I have a 20 gallon tank with some Swordtail fsih in it 4 adults and a few babies. I have been loosing a few fish off and on. I have many years of experience with tropical fish and I can't figure out what is wrong. The babies seem fine it's the adults. They all seem to have their fins down and they just stay in a corner and wiggle in place. I have tried a fungus medication and that doesn't seem to help. I have also used salt. My PH is 7.0 the water is hard and I hane no nitrates. The temperature is kept at 79.0 and I do a water change once a week. I did a 50% water change yesterday because they didn't look well. I have no ick, no fungus that I can see, no tail rot. Can any one help me?
Help what disease do my fish have and how do I cure it.
- Thread starter Bonniegiff
- Start date
If I were keeping Swordtails, I'd aim for a temp in the mid 70s. I am assuming that this tank has been running for some time now with no traces of ammonia and/or nitrites? How bright is the tank? Live plants? Filtration? Water current?
Also, is your tap water hard or do you add additives to make it hard? The symptoms you posted are usually related to environmental/water issues.
Also, is your tap water hard or do you add additives to make it hard? The symptoms you posted are usually related to environmental/water issues.
Is your tank a planted tank? No nitrates is suspicious for a cycled tank unless there are lots of live plants to use the nitrogen up. If however, the tank isn't cycled yet, then no nitrates would indicate you would still have ammonia or nitrites that might be affecting the fish. How old are the adult fish? Livebearers are relatively short lived fish compared to most, only living about 1-2 years, maybe these are just old fish? Dunno.
Emily
Emily
I have a waterfall filter for a 20 gallon tank, one light and quite a few plants. My tap water is hard and the Fish Place said that my water is just like theirs and the fish are use to the hard water in our area. I don't know what you mean by water current. I have over 20 tanks and three other tanks with Swordtails and there is no problem with the water.
Thanks
Thanks
My tank is a planted tank. The tank has been cycled, it has been running for about a year. The swordtails are about 8 months old. I got them when they were real small. I have other swordtail tanks with fish older than these and they are all planted and cleaned once a week. Once a month I do a 50% water change and every week I do about a 30% change.
Thanks for your help.
Thanks for your help.
how many adult swordtails are "some" and do ALL of them in this tank exhibit this behavior? I would be curious if you can measure the water params---particularly temp and current--just in this corner that they hang out in. It seems like they like it there better than anyplace else in the tank. It is definitely odd behavior, although I suppose if they show no other indications of disease it isn't all that critical of a thing.
How long ago did they start doing this, and did they wander the tank as is usual before? Did you breed them yourself or acquire them from another source, and if the latter do any of the others from that source show peculiarities?
How long ago did they start doing this, and did they wander the tank as is usual before? Did you breed them yourself or acquire them from another source, and if the latter do any of the others from that source show peculiarities?
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Fungus meds are one of the most useless products sold for aquarium use. Assuming without microscopy that an infection is fungal in nature is a low % win. If you're going to medicate without without testing, use a good antibiotic, something either sulfa or furan based, minocycline, or if you can get it and handle it safely, chloramphenicol.
I lost all but three fish I put thoes in a hospital tank. They all exhibited the same symptoms. I cleaned out the whole tak and put them in a small tank. These fish were bought aty a store but I have had the at least 8 months I have one baby left I lost two I did breed the babies myself.
