Swollen belly in just (approximately) 7-8 hours!!!!
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Thank you so much. For now, I changed the water
The fish died just now, so I removed it. There are just 6 fishes left now. I will study the procedure and then perform it. After that, I will get more friends (the same ones) for these fishes.
Also, I heard that I should get a catfish because it "eats" all the fungus in the tank and keeps it clean. What do u say?
I will surely get the test kit.
The fish died just now, so I removed it. There are just 6 fishes left now. I will study the procedure and then perform it. After that, I will get more friends (the same ones) for these fishes.
Also, I heard that I should get a catfish because it "eats" all the fungus in the tank and keeps it clean. What do u say?
ThatFishGirl6231
Fish Crazy
oh boy.
ThatFishGirl6231
Fish Crazy
i’m so sorry he died. sorry for your loss
. hopefully that doesn’t happen again
DO NOT add any more fish until we can test the water, and get the tank cycled.
Cycling the tank can take several weeks, so patience is key.
Until then, the welfare of the fish you have now is the priority.
And, catfish do do not eat fungus.
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As I said, I will get the water tested, get the tank cycled, test it again. I will follow the procedure. If it's safe, then I will add more fish.
Thanks for clearing my doubts about the catfish. I will post more when the need arises. Thanks again
@Essjay has mentioned Methylene Blue. This stuff kills good and bad bacteria and that includes the good filter bacteria. Don't use Methylene Blue any more unless the fish get sick. Then you can use the Methylene Blue in a separate container, not in the main tank.
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The water temperature is not doing this and whilst it is high, there is not much you can do about it if you don't have an airconditioner in the house. I assume it's the end of summer in Pakistan now and the temperature will be warm. So unless you have an airconditioner running in the room with the aquarium, just increase aeration/ surface turbulence to maximise the oxygen levels in the water.
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If you can post a video of the fish trying to swim, sinking, floating, etc, it might help provide more information. Upload the video to YouTube and then copy & paste the link here.
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Do you use chlorinated tap water or are you using well water to fill up the fish tank?
If you are using tap water with chlorine in, then keep using the dechlorinator (anti-chlorine treatment) on any new tap water before the new water is added to the tank.
If you are using well water, see if you can get it tested for anything and everything that might be in it. If there is chemical runoff in the well water, it could be poisoning the fish and causing them to die from organ failure.
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Reduce feeding to once every couple of days and do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate 4-8 hours after feeding. This should help reduce/ remove any ammonia in the water and in a month's time, you should be able to feed more often and do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate once a week.
1. I will use methylene blue as you instructed.
2. Yes. It's end of summer here. If temp is not a big issue, then I'll just increase aeration for maximum O2.
3. The fish already died. The rest are doing fine as far as I can tell. So I don't think there's need to do so now.
4. I use chlorinated tap water with anti-chlorine treatment. As for how I used to change and clean water and gravel: I first put fishes in a bath tub with 25% tank water, cleaned the tank and gravel with the water in it, change the water a few times, put the new tap water in with anti-chlorine, turned on the air motor to maximum for about an hour, put the fish back in the tank with the 25% tank water.
I will change the water and clean the gravel as instructed.
5. Won't once a couple of days be too much? There are only 6 left now. I used to feed them twice a day so, maybe reduce it to once a day (14 feed pieces)? Also, change and clean the water and gravel once two days? Its a pretty hectic routine for me as I'm a student and usually busy
Do you have a gravel cleaner like the one in the following link?
If not, you can make one from a plastic drink bottle and length of plastic hose. Let me know if you need to make one and I can give you instructions.
www.about-goldfish.com
When you do a water change, just leave the fish in the tank and drain 75% of the tank water out. Gravel clean the substrate while doing this. Then fill the tank back up with dechlorinated water. It's quicker for you and less stressful for the fish.
Turn the heater and any power filters off before you do this and turn them back on after the tank is filled up. If you have an air operated filter (air pump blowing bubbles into the tank), this can be left running when you do water changes.
