AboutBenty Expertise GOT A QUESTION ABOUT:
Basic needs for specific fish, illnesses, best tankmates, breeding, water chemistry, tricks to safely cut corners, and/or “stupid” questions? Maybe I can help! :)
I like to explain why you do things in aquariums (like why to use spring instead of distilled, or what pH numbers mean, ect.) so you understand why and not just taking someone’s word for it. I also like giving answers where you have two choices so you can choose which is best for the time and money you can commit to your fish. I understand how tight money can be and how expensive fish related things get.
I will NEVER leave you with an “I don’t know.” Ever. I hate that. That would waste your time and that's just mean. :)
Puedo contestar tus preguntas en español también.
Experience I have had tropical fish since 1999. I currently have: a 55gal, ten 10gal, 3 five gallons, three 2gal, and a bunch of jars and bowls. At the time I'm typing this, I have: 14 angels, 13 goldfish, 73 bettas, 12 barbs, 5 catfish, too many guppies, 4 gouramis, 2 plecos, 10 loaches, bunch of swordtails, and probably a few others, lol.
I love to rescue fish. I've had everything from mutant danios, to one eyed goldfish, to my newest adoptee, a 2 year old betta with a MASSIVE tumor problem. He was brought to a pet shop and left there because the lady didn't know what to do with him. He's pretty scary looking. One of the guys at the store there I know let me have him. :D YAY! Elephant Man lives in a gallon bowl with pretty stones in my bathroom.
Plus!!!
I sell: veil, delta, halfmoon, plakat, and crowntail bettas as well as halfblack and blonde tuxedo fancy guppies. Ask me about it sometime.
Question We recently got a new 29 gallon tank and set it up. We had a 2 1/2 inch piranah that we were getting ready to put in the new tank when he got sick. He started floating completely on his side and didn't swim on his own. He then got a white fuzzy coating (looked like mold) on him and died all within 24 hours. He had some goldfish in the tank with him who all lived another day or so then died the same way. Today we went and bough new 1/2 inch baby piranahs and put them in the new tank. Tonight they are laying on their sides in the gravel. These are small red belly piranahs. We don't have a ph kit but we used filtered tap water. Also, no ammonia test but it is new water and no other fish. the temp is low, 74 degrees.
What is wrong with our fish?
Thanks for your help!
Answer Hey Emilee,
First off, never add fish into a tank where there is sick fish or fish have died unless you've treated the tank. You're kinda dooming them to the same fate. You didn't know so it's ok.
They are probably going to die as well. :( I would take a sample of the water to a local pet shop and have them test is. Most do it for free. A few are stupid and charge like 3 bucks.
Ammonia and Nitrites are the ones you want them to test. Change 25% of your tank water if there is any. They should be at 0 in all tanks. Since it is new, the tank will spike up and down for a bit. I would add some Cycle. It is a "good" bacteria that helps get rid of ammonia. You can't overdose. It says that on the bottle. Trust me, that is a challenge to me, lol. No one died. The tank turned milky but it wasn't bad.
Keep doing daily partial changes until the ammonia or the nitrites go down and stay down. Be sure to use a water conditioner every time!
Symptoms like like turning white, and floating weird are signs of parasites, as well as bacterial and wrong water levels so it is important to test the water first to get that out of the way. If you treat with meds and that is the problem, you can kill the fish.
If they are in the normal range, what are you feeding them? Live food? Flakes? Pellets? Worms, fish and such can have parasites. That can be your problem. There's a whole host of problems that can come from feeding sick fish or any live food.
Don't add any fish yet until everything is safe though. :) Let me know what the levels are too!
