Zebra Danios

[mfernott]

Hi

We got our first firsh (Zebra Danios) on the weekend, and for the first day they were really lively, energetic, darting all over the tank and swimming round me very nosily whenever i put a hand in the tank to sort something out.

2 days later and they've shown no interest in food for the second day in a row, and their behaviour is very odd.

They are almost always at the top of the tank, bodies angled upwards with their mouths at the surface. I presumed this was an aeration problem and so I have moved the filter higher, so it's rippling the surface and creating bubbles. There doesn't seem to be any change in their behaviour since, and they are still very lethargic.

When they do come away from the top they're not darting around all over the place, sometimes just almost like they're in a trance.

Any suggestions what's causing the behaviour, and why they won't eat?

Stats taken last night:

PH 8.4
Ammonia 0.25 (did a 10% water change afterwards)
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5

Current tempterature 24.9

Many thanks

 

[onebto]

Hello mfernott your first thought about aireation was my first thought however if you have dealt with that then thats not the problem.

Okay well for people to get an idea on how to help you we will need a lot more information.

Did you cycle your tank and if you did not do you know what cycling a tank is?

Water stats PH, Ammonia, Temp, Nitrite and Nitrate what kit you used to take the water stats please note that test strips are very unreliable and a LFS saying yep everything is okay is not really condusive with discovering your problem.

What are you feeding them?

What sort of filter do you have is it internal, external make and model would help

Have you added any chemicals or additives to the tank if so what and how much?

Are there any abnormalities on the fish like spots, stringy waste, inflammations, redness if there is then a picture would go a long way

I am sure I have missed something but if you supply these bits of information then the people in the No have a little bit more to go on

Regards onebto

EDIT: you amended your post while I was replying the Ammonia a 10% water change is not going to do it 70 or 80 % then wait a couple of hours then do it another test and another 70 to 80 % you really have to get that ammonia out of that tank Did you cycle your tank and how?

 

[mfernott]

Hello mfernott your first thought about aireation was my first thought however if you have dealt with that then thats not the problem.

Okay well for people to get an idea on how to help you we will need a lot more information.

Did you cycle your tank and if you did not do you know what cycling a tank is?

Water stats PH, Ammonia, Temp, Nitrite and Nitrate what kit you used to take the water stats please note that test strips are very unreliable and a LFS saying yep everything is okay is not really condusive with discovering your problem.

What are you feeding them?

What sort of filter do you have is it internal, external make and model would help

Have you added any chemicals or additives to the tank if so what and how much?

Are there any abnormalities on the fish like spots, stringy waste, inflammations, redness if there is then a picture would go a long way

I am sure I have missed something but if you supply these bits of information then the people in the No have a little bit more to go on

Regards onebto

EDIT: you amended your post while I was replying the Ammonia a 10% water change is not going to do it 70 or 80 % then wait a couple of hours then do it another test and another 70 to 80 % you really have to get that ammonia out of that tank Did you cycle your tank and how?

Hi

Thanks for your feedback.

Until a couple of days ago I didn't know what cycling was - the advice we were given by the shop was to set up the tank with no fish, and the filter running for 7 days before adding fish, which we did.

I only found out about cycling etc the day AFTER we got the fish.

Yesterday I bought the API master test kit to get all the stats I mentioned, and everything seems ok other than the ammonia being above 0.

The only products that haev been added to the tank have been some Tap Safe and Filter Start.

The filter is an Interpret filter - internal, don't know the model number as I'm not at home at the moment!

They are being fed (or not in this case!) on goldfish flakes, as they were sold to us as coldwater fish (after a bit of advice on here we then added the heater and made into a tropical tank - although even without the heater the temperature was 22/23 - now at 24.9) and I was planning on getting tropical food for them ASAP to replace the goldfish flakes.

I've noticed no other abnormalities other than the change in behaviour.

Thanks
Martin

 

[onebto]

Then it sounds like you need to check out the Fish inn cycle in the resource centre:

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/277264-beginners-resource-center/

even in small parts ammonia is not good so water changes and big ones daily are the only way of sorting your problem out.

Regards onebto

 

[mfernott]

Then it sounds like you need to check out the Fish inn cycle in the resource centre:

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/277264-beginners-resource-center/

even in small parts ammonia is not good so water changes and big ones daily are the only way of sorting your problem out.

Regards onebto

OK this is just getting weirder now.

Came home from work today - fish seem to have a little more life in them, not constantly at the surface (still didn't want food though).

But here's the thing.

4 fish when I left for work.

3 fish now.

At first I thought he was just hiding as they like getting in around the ornaments and fake plants, but an hour later and no sign of him whatsoever.

Is there any possibility he could have died and the other fish eaten him?!

 

[onebto]

Its possible I remember my first danio's I had a couple disappear of the planet could not find them anywhere?

I was warned that these guys can and have launched themselves out of tanks through some ridiculous sized wholes.

Regards onebto

 

[mfernott]

Its possible I remember my first danio's I had a couple disappear of the planet could not find them anywhere?

I was warned that these guys can and have launched themselves out of tanks through some ridiculous sized wholes.

Regards onebto

Yeah it's utterly bizarre - have moved all the decorations etc. in the tank and no sign at all

If he'd escaped through a hole i'd expect to find him on the floor somewhere around the tank, but no sign of that, i don't know what to suggest has happened to him?!

 

[BettaBoysGirl]

Its possible I remember my first danio's I had a couple disappear of the planet could not find them anywhere?

I was warned that these guys can and have launched themselves out of tanks through some ridiculous sized wholes.

Regards onebto

Yeah it's utterly bizarre - have moved all the decorations etc. in the tank and no sign at all

If he'd escaped through a hole i'd expect to find him on the floor somewhere around the tank, but no sign of that, i don't know what to suggest has happened to him?!

I have had two disappear, found them both in the filter. They are doing fine. I chalk it up to being curious and not hte filter being too strong as it hasnt happened in over a month