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Filters should be cleaned at least once a month. However, if the filter is less than 6 weeks old, do not clean it. Do not clean your filter for the next 6 weeks because the Methylene Blue will have killed any good bacteria in it. When you do clean a power filter, wash the filter materials/ media in a bucket of tank water and re-use them. Tip the bucket of dirty water on the garden/ lawn. The filter case and impellor can be washed under tap water.
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The reason you need to reduce feeding now is to reduce any ammonia that is being produced. The more food, the more ammonia and the more likelihood of the fish dying. When the filter has established, you can feed the fish more often and do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate once a week. But until the filter has recovered and developed the good bacteria, the less food going into the tank, the cleaner the water will be.
The fish won't starve if you reduce feeding. Unlike mammals, birds and people that use most of the food they eat to keep warm, most fish take their body temperature from the surrounding water. this means any food they eat is used for growth and movement. this allows fish to go for weeks or even months without food and not starve during that time.
The reduced feeding regime will only be for a month or so, just until the filter establishes, then you can feed them more often.
If not, you can make one from a plastic drink bottle and length of plastic hose. Let me know if you need to make one and I can give you instructions.
Aquarium Cleaning Made Easy
Aquarium cleaning should take 30 minutes every two weeks. Learn how the professionals do it in 18 easy steps.
www.about-goldfish.com
When you do a water change, just leave the fish in the tank and drain 75% of the tank water out. Gravel clean the substrate while doing this. Then fill the tank back up with dechlorinated water. It's quicker for you and less stressful for the fish.
Turn the heater and any power filters off before you do this and turn them back on after the tank is filled up. If you have an air operated filter (air pump blowing bubbles into the tank), this can be left running when you do water changes.
--------------------
Filters should be cleaned at least once a month. However, if the filter is less than 6 weeks old, do not clean it. Do not clean your filter for the next 6 weeks because the Methylene Blue will have killed any good bacteria in it. When you do clean a power filter, wash the filter materials/ media in a bucket of tank water and re-use them. Tip the bucket of dirty water on the garden/ lawn. The filter case and impellor can be washed under tap water.
--------------------
The reason you need to reduce feeding now is to reduce any ammonia that is being produced. The more food, the more ammonia and the more likelihood of the fish dying. When the filter has established, you can feed the fish more often and do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate once a week. But until the filter has recovered and developed the good bacteria, the less food going into the tank, the cleaner the water will be.
The fish won't starve if you reduce feeding. Unlike mammals, birds and people that use most of the food they eat to keep warm, most fish take their body temperature from the surrounding water. this means any food they eat is used for growth and movement. this allows fish to go for weeks or even months without food and not starve during that time.
The reduced feeding regime will only be for a month or so, just until the filter establishes, then you can feed them more often.
I've done a lot of foolish things until now if thats the case. I knew nothing because it's my first time having fishes. And yes, please tell me how to make a gravel cleaner from a plastic bottle. Thank you so much!!! You've made me your fanDo you have a gravel cleaner like the one in the following link?
If not, you can make one from a plastic drink bottle and length of plastic hose. Let me know if you need to make one and I can give you instructions.
Aquarium Cleaning Made Easy
Aquarium cleaning should take 30 minutes every two weeks. Learn how the professionals do it in 18 easy steps.
When you do a water change, just leave the fish in the tank and drain 75% of the tank water out. Gravel clean the substrate while doing this. Then fill the tank back up with dechlorinated water. It's quicker for you and less stressful for the fish.
Turn the heater and any power filters off before you do this and turn them back on after the tank is filled up. If you have an air operated filter (air pump blowing bubbles into the tank), this can be left running when you do water changes.
--------------------
Filters should be cleaned at least once a month. However, if the filter is less than 6 weeks old, do not clean it. Do not clean your filter for the next 6 weeks because the Methylene Blue will have killed any good bacteria in it. When you do clean a power filter, wash the filter materials/ media in a bucket of tank water and re-use them. Tip the bucket of dirty water on the garden/ lawn. The filter case and impellor can be washed under tap water.
