watupg Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 Hi I've had a new 22 litre fish tank running for 2 and a half weeks. I went with younger fish so it would be easier to look after (at first). I started off with 3 white cloud mountain minnows, 2 danios and a fresh water mussel. I introduced 2 swordtails the next day from a different store. A week later I got 2 more danios and 2 American flag fish from the first store. Today I noticed one of the swordtails has white spots and damaged fins. I placed the fish in small bucket with salt and some medicine. After inspecting all the other fish I have noticed a few seem to have damaged fins but (so far) no others has signs of white spots. Can anyone help with advice? Im not sure if the fish are sick and have damaged fins or they have done it to each other?? The fish tank is in our lounge so it is possible there are under more stress but they seem happy and they have plastic plants to hide them. As I have a fresh water mussel treating sick fish is a bit more harder. Can I add salt to the water with the fresh water mussel inside? Im about to clean the filter and do a 40% water change. Please help! Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BikBok Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 I'm new to fishkeeping but that seems like a lot of fish in a short time for that sized tank. In my 22L I have just two fish. I wonder if you could put the mussel in a bucket while you treat the tank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 hello and welcome. now i hate to do this to you, but your swords and flagfish (killies) are tropical fish. so are your danios but are pretty hardy. also all those fish in a 22L tank, is too many fish. stick with the mountain minnows. the white spots are a parasite called ich. you will find PLENTy of info here and on the net on how to get rid of it. I use salt and wunder tonic. it was probably caused cause the swordtails came from tropical water and then went into a coldwater tank... not so good for them, stressed them out, compromised the immune system and BAM you have ich. if you clean your filter, and I presume it's an internal filter, (let us know what sort) wash the sponge out in the same water as your tank, and replace it. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watupg Posted July 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 Thanks for the advise Im new at the keeping fish game and any info is most welcome :-? . All are cold water fish brought from cold water tanks in the fish shop. The fish tank has a power head and the filter sits at the top. The guy in the shop said not to put any more than 10 danios sized fish into the tank. I guessed that those 9 would be fine but maybe Im wrong... I changed about 30% of the water last night, cleaned the filter and at the same time moved all the stones around. I aslo added StressCoat and StressZyme. I still have the other fish in isolation as Im worried about it spreading to the other fish. At this staged no other fish are showing any signs of infection. If they do I will place the mussel into the bucket and treat the whole tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LYNDYLOO Posted July 17, 2009 Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 All the Fish you have apart from the Mussel are Tropical Fish, so they need to be in Heated Water. The Danio's and Minnows can live in cooler temps, but none of the other Fish can. Do you have a Heater in the Tank?? Personally I think there are far to many Fish in such a Small Tank. What sort of Filter do you have on or in the Tank?? Ohh another thing, don't always believe what you hear from the people in a Petshop, half of them dont know what they are talking about, and lets face it they are there to SELL you something. I would pop the Mussel into the Bucket, and treat the rest of the Tank with Wonder Tonic or White Spot cure, your Tank Temp will need to be turned upto round 28 degrees, thats if you have a Heater in it. Lynda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BikBok Posted July 17, 2009 Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 yes a heater will speed up the life cycle of the whitespot organism so it can be dealt with more quickly and more effectively . And your fish will be happier too in a warmer tank. After treatment you could probably turn it slowly back down to 24-25oC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted July 17, 2009 Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 I really get annoyed when shops sell certain fish as "coldwater" species when in fact they are not. They can tolerate cooler temperatures than most tropicals (eg down to 18C) but not cold! :evil: White clouds and the mussel are coldwater. Danios need 18C or more and the other two are tropical. 22 Lires is a very small tank and you have too many fish for a tank that size. Danios need a long tank as they are fast swimmers and reach high speeds. They are also a shoaling fish and are best kept in groups of 6 or more. Assuming your flagfish are Jordanella floridae, they will get up to 6cm and need more room. What sex are your swordtails? They need to be kept in a sex ratio of 1 male to 2 or 3 females. Of course, if you have two males you might be fine but the larger one will probably harass the smaller one to death as well as attack other fish. If you have females, have you considered what to do with the resulting fry? They can store sperm for many months so were most likely pregnant when you bought them. White spot is an indicator of stress and/or poor water quality. I would keep the white clouds and mussel and return the rest. Get more white clouds once the tank tests are clear. Watch the mussel. If it dies it will go off very fast and kill everything else in the tank. Since you already have white spot this is a distinct possiblity. The fish are most likely sick (fin rot and/or ammonia burn) as well as damaged due to fin nipping. The tank has been going 2 and a half weeks, why would you need to clean the filter? That is where the good bacteria grows. If you keep cleaning it you will kill off the good bacteria and the tank will never cycle. Have you read any articles about tank cycling yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watupg Posted July 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 I have an Aqua One AR 126 fish tank with a wet and dry filter system built into the hood. Great little tank but I got it second hand and no heater. Strange the shops would sell tropical fish to me when I asked for cold water fish and told them I have no heater?? They even said the fish were breed in cold water too... I live up in Auckland I don't know if that makes a difference? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LYNDYLOO Posted July 17, 2009 Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 A Tropical Fish is as it says "A Tropical Fish" it doesn't matter where you live, these Fish still NEED a Heater. I really don't understand why you were sold these Fish as Coldwater because they most certainly are not. I would be going back to the Petshop you bought them from, and asking for a refund on some of the Fish, put the Refund Money towards buying a much needed Heater. Really think abit more research should have been done before setting up your Tank, there's a lot more to Keeping Fish than filling up a Tank and adding some Fish. Your Tank should have been cycled also,before adding the amount of Fish that have been added in such a short amount of time. Maybe head to the Beginners Section on here and have a read through some of the Beginners Posts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharn Posted July 17, 2009 Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 Some great advice up there, I am sorry whatever shop you went to gave you such dodgy info for you to start out on, its discouraging when your new fish get sick but you are doing much better than most by doing research Maybe ring the shop, explain that you purchased your fish from there under the assumption they were cold water fish (and you have been told since that just because they can tolerate it doesnt mean it is ideal for them), they have got sick since but you would like to do the best for your fish and a: purchase a heater or b: return some fish in exchange for a heater. If the shop is unwilling to help you out dont go back, it was naughty of them to not advise you that the fish you had were not suitable for your current setup. P.s. tropicals are much more fun anyway :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twinkles Posted July 17, 2009 Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 or buy a second tank, with heater, and move everything except the danios and mussel into it http://www.trademe.co.nz/Home-living/Pe ... 686840.htm then you can have a nice tropical tank, and if you get a large one add some other tropical fish, and still have your cold water tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LYNDYLOO Posted July 17, 2009 Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 I've just some research on Minnows, Temp should be 18-22 Danios ideal Temp is between 18-24 So I would be removing the Mussel And popping a heater into the Tank with the remaining Fish you have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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