mjbroeker

I have a 1 week old 55 gallon freshwater tank. I put 6 zebra danios in it on monday and on wednesday one swims erraticly. I took it out and in a bucket and it swims normal. When I put it back in the tank it swims normal for a minute or two and then goes in circles and sideways and the like. I put it back in the bucket and it swims normal again. I have not seen it eat and it is much lighter than the other danios. Should I just flush it now?

pinkfloydpuffer

Welcome to fishlore
Actually, flushing fish gives them a horrible painful death. Euthanasia is preferred.
It sounds like your guy might have ammonia poisoning. What are your readings for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate?

mjbroeker

I had it tested at the pet store this afternoon. I know that the readings will not be good due to its infancy. The strip had a slight green tinge to it for the ammonia test which was in the "safe" range. I plan on getting a liquid test kit an a month or so when I think the tank is almost cycled. The way to dispose of the fish is freezing I assume that you mentioned?

pinkfloydpuffer

I don't think it's necessary to put the fish down yet.
Any showing ammonia is bad news. You should do daily 50% water changes, along with the product Prime. That will be safest for your fish.
If you can isolate the sick fish and feed him his food then you can see if he's eating. Also, soaking the food in garlic juice makes it more enticing to them.
For euthanasia I use the clove oil and alcohol method. I feel it's the most humane. But again, I don't think it's past saving at this point.

mjbroeker

I expect to have high ammonia levels. I cycled my 10 gallon tank in 6 weeks with white clouds and guppies and did not lose any fish. I did weekly 20% water changes. I was planning on doing my first water change as we speak. 50% seems a bit not logistically friendly. Today the fish is actually not swimming in circles he instead is just doing the flashing thing. What does the prime do?

pinkfloydpuffer

Flashing is also a sympton of ammonia poisoning.
Have you ever tried fishless cycling? It's much more humane.
It may not be logistically friendly, but it is what you'll need to do to keep your fish alive and healthy. Cycling with fish can weaken them and their immune systems permanently, so the effects of it could be felt much later.
Prime is a water conditioner that will detoxify ammonia for 24 hrs while still leaving it accessible to the bacteria. This will make it less dangerous for your fish.

mjbroeker

I am currently changing the water and i have sucked up a bunch of chunks that look like a oomycyte (sp?) fungus that you would find on land. How could i have a fungus when I just set up the tank? I thought bigger tanks were supposed to be easier.

pinkfloydpuffer

Are you leaving any uneaten food in the water?
Sometimes cycling has strange effects on a tank. (cloudy water, etc) It could also be a bacterial bloom.
Fishkeeping takes alot of work, but it's worth it in the end. Sounds like you got off to a rough start.
Oh, and your title includes dropsy... do you think one of your fish has dropsy? Or was it just the one that was swimming weird and flashing?

mjbroeker

its just what the pet store that I bought the danio from said it was and to get rid of the fish.
yea the stuff is growing on little pieces of food that was uneaten. is that a fungus? Or just clean it out and feed smaller portions?

pinkfloydpuffer

I've dealt with dropsy several times. It's kidney failure that leads to a buildup of fluid within the body cavity, making the scales pop out like a pinecone. It's really horrible, and yes, if a fish has a severe case of dropsy I choose to euthanize, but that doesn't sound more like your fish at all, it sounds like ammonia poisoning.
Well there's your problem. The combination of a cycling tank with lots of leftover food is causing the stuff to grow. It's either fungus or a bacteria. Either way, remove it from the tank, reduce feedings, and make sure to remove any uneaten food.

mjbroeker

well i just changed out about 16 gallons of water. I went over the gravel about twice and think I got most of the food. Thanks for your help. Do I need to medicate for the fungus/bacteria or will better water quality correct the problem with daily changes?

pinkfloydpuffer

The water changes and improved water quality should take care of that. Do you have a gravel vacuum? That will help you get most of the stuff out of your gravel.

mjbroeker

yea. I sucked through almost all of it.

pinkfloydpuffer

Good. Just keep that up, and if you can find Prime your danio should start feeling alot better. At least a good amount of water changes will help him out.

mjbroeker

I hatched some baby brine shrimp and the fish go nuts over them. I have some baby guppies in my 10 gallon tank that was the main reason for the shrimp but I dont know if any fish will not eat them. The crazy danio is actually doing better today. He only flashes occasionally and is swimming with the rest of the danios. I have done two water changes so you might be on to something with the ammonia levels. Would it be ok to feed the fish only baby brine shrimp for a while instead of the flakes?

soldieroffortune1974

It's best to alternate the different types of foods.1 meal feed the flakes,the next meal feed the shrimp.I would also suggest another variety of food such as freeze dried blood worms.3 different foods,fed alternately will give the fish great coloring,longevity and make them happier and healthier.

pinkfloydpuffer

I agree with SOF

If you keep up those water changes you should see even more improvements in your danio.

mjbroeker

today i went to the pet store and after much deliberation, bought the bio-spira. Hopefully that will solve everything. Thank you much again for your advice. please comment if you think it is bad to do the biospira.

pinkfloydpuffer

I think that's great. Good luck with your tank! I hope your danio gets better very soon.

mjbroeker

the danio is still a little tipsy. My readings today for the tank were
Ammonia 0.25
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5
pH 8.2

Just did another water change. Gonna check levels again in the morning. Its nice to have your own test kit. I feel like a scientist.