--------------------
The reason you need to reduce feeding now is to reduce any ammonia that is being produced. The more food, the more ammonia and the more likelihood of the fish dying. When the filter has established, you can feed the fish more often and do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate once a week. But until the filter has recovered and developed the good bacteria, the less food going into the tank, the cleaner the water will be.
The fish won't starve if you reduce feeding. Unlike mammals, birds and people that use most of the food they eat to keep warm, most fish take their body temperature from the surrounding water. this means any food they eat is used for growth and movement. this allows fish to go for weeks or even months without food and not starve during that time.
The reduced feeding regime will only be for a month or so, just until the filter establishes, then you can feed them more often.
To make a gravel cleaner, get a 1, 1.5 or 2 litre plastic drink bottle (like a Coke bottle). A 1 or 1.5 litre bottle is better for small tanks.
Cut the bottom off the bottle and throw the bottom bit in the recycling.
Remove the lid and plastic ring from the top of the bottle and put those 2 bits in the recycling.
Get a length of garden hose or clear plastic hose that fits snuggly in the top of the bottle, and put one end in the top of the bottle. The other end of the hose can be run out the door onto the garden or into a bucket. It depends on how long the hose is. The hose should be about 1.5 - 2 meters if you want to drain water into a bucket.
The plastic bottle is the gravel cleaner and the garden hose is the syphon hose.
To use the gravel cleaner, put the plastic bottle in the aquarium and fill it with tank water. Suck on the end of the hose to get the syphon going and put the end of the hose into a bucket or on the lawn.
When the water is draining out of the tank, push the bottle into the substrate and lift it up. The gravel will circulate inside the bottle and drop down, while the dirt and debris is removed with some of the water. Move the gravel cleaner around the tank and keep pushing it into the gravel and lifting it up. Do this until you have drained out 75% of the water and then stop gravel cleaning. Fill the tank with dechlorinated water.
You might only gravel clean half the tank while draining the water out. That is fine and you just gravel clean the other part the next time you do a water change.
If you have live plants, gravel clean around them and leave a couple of inches of undisturbed gravel around each plant. This will prevent the gravel cleaner damaging the roots of the plants.
Cut the bottom off the bottle and throw the bottom bit in the recycling.
Remove the lid and plastic ring from the top of the bottle and put those 2 bits in the recycling.
Get a length of garden hose or clear plastic hose that fits snuggly in the top of the bottle, and put one end in the top of the bottle. The other end of the hose can be run out the door onto the garden or into a bucket. It depends on how long the hose is. The hose should be about 1.5 - 2 meters if you want to drain water into a bucket.
The plastic bottle is the gravel cleaner and the garden hose is the syphon hose.
To use the gravel cleaner, put the plastic bottle in the aquarium and fill it with tank water. Suck on the end of the hose to get the syphon going and put the end of the hose into a bucket or on the lawn.
When the water is draining out of the tank, push the bottle into the substrate and lift it up. The gravel will circulate inside the bottle and drop down, while the dirt and debris is removed with some of the water. Move the gravel cleaner around the tank and keep pushing it into the gravel and lifting it up. Do this until you have drained out 75% of the water and then stop gravel cleaning. Fill the tank with dechlorinated water.
You might only gravel clean half the tank while draining the water out. That is fine and you just gravel clean the other part the next time you do a water change.
If you have live plants, gravel clean around them and leave a couple of inches of undisturbed gravel around each plant. This will prevent the gravel cleaner damaging the roots of the plants.
Or, if you're rich like me (HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA), get one of these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000255NXC/?tag=ff0d01-20
All kidding aside, there are MANY DIY siphon videos on YouTube to look at, but @Colin_T gave you an awesome step-by-step procedure above, I like it
All kidding aside, there are MANY DIY siphon videos on YouTube to look at, but @Colin_T gave you an awesome step-by-step procedure above, I like it
The method he told me is indeed great. So, I'm gonna stick with the method he gave me and save some money ( I live in a poor country after all
)
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