had never even heard of 'crown tail' bettas...and this is the first time I had seen one. I couldn't resist. )
I placed these guys into their new home and waited for the inevitable ammonia spike. I did very small feedings ( flake/freeze-dried bloodworms ) once per day. Everything seemed OK. Slowly the ammonia started to rise over the period of a few days. Then, around day 4 or 5, I noticed one of the Zebra D's was swimming on bottom constantly - whereas his buddy always stuck to the top. I wrote it off as 'exploration' and ignored it. The next day, I noticed the little guy was listing badly - he looked like he was in bad shape. I had set up my second 10 gallon a few days prior - just in case something like this happened - so I quickly moved the Danio into that tank to try and give him a little bit of time without the high ammonia levels( yes - both tanks are uncycled ).
I figured within a day or two I'd find him floating. Well...after 6 days of being in that tank, he is still surviving. The listing and upside-down-flail swimming seems to have subsided - but the fish won't eat ( or at least I have not seen him eat at all since he has been in that tank ). The Zebra D. that is in the other tank has a nice round belly and is a voracious eater ( despite the high-ammonia conditions currently going on in that tank )...the ill one looks to be starving. I have tried feeding him some flakes, freeze-dried bloodworms...and even went as far as grinding flakes into a fine powder, and injecting them close to him via eye-dropper. Some of the fine flake particles went into his mouth but shot right back out.
I've grown pretty fond of this little fish and his will to survive ( Danios ARE hardy! )...and I would hate to see him perish due to my mistakes.
What can I do to get this little fish to eat?? Any and all help is greatly appreciated!
FYI - Ammonia and Nitrite levels in the ill fishes tank are 0. I don't remember the PH off the top of my head. No other noticeable diseases/problems with the fish that I can discern.
To make a long story short - after 10 years of being fishless, I bought a small 5 gallon tank/betta for my neice for Christmas. This, of course, made me want to get my own!
I found an old 10 gallon tank I had from my fish-caring days, and also purchased a new 10 gallon tank ( start small, I figured ).
I had never heard of fishless cycling prior to setting up the new tank ( figures - that'll teach me to research fully )...so I set up the tank, let the filter/heater run for about a week, and then went to the local fish store to snag me some cycle-fish.
2 Zebra Danios and a Betta ( I had never even heard of 'crown tail' bettas...and this is the first time I had seen one. I couldn't resist. )
I placed these guys into their new home and waited for the inevitable ammonia spike. I did very small feedings ( flake/freeze-dried bloodworms ) once per day. Everything seemed OK. Slowly the ammonia started to rise over the period of a few days. Then, around day 4 or 5, I noticed one of the Zebra D's was swimming on bottom constantly - whereas his buddy always stuck to the top. I wrote it off as 'exploration' and ignored it. The next day, I noticed the little guy was listing badly - he looked like he was in bad shape. I had set up my second 10 gallon a few days prior - just in case something like this happened - so I quickly moved the Danio into that tank to try and give him a little bit of time without the high ammonia levels( yes - both tanks are uncycled ).
I figured within a day or two I'd find him floating. Well...after 6 days of being in that tank, he is still surviving. The listing and upside-down-flail swimming seems to have subsided - but the fish won't eat ( or at least I have not seen him eat at all since he has been in that tank ). The Zebra D. that is in the other tank has a nice round belly and is a voracious eater ( despite the high-ammonia conditions currently going on in that tank )...the ill one looks to be starving. I have tried feeding him some flakes, freeze-dried bloodworms...and even went as far as grinding flakes into a fine powder, and injecting them close to him via eye-dropper. Some of the fine flake particles went into his mouth but shot right back out.
I've grown pretty fond of this little fish and his will to survive ( Danios ARE hardy! )...and I would hate to see him perish due to my mistakes.
What can I do to get this little fish to eat?? Any and all help is greatly appreciated!
FYI - Ammonia and Nitrite levels in the ill fishes tank are 0. I don't remember the PH off the top of my head. No other noticeable diseases/problems with the fish that I can discern.
