Ugh. I just got Ory back into the main tank after his accident and he is now showing some wierd behaviour which has got me worried. He also exhibited it before but I'm scared cos I researched what it could be in a book that I only got recently and hence couldn't worry about it before.
Basically he lies in one of the corners and just stays there for several minutes at a time - so much so that guests to the house even comment on it, even when they don't know anything about goldfish. When I say several minutes I say that only because several hours would be too much - but it is normally about 15-20 minutes at a time if I don't try get him to move, or if the other fish don't come over to see him.
I thought it might be because he doesn't like the light, but I recently changed the layout of the tank and have a big mass of anarchis floating on the surface now, so there is lots of shade. The lightbulb is new and hence brighter than the old one, but he does it when the light is off as well. It's also always the same corner near the plants he likes to eat the most (long, thin, no idea what they are - get them in clumps as a 'bunch' from the LFS). He did it before he was in QT, but didn't do it for the three weeks he was in the hosp.
Just for reference the new lightbulb is 38W, 7500K and a 'freshwater' bulb that supposedly brings out their colours or something. Before this it was just a normal fluorescent bulb that is used in strip lighting etc - I got it with the tank, the new bulb was a birthday gift. The tank is 55G with two orandas Ellie and Ory, and one fantail, Archie.
When he isn't lying on the bottom he is either chasing Ellie up and down the tank (looks like spawning behaviour to me, he bumps her bum a lot) or eating my plants, or chasing his reflection. Chasing the reflection is something he started during his extended stay in QT (two weeks, then a break of about one day, then another two or three weeks, I can't remember how long).
Could it be flukes or similar? I don't have a microscope...I'm looking into getting one but basically can't afford it.
Tank parameters are normal - nitrates 40, nitrites and ammonia 0, pH 8.0. The nitrates seem a little high to me, I've put more plants in and more filtration as well as using gravel vac thing that came with the tank to vacuum poo and plant bits out the tank every couple of days, but I'm fighting a tap reading of 20. Plants in there are anarchis, anubias, java ferns and some random tall ones which have been in since I got the tank and are just there for lettuce.
The only other thing I've noticed is that his tail and fins are bloodshot - Ellie and Archie are fine, but I've done a 50% WC two days in a row now, and the water quality hasn't changed. I've overdosed on dechlorinator in case it's that. I hope this is just the stress of moving from QT back to the main tank - all was fine before the move.
I'm really worried...I wish he would just be OK! Sorry if I'm worrying unnecessarily...I just really want him to be back to his old self! I feel like it's just been one problem after the other for months. I've only had him for 9 months so I doubt it's age related, although he was in pretty terrible conditions for the first four months before I realised what I was doing to him.
Sorry this post has got so long and rambly. I can't seem to think straight
Basically he lies in one of the corners and just stays there for several minutes at a time - so much so that guests to the house even comment on it, even when they don't know anything about goldfish. When I say several minutes I say that only because several hours would be too much - but it is normally about 15-20 minutes at a time if I don't try get him to move, or if the other fish don't come over to see him.
I thought it might be because he doesn't like the light, but I recently changed the layout of the tank and have a big mass of anarchis floating on the surface now, so there is lots of shade. The lightbulb is new and hence brighter than the old one, but he does it when the light is off as well. It's also always the same corner near the plants he likes to eat the most (long, thin, no idea what they are - get them in clumps as a 'bunch' from the LFS). He did it before he was in QT, but didn't do it for the three weeks he was in the hosp.
Just for reference the new lightbulb is 38W, 7500K and a 'freshwater' bulb that supposedly brings out their colours or something. Before this it was just a normal fluorescent bulb that is used in strip lighting etc - I got it with the tank, the new bulb was a birthday gift. The tank is 55G with two orandas Ellie and Ory, and one fantail, Archie.
When he isn't lying on the bottom he is either chasing Ellie up and down the tank (looks like spawning behaviour to me, he bumps her bum a lot) or eating my plants, or chasing his reflection. Chasing the reflection is something he started during his extended stay in QT (two weeks, then a break of about one day, then another two or three weeks, I can't remember how long).
Could it be flukes or similar? I don't have a microscope...I'm looking into getting one but basically can't afford it.
Tank parameters are normal - nitrates 40, nitrites and ammonia 0, pH 8.0. The nitrates seem a little high to me, I've put more plants in and more filtration as well as using gravel vac thing that came with the tank to vacuum poo and plant bits out the tank every couple of days, but I'm fighting a tap reading of 20. Plants in there are anarchis, anubias, java ferns and some random tall ones which have been in since I got the tank and are just there for lettuce.
The only other thing I've noticed is that his tail and fins are bloodshot - Ellie and Archie are fine, but I've done a 50% WC two days in a row now, and the water quality hasn't changed. I've overdosed on dechlorinator in case it's that. I hope this is just the stress of moving from QT back to the main tank - all was fine before the move.
I'm really worried...I wish he would just be OK! Sorry if I'm worrying unnecessarily...I just really want him to be back to his old self! I feel like it's just been one problem after the other for months. I've only had him for 9 months so I doubt it's age related, although he was in pretty terrible conditions for the first four months before I realised what I was doing to him.
Sorry this post has got so long and rambly. I can't seem to think straight