tinah

so now my tetras are listing. They seem healthy, good color and activity levels, just swimming not up and down, but at an angle. . . maybe they are constipated? How do I tell? My husband is leaving at 4 am with the car, so I can't take them in, and if it's stress related I don't want to move them around anyway. Any ideas?
Poor fishies.

CHoffman

Hi Tinah,
..Haven't welcomed you to fishlore yet..so ...Welcome
What are your ammonia, nitrite, nitrate readings??..That will tell us alot. Also I saw your tank is new..Did you cycle it first?? and how often are you doing waterchanges..

Lucy

I"m sorry your fish aren't feeling well.

I agree with Cesch, it would help if we knew the readings.
Without them, I would guess they're feeling the effects of a cycling tank.
Did you get a chance to read the beginner articles?
A water change would probably do them some good right now.

tinah

I don't have a test kit, and my husband is at work with the car until 5, so I can't do water readings yet, although I will go out and get one today, assuming I can find any place open tonight.
Although the tank isn't very old, the place I bought it from gave me a bunch of "stinky gravel and nasty water"(like two bags full) to put in the tank as soon as I got it home. He told me to run it for a week and bring some water in to test in about a week then we could get some fish. So that's where I'm at.
My swimmers seem to be doing better after a night of lights out. More active, and upright, although still not perfect. I also switched back to incandescent lights, and they seemed to have momentary brain freeze when the lights came on where they all swam back down to the bottom and hid behind the plants and stuff. Then after about a minute they came out and started playing fish games, so I really think they were freaked out by the lights yesterday.
So if I get a test kit, and the readings are funny, I should go ahead and do a water change? Dumb newbie question, how do I get the water out without freaking them out?

CHoffman

I think it would be a good idea to go ahead and do a 50% waterchange now. Just incase it is something in the water that's making them sick..I would also suggest using a product called Prime for a water conditioner. That's great you got some gravel..that will help seed your tank..But the water will not..Bacteria is not free floating ..It attaches itself onto filters, gravel, decor, and sides of glass. When your tank was sitting for a week did you give the bacteria any ammonia in the form of ammonia or fish food.

Lucy

Turning on the lights can shock them. Fish may also show a lack of color while the lights are off them color up after they've been on for a few miniutes.

It's not a dumb question.
The easiest and best way, imo, would be to get a gravel vacuum. That way you can vacuum to get left over food and fish waste out and it removes the water at the same time.

tinah

CHoffman, I put a little pinch of food in the water twice a day, and was directed to heat the tank to 81 or so, then bring it back down to between 76 and 78 at least 24 hours before I brought fish home.
So is Prime and a gravel vacuum something I can buy at the big box pet retailers, or do I have to go to the Fish place? Is prime the same thing as stress coat +? and how do I heat the replacement water? the house is, at best, 68 or 69, and the water is colder than that, unless I take it out of the hot water tank, which I seem to remember as being a bad thing, though don't ask me why.
And would a bigger or more plants help them settle in faster? I uploaded pictures to . . . somewhere on the site, but i don't remember where. Gallery maybe?

CHoffman

Yes..Prime and a gravel vacuum is something you should be able to get at a bigger pet store...When I do a water change I use a five gallon bucket and match the water temp of the tank as best as I can. I use water from our water heater..I've not heard anything bad about it..but I could be wrong. I don't think Prime and Stress Coat + are the same thing..but again I could be wrong. Almost all fish like plants so I would think that they would enjoy it..It gives them more hiding and more to look at.

tinah

Update: I haven't got a chance to do anything yet, but I came by and checked on my swimmers, and they are now upright again, although still hiding. They do come out to eat, and feed normally, but then hide again.
So here's where I'm at: freaked out fish, not enough light to grow plants, and not enough hiding places for my swimmers to feel comfortable. No Prime in the house, no vacuum, and no car until 5 or 6 tonight. Sigh.

CHoffman

You'll be ok untill then...That stinks though....Some plants need VERY little light to grow..Check this site out and search by difficulty..Java moss, jave fern are very easy to grow...

www.plantgeek.com

tinah

okay, so I was doing laundry and putting away the towels when what do I see?! MEDICAL TUBING!!!! it's originally for a nebulizer, but it's sterile, about 5 feet long, and not being used for anything! So i found every clean bowl I could, and managed a 40% water change! it was wet, and messy, and the cats kept trying to make off with my siphon tube, but at least I could do SOMETHING for my swimmers!

CHoffman

How funny..lol..Your crafty..lol..That tubing would work though..Good job tinah..I bet your fishies appreciate it.