Goldfish - Page 6 - Orchid Board

puddin · #51 10-07-2007, 06:11 PM

A couple of things.
First, don't snails breed like mad? At Petsmart, they said theirs are asexual and bred. Now, the snails have gotten in their filter system and they are all over the place.
Also, I was looking at my fish, and I think something is wrong. The glo fish aren't acting natural. The red one is hanging around in one place on the bottom, and won't move unless another fish desturbs it. (I haven't tried food by the way.) And the yellow one is up 3/4 of the way of the tank and just hangs there. I know it's alive because it's moved. It lets the current move it around, once in awhile moving. These guys were moving around like crazy last night. Any ideas?

flhiker · #52 10-07-2007, 07:11 PM

I had A snail in my tank for years with out and baby snail problem. Although it can be a problem if you get more then one and if you happen to get one that is pregnant! It sounds like your fish are in shock or are very sensitive. How long did you allow the bag to float before you put the fish in the tank directly? Or if the fish are very sensitive it may be a water conditioning issue.

puddin · #53 10-07-2007, 07:33 PM

I put them in for about 7 mins a piece. They were all in different bags. Another problem was the bags were so big that they almost made my tank overflow, so they went in one at a time. I had to stop at the grocery store after I got them, which took about 15 mins, not including the drive home. So I was trying to get them in the tank. I don't know how long they can stay it the bags. But the other fish are fine. I guess the swordfish keeps trying to outrun his reflection, he keeps swimming up and down the sides of the tank.
As for the water, I have no idea what is going on. At Petsmart, they said they would test the water for free, so I didn't need a water testing kit. I regret that, though. If I had one, I could test the water right now. It has never been tested before.
The shock won't kill them, will it? I put the fish in yesterday afternoon, by the way.

flhiker · #54 10-07-2007, 07:57 PM

OK I think that you did not wait long enough before you put the fish in the tank. The reason for floating the bag is to change the temperature of the water in the bag slowly to match the temperature of the water in the tank. I use to leave the bag float no less then 1/2 hour to 1 hour. This way the fish don't go into shock from to much temp change. As far as the swordtail some fish do strange things but also can be in some shock. If he is going to the top of the water and falling back down (not swimming back down) he may be in shock too! And yes them going into shock can be fatal

puddin · #55 10-07-2007, 08:08 PM

On the swordfish, he swims from the top to the bottom. No floating or anything like that. I was afraid them being in the bag for so long would harm them.
Good news! The red glo fish is now moving around the tank. The yellow one, though, is now at the bottom, doing what the red one was doing. The swordfish is swimming around, too. The guppy is just fine.
I was wondering about something. Could the glo fish be a male and a female and have mated? The yellow one is close to where the red one was. I have no idea on these things.

flhiker · #56 10-07-2007, 08:26 PM

I don't have a answer for that one. I would think it unlikely being a new enviroment. They may come out of shock after awhile and sometime they don't. Just depends on how stressed they become, kinda like Chids

puddin · #57 10-07-2007, 09:54 PM

The fish are doing fine now. They are swimming around and doing what fish do. The glo fish stick together, but I expected that. Almost all of my fish at one point were swimming up and down the side of the tank. It was fun to watch them.

dave b · #58 10-07-2007, 11:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by puddin

The fish are doing fine now. They are swimming around and doing what fish do. The glo fish stick together, but I expected that. Almost all of my fish at one point were swimming up and down the side of the tank. It was fun to watch them.

Welcome to the fish keeping world.

Your 'glo-fish' appear to be Zebra Danios. Normally, there is the standard blue, and the albino version. These are one of the fishes on the market that are a part of the dye/color enhancement craze. Hardy, schooling fish that love to zip around the tank.

In addition to telling male and female guppies apart, you can sex all livebearers (guppies, mollies, swords, plattys) by the anal fin. Females have a full lobe fin that hangs down when they extend it. Males have a barb like fin that they keep tucked up against their bottom. Compare the anal fin of your sword to the male guppies, and you'll see they are the same. Now compare to the female guppies.

Your glo-fish are egg layers, and not able to be sexed in this manner. Many egg layers are diffficult to sex. Female danios are typically larger and plumper. Having only 2 wont be a great sample size for comparison.

The danios and the sword will devour guppy babies too.

The underground filter "cleans" the water by making the gravel the biological filter bed. As your tank cycles thru the nitrogen cycle, the beneficial bacteria will form colonies within the gravel, filtering out ammonia and nitrites from the water. Dont remove the gravel for washing, or stir it up. Use a gravel siphon to do your partial water changes and remove excess detritus from the gravel. Ask your local aquarium shop for a demo if you are not yet familiar with the siphoning process.

Bottom feeding cats (Corydoras aka Corys) will love to eat the excess fish food that falls to the bottom. But, i am a firm believer that they and other cats dont eat fish poop or other crud, thus 'cleaning' the bottom. I worked in a fish shop for many years, caring for and raising just about every type of fish on the market. Catfish are very aggressive eaters of fishes and fish foods Feed catfish correctly.

Enjoy your fish!

puddin · #59 10-08-2007, 11:50 AM

Bad news. I lost the yellow glo fish. It was fine yesterday, for a time. The glo fish keep going from acting normally to strange. This morning the yellow one didn't even go for the food I put in. The red one I believe went after the food. I don't know for sure. It's fighting to stay in one spot right now. The yellow one floated around for a time before it died. Before it died, I changed 2 gallons of water. I will take it to the store today. They have to have a water sample so I will find out what is going on with the water.

cb977 · #60 10-08-2007, 12:47 PM

Hi puddin

Sorry about the loss of the yellow glo fish

Next time you add fish, do as Dave (flhiker) suggests and float the bags for at least 30-60 minutes. 7 minutes did nothing for the adjustment period...but it seems that it worked out well anyway, huh?

My husband doesn't like the underground filter systems as they are hard to work with if there's ever a problem.

As Dave B suggests, a siphon is wonderful! My husband has one and I'm always amazed at how much "stuff" comes shooting up out of the gravel...and we have double filters on the tank!

Keep us updated...they're part of the OB family now