My fish looks dead:(

[Fishy_Fish74]

My favorite fish amber,a platy is rolling around my tank on her side and sometimes on her back! Will she die? She tries to turn around but she can't so she ends up twurling...But she is not that fat!

 

[Fishy_Fish74]

Please!!! I need help!!!!! Please give me some ideas!!!

 

[Mogo]

Have you tested your water? Please post your results, this would help greatly.

 

[Kissifish]

Have you recently vacuumed your tank? AND REALLY STIRRED UP THE CRUD? Sometimes when tanks get overly dirty and we do this it releases H2S into the water. Try increasing the O2 by adding more bubbles.

Also, really watch the NH3, NH4 levels.

 

[Fishy_Fish74]

No I have not tested my water yet...My fish is still alive but is in a net... Hope she doesent die..We were planning on testing the water this weekrnd! (bad plan)

 

[Thomas A. Anderson]

maybe it has swim bladder disease

 

[Kissifish]

Exactly. Read my above post.

 

[Fishy_Fish74]

Can I cure it??? I have only had her for a week...!

 

[Kissifish]

Try. Check your water parameters and maybe someone can give you more info. I would put in a clean filter and let the water settle down. If the ammonia levels are still high, siphon of some (25%) of the water, but don't stir up the gravel.

 

[lordmoose]

Try. Check your water parameters and maybe someone can give you more info. I would put in a clean filter and let the water settle down. If the ammonia levels are still high, siphon of some (25%) of the water, but don't stir up the gravel.

Well sorry but this is BS. If you put in new filter medium you will lose vital nitrifying bacteria. Stirring up the gravel to remove debris will help stop nitrate levels from rising, altho it's better to use a gravel cleaner rather than stirring it up and letting the filter remove it.

 

[Kissifish]

In changing the filter, I meant that it may be overloaded and not removing chemicals anymore, therefore........lordmoose, not removing NH3 and H2S. This is if you have a carbon filter, not just filter floss. And.........if you don't stir up the gravel this time........you're not messing with the good bacteria in the gravel. The idea is to get the tank back in balance first. Hence the reason you never change a carbon filter at the same time you vacuum the gravel. Sorry, you don't agree, but have you ever had this happen? I have. 8)

 

[Alien Anna]

In changing the filter, I meant that it may be overloaded and not removing chemicals anymore, therefore........lordmoose, not removing NH3 and H2S. This is if you have a carbon filter, not just filter floss. And.........if you don't stir up the gravel this time........you're not messing with the good bacteria in the gravel. The idea is to get the tank back in balance first. Hence the reason you never change a carbon filter at the same time you vacuum the gravel. Sorry, you don't agree, but have you ever had this happen? I have. 8)

Kissifish - filters don't physically remove the "chemicals" (by which I assume you mean ammonia and nitrite), they remove particulates and they also house nitrifying bacteria that convert ammonia to nitrite and nitrite to nitrate. A filter can be completely icky and still do that - it might not remove particulates very effectively, but the bacteria will continue doing their stuff.

I recently had a practical demonstration of this fact - one of my filters got totally blocked with decaying plant material when I was away. It had stopped mechanically filtering anything, rather like a vacuum cleaner with an over-full bag, but my water had no ammonia or nitrite in it.

Of course, some of the bacteria were probably in the gravel but even a bunged-up filter houses a significant amount.

Carbon, as has been oft repeated on this group, may have some effect in removing ammonia for the first couple of days. However, after this it becomes denatured and simply acts as a substrate for the nitrifying bacteria. Carbon has no effect whatsoever on nitrite levels.

I don't use carbon much, except occasionally when using meds that I want to remove from the water. IMHO, many fishkeepers keep their tanks altogether too clean - they should have a closer resemblance to a compost heap than the surgical operating rooms many fishkeepers seem to believe they should!

 

[Kissifish]

Must be why many don't use it. I do though, and keep it recharged. An old habit from when I kept plecs and goldfish. Maybe the the reason it made a difference in chemical levels. But, I think the point we all have made is keeping a check on your on individual tank's water parameters. In that I think we can all agree.