Need fish help

[MagPie]

I feel a little silly asking for fish help on a rabbit forum, but I'm not on any fish forums hah.

Anyway I have a 10 gallon planted tank that I set up over a year ago. I've had 3 danios (of some sort) in there for less than a year. They've been doing great. Way active, eat great. So I decided I wanted to add one smaller fish, some sort of dwarf gourami. I bought one from Petsmart (never again) about a week ago. It seemed to be doing good in my tank, eating, active. Yesterday I noticed long stringy clear poop from him. This morning he was dead. I noticed on one of the danios it had the same stringy poop. The danios are acting normal.

Far as I can tell, it's likely an internal parasite. I can get meds for them tomorrow, cause I'd really hate to lose them. I am also going to do a larger than normal water change tomorrow too.
Any suggestions on medication? Or maybe any other thoughts on what this might be?

Thanks

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Some of our fish used to do that too with no problem other than we were feeding a little too much. I'd get a parasite treatment and I'd also go back with the dead fish and tell them you'd like one that is healthy. Your Danios are proof that it's not the environ.

 

[Watermelons]

Bump your temps up a little (slowly).
What are your water specs? Danios are hearty little fish that can survive crummy conditions, and grouramis are quite delicate IMO.
It may have been that the fish was less then perfect, but it also may have been the water.
Stressed fish can be prone to illness as well, So new delicate fish introduced to a new tank, affects its immune system, it catches something, gets sick and dies. And maybe the change in the water that happened when the gourami died affected one of the danios.

 

[MagPie]

I do have a blue green algae problem going that I've been pulling out every week. Working on that one.

I do water changes usually about every week or so. I don't know my water specs off hand. I'll take a look at that.

I've had luck with gouramis before. And he looked like he was fine, he even perked up when I put him my tank.

Larry I already flushed him. I'm not buying from petsmart again. The Petco and Petsmart don't normally have a good stock of fish. And the place I got the Danios (pretty little fish even tho they aren't as flashy as zebras) closed down. It was a nice store too. Which is why I haven't added new fish in such a long time.

 

[Bunnylova4eva]

Sweetie on here has helped me a bunch with my fish-maybe try sending her a PM?

My fish have had issues with long stringy poop, but not entirely clear. (My gourami and the mollies). I didn't know what it indicated. I've decided one things for sure though with my fish, and that is that I'm not getting more mollies. =P I've had 5 now in the last couple months and only one is still alive. We've had all sorts of issues. I'd like help figuring out about them always having long stringy poop too. I've been worreid about mine. There's a fish forum Sweety recomended, I just haven't had much chance toget back on there, maybe I'll go post this on there.

 

[MagPie]

Yeah Mia let me know what you find out. Yeah the Mollies also have some poor breeding too.

So far my guys are still acting normal. I saw normal poop on one fish, not sure if it was the same one or not. They don't like to sit still. Plus when I get near the tank they get more excited. Anyway another, I think the same one from yesterday, had some stringy poo again, but it wasn't clear today. I'm going to also try some medicated food since they are still eating.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

There used to be a fish place in Emeryville in an old warehouse. You name it, they had it and were fish people, not just store owners or franchise holders. Good luck.

 

[fuzz16]

Do you have a test kit? If no, then take your water, a baggies, to petsmart and ask them to test it. Nitrates and nittites and ammonia should be 0 ph should be 6-7
danios are Goldwater fish. Not tropical, can not mix them comfortably wit a gourami.
how did you acclimate the fish to your tank?

 

[MagPie]

I don't have a test kit, I'm going to petco later tonight to have it tested. I have my tank at 75. Actually with my plants there should be some nitrates which isn't as harmful to fish as the other two.

 

[fuzz16]

True. I try to keep mine under 15 ppm but I run co2 and.have high light. But depends if you run co2 and ferts by column or root.

You never said how you acclimated the fish.
Also, the danios could have stressed gourami to death.

Could be for many reasons it died, but mostly the cause was stress of shipment the store. Less likely your fault if your tank is within conditions

 

[Sweetie]

Magpie:
In order to post your problem on fishforums.com I need the following information:

Your water parameters/levels, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH
Send a pic via email of the fish with stringy poop
Tank size, what fish you have in the tank, previous fish that were in the tank

My email is [email protected]

You can register on fishforums.com but it will take a bit to get approved. You won't be able to post until you get approved as they have had trouble with bots. So I can post for you until you get approved. They are very nice people and knowledgeable also.

Mia is right, I have helped her with her fish and getting on fishforums.com.

It does sound like it could be an internal parasite. I will post this thread on fishforums and see what they think but I will need the info above that I asked for.

 

[Sweetie]

Also I would buy the liquid test kit, I would not get the petstore to test your water as they will tell you that everything is fine.

 

[Sweetie]

It has been posted. It usually takes about a day to get a response from someone. I will post back here when I get a response.

It is under diseases and titled Need fish help.

 

[Sweetie]

NickZac should see this. He helped me with my fish when she was sick with three illnesses. I have a pic in a thread in this forum of my fish. She was very sick but she fought and got well, and now she is very happy. The fish that was sick was my biggest clown loach: Baby Girl.

I am happy to help if I can. I hope your fish get better soon.

 

[MagPie]

Thanks Sweetie. Anyway I float the bag with the fish in the tank for about 30 minutes. The danios from what I could tell were leaving him alone. They would pretty much just interact with each other.

Anyway got my water tested at petco, they said it was good. I bought a test kit and tested it when I got home, I also got good results.

ammonia = 0ppm, nitrite = 0ppm, nitrate = 0ppm (ah might need to higher for the plants, don't have co2), pH = 8.2 (definately a little higher than I would like it, but unless Petsmart is using good water it might be the same)

Send a pic via email of the fish with stringy poop, haha I definately will try. They don't like to sit still.

Tank size, what fish you have in the tank, previous fish that were in the tank.
It is a 10 gallon tank. I've had it running for a little over a year. Before I had some platy in the tank. When they died I let the tank sit for a couple of months without fish, just in case there was something the platys had. March of last year I got the 3 danios (not sure what type they are) but they are an inch at most. I haven't added any fish until this gourami about a week ago. Still some stringy poop, so I got some meds and medicated fish food for them, since they are still eating.

 

[Sweetie]

You're welcome MagPie. I hope that your fish will get better. I have posted what you just posted on the thread on fishforums.com. As soon as someone posts a reply, I will let you know.

The way I get a pic of my clown loaches is by sitting by the tank and waiting for them to settle down which they usually do and then slowly bring up the camera and take a pic of them. Hope this helps you get a pic of your fish.

 

[MagPie]

Hahaha I will definitely try that. They don't seem like they like to stop moving. And they are tiny. I saw some big fat zebra danios at the store last night.

So much for trying to add more fish. It might just be their tank. haha.

 

[Sweetie]

Maybe but I wouldn't add anymore fish until you know what this thing is that is making them sick and you get it under control or cured.

 

[MagPie]

Oh definitely. Which is why I didn't add more fish in such a long time. The danios were doing good. The tank was doing good. So I'm thinking I'll just leave it a danio tank.

 

[Sweetie]

That is what I would suggest that you do. Danios are pretty cool and they are hardy fish as I have been told.