HELP! Sick Fish

L

Lisa

H2O Lover
Jun 9, 2003
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Colorado, USA
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I'm three weeks into cycling my tank with Guppies. I've noticed that two of them haven't seemed as healthy as the others. These two I bought from Wal-Mart and the others elsewhere. Today I noticed a patch of cotton-like fungus on it's back. It swims kind of labored and prefers to be floating at the top of the tank or laying on rocks at the bottom. They both have little tolerance for the aquarium light when it's on more than 10 hours. They hide and look dead until I turn the light off - then they perk up. They do not look very healthy. Any suggestions? Should I return them to Wal-Mart? My biggest concern is them contaminating the entire tank, thus setting back my cycling and making my remaining Guppies sick (one is pregnant:)) What should I do? Is this disease contagious? Are my other fish going to get it? HELP PLEASE!:(
 
Yeah, I think I'd certainly get em out of there... I myself wouldn't bother taking them back to Walmart though unless you have an unusual Walmart that takes good care of it's fish. If I am not mistaken this can spread to your other guppies. With a tank still not cycled though, I'd be hesistant to medicate too much. Have you tested or had the LFS test for ammonia and nitrites? I've fishy cycled before I knew about the fishless cycling but it's difficult to keep the fish alive. My last fishy cycling in a non plant tank used mollies and I had to do daily water changes the last couple of weeks to keep the nitrites low enough for the fish to survive.
 
All levels are good except the nitrite which is at 1.0 (stress). The other three Guppies are thriving. They look excellent, have tons of energy and are healthy eaters. I'll definitely get the two sick ones out. Their spines are starting to look hunchbacked. Something is seriously wrong with them. Should I still medicate the tank once they're out to prevent the others from getting it? Or just take them out and see how the others do? Meanwhile I will do a water change. Thanks!
 
I think I would just keep a close eye on the nitrites and the fish that are left and perhaps add a little salt to the water. I've read that may help to lessen the stress on the gills of the fish from the nitrite. Many people use some salt with livebearers anyway and a teaspoon perhaps for every five gallons of water wouldn't hurt.

I've never actually had a fish with fungus but from my reading, it seems not to be as highly contagious as things like ick. So I don't think I'd try to medicate the healthy looking fish. Instead I'd try to keep their water conditions good and let their own immune systems work.
 
That's what you get for trusting Walmart, my bf and I go to Walmart to laugh at their store. They keep their fish in appaulling conditions and I think that if you were naive enough to trust them.. well... yes, but anyway, Walmart does not care about animals in any way at all, and I recommend you never buy anything that is alive from them again.

PS - Not saying it is funny that fish are being killed by these reckless stores or anything but why do people buy fish when 90% of them in the tank are dead or dying???
 
I definitely took a gamble with Wal-Mart. In fact, I didn't even know they had a fish dep't 'til I was there running errands. I couldn't resist the two guppies with gorgeous fins. I thought I was doing them a favor by getting them out of Wal-Mart:p . Evidently they were sick from the getgo due to poor care.:(
 
Originally posted by Tempest
I think I would just keep a close eye on the nitrites and the fish that are left and perhaps add a little salt to the water. I've read that may help to lessen the stress on the gills of the fish from the nitrite. Many people use some salt with livebearers anyway and a teaspoon perhaps for every five gallons of water wouldn't hurt.

ANY PARTICULAR TYPE OF SALT???
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