Zebra Danio Keeps Spinning And Doesn't Go For Food (update:dead)

[Revision17]

My roommate got a new 10 gallon tank with 4 zebra danios (the others seem perfectly happy). One of them (which is the largest of the bunch, and quite fat compared to the rest), starts spinning around (on it's head-tail axis) and doesn't stop for a minute or so, usually towards the bottom of the tank. It's also stopped going for fish flakes at the top of the tank. This started today. What should I do? I don't want my roommate to come back to only having 3 fish in the tank!

EDIT: Also as of yesturday Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate levels were 0

EDIT2: Unlike the other fish (as far as I can see), this one has 2 "whiskers" coming down from each side of it's mouth, but maybe I can only see that because it's the biggest

EDIT3: Also, I forgot to mention, 2 of the 4 plants were uprooted when I woke up this morning. Maybe that has something to do with this?

 

[Revision17]

Now it's just laying at the bottom of the tank breathing really hard! Please advise!

EDIT: It's back to spinning around

 

[Revision17]

Now the other danios are ramming it every few minutes (and it's still spinning)

 

[Revision17]

It's laying on the bottom and not moving (not even the gills).

I think it's dead.

 

[pumaf1]

get the fish in a net and look at it very closely see if the gills are moving at atll, if not remove the fish ASAP. hopefully someone will be able to advise you as to whats happend.

How are the rest of the fish in the tank? any small "dots" or strange flicking or anything out of the norm?

 

[Revision17]

No gill movement. Floated around like debris when I got it when the net. Burial in the trashcan.

Well, no dots, some of the fish have "broken" stripes, but I think they were born like that or something. Rest of the fish are acting fine. Do you think it may have been a disease then that they got at LFS (PetCo, the big chain petstore)?

 

[WILDER]

How long has the tank been set up.
Full stock list of fish in the tank which kind and how many.
You say the stripes are broken what do you mean, can you describe it in more detail.
Is there any fluffyiness on the fish, or does it look bleached out.
Any signs of flicking and rubbing against objects, or laboured breathing with the rest of them.

 

[Revision17]

The tank has been setup for about 6 days. Oddly ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels have been at 0 the entire time (according to my roommate's test kit).

As I said in the first post, it's a 10 US gallon tank stocked with 3 Zebra Danios (1 just died). The one that died looked "puffed up". The other fish have very vibrant colors (I think even moreso than earlier this week).

On one of the fish, a couple of areas on the black stripes are gold (the same color as the rest of the gold on the fish between the black stripes). Other than that it looks pretty normal.

I haven't noticed any rubbing or labored breathing from any of them (other than the one that died).

 

[WILDER]

I would get your room mate to do another test, as it's very unlikely the tanks has cycled.
Spinning and the way the fish acted can be poor water quality.
Do he do a fish cycle or add bio spira

 

[Revision17]

The tank is uncycled. I just did an ammonia and nitrite test. Ammonia was reading ~0.35 mg/L (up from 0 yesturday) and nitrite was reading 0.

 

[WILDER]

Right the tank has started the cycle and have a far way to go.
The fish is spinning as it can't cope with the cycle, to be honest he's not going to make it.
Increase aeration in the tank.
Add one tablespoon of salt, get a jug and take some tank water, add the salt to the jug of water, stir well till it disolves then add to the tank.
http/www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/...?article_id=335

 

[WILDER]

http/www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/cycling2.htm