Once Healthy Glofish Now Getting Very Skinny

[Gvilleguy]

I've been very busy the past few weeks with Thanksgiving and Christmas stuff, and did not realize one of my Glofish was getting very skinny over the past month or so. This fish is about 8-10 months old, I would estimate. Here is a picture from about 2 months ago with his normal torpedo shape size:

And here are pictures from this morning:

Appetite, coloring, and swimming activity all still seem normal. The fish is chasing the other Zebras and Glofish. But is starting to look like a skeleton.

Suggestions? I have a hospital tank cycled and available. Just not sure what type of treatment to provide.

 

[KittyKat]

Has it, by any chance, grown in length but not in width? I ask as his belly is not sunken.. also, are you sure it is the same fish?

Post all water parameters and set-up information, please.

 

[BusyMumof5]

Has it, by any chance, grown in length but not in width? I ask as his belly is not sunken.. also, are you sure it is the same fish?

Post all water parameters and set-up information, please.

They help a lot!

 

[Gvilleguy]

Yes, it is the same fish - that is the only yellow Glofish we had since I took the "before" picture. This fish has always been the smallest fish out of our Danios and Glo's - but his belly has certainly gotten skinnier.

Anyway, the tank is 26 gallons and has had fish since June 29th of this year. Water stats are:

Temp = 78F
Ammonia = 0
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate = 10.00
pH = 6.00 (has always been that low)
KH and GH = 0

I suppose I could monitor and see if any other behavior crops up - like not eating, discoloring, etc. All other Danios appear normal, along with the four Bolivian Rams.

 

[KittyKat]

How much and what are you feeding?

 

[Gvilleguy]

How much and what are you feeding?

As much flake food as they can eat in 2 minutes per day, and frozen blood worms 1 day per week. The Bolivians get sinking mini-cichlid pellets once per day, and the Danios eat some of those, too, in addition to the flakes. I usually skip feeding altogether one day per week.

 

[KittyKat]

He could simply be an unhealthy fish. The worst case I can think of is that he has worms, but that is quite unlikely as the other fish would have been the same by now.

 

[shz317467218]

can i ask a question ...what is the glofish,i am a chinses ,and i am not good at english .thank you

 

[KittyKat]

can i ask a question ...what is the glofish,i am a chinses ,and i am not good at english .thank you

A glofish is a genetically modified zebra danio (Danio rerio). I am not sure what exactly those links say, but they are probably a good starting point. Please note that attitudes are very different in different parts of the world to the keeping of animals, so do not be offended if some people here seem abrasive.

 

[Gvilleguy]

Well, I continue to scratch my head over what is going on in my tank. The smaller fish are succumbing to something. The yellow fish died a few days after I started the thread, and for three weeks following, I have lost two other Glofish. They all looked skinny at the end, even though I did not notice a lack of appetite on their part. No loss of color, no loss of scales, no lesions.

The larger Zebras, one remaining large Glofish, and four Bolivian Rams appear healthy and not getting skinnier yet. There is one Zebra that has always been small, so I am keeping a close eye on him to see. Today he is acting sluggish in the corner, so I'm concerned about him.

The tank water tests with pH = 6.0, ammonia zero, nitrite zero, and nitrates 10.00. Would the loss of weight on the part of several fish indicate possible parasite infection?

 

[WILDER]

What does it look like when your fish go to the toilet.
Is there anus enlarged or red and inflamed.
Is the spine bending of any of the fish.
Any worms sticking out of the anus.
Do the fish swim on there sides.

If fish are not showing any other symtoms apart from being skinny, I would worm your fish internally.

Being skinny can mean old age, fish tb, internal parasites, bacterial infection, not feeding enough.

 

[Gvilleguy]

I never did see any "funny" colored stools or body problems on the fish that died other than one with a slightly curved spine. The 12 remaining fish are still okay.

I have started a treatment of food pellets for internal parasites. The medicine I bought said it treated a spectrum of internal worms/parasites. I'm hoping this will stabilize things moving forward. I will wait a month or two before attempting to add any new fish to replenish what we lost.