I have 3 pacu fish - they are swimming upside down i have just bought them?

Question

I think they are dieing please help

all fish are now dead.... have no idea why this has happened...if i go back to the shop will they give my £100 back??

Answer 1

Are you sure these fish weren't imported from down under?

Answer 2

If they were lying on their side in the bottom of the tank i'd say they are stressed and playing dead. If they were not on the substrate and are unable to stay upright then its probably a condition called 'swim bladder' where the fish can't control its in/out take of air/water and loses its buoyancy, unfortunately its completely irreversable.

Sorry to hear you lost them but like the other guy said; you take the dead fish and a sample of your water to the pet shop and, assuming your water is suitable for Pacu, then you should get a full refund. If you water is not suitable for Pacu then the shop may quibble and give you nothing back...

Answer 3

£100 is a lot of money for three fish and many UK shops will not return money spent on fish that die, even if they die in the pet-shop's bag on the way home.

I strongly suggest that if you do not get a refund you should keep receipts, freeze or preserve the bodies if you can do so fairly easily and contact Trading Standards for your area. Trading Standards may be based at your Town Hall and you could also find out how to contact them at a library.

I would also suggest that you empty your aquarium, and "air-sterilise it" - leave it dry for a little. (Just in case the fish died of anything infectious.) If you do set up the tank again make sure that you use safe gravel - I use washed natural gravel, never artificial or the coloured stuff.

If you can, try to get some handfuls of gravel or algae covered rocks from a healthy, working aquarium and add them. Natural plants (sterilised with an aquarium remedy) will help, too (but not for Pacu. Pacu will eat them. )Then run your filter for at least two weeks before adding fish.

You can also cycle the tank by adding a little ammonia and waiting for two weeks but I haven't found that method to work as well. The filter needs to run all the time - all this sets up a population of bacteria in the filter, and the bacteria convert toxins produced by fish waste into safer substances.

Keep the first fish in their bags and float them in the aquarium until the water in the bag is the same temperature as the water in the tank - but then take the bags out and put the fish in big containers with the water that was in the bag with them. Take a length of air-line and gently syphon some of the water from the aquarium into the container with the fish - you need to do this very slowly.

Fish that are moved from water with one Ph into water with a very different Ph can go into shock and die so always mix the water like this, very very slowly. (Basically, you need to get them used to water with the same chemical balance as the water in the aquarium.) Finally, after the fish are in water that is as nearly the same as the auarium water as you can manage, release the fish into the aquarium.

You will need to get through the same routine of floating the bags, mixing the water, etc. when you add fish later.

However, since you had Pacu I am assuming that you have a very big aquarium? You may want to get a smaller aquarium to use as a quarantine tank. That tank can be set up more simply but it does need to be cycled, with a working filter.

You would find it less expensive to get a couple of cheaper fish when all this is set up. Treat them in the same way, equalising the water, etc. keep them in the quarantine tank for three weeks and then, if they are still healthy and happy, go through the same routine and put them in the big aquarium. If they are still happy and healthy a month later you are ready to get your expensive fish.

Then you put the expensive ones through the same thing. Water equalisation, quarantine and then the big aquarium.

It sounds like a lot of trouble but your fish can live happily for years without you having to do a major aquarium strip-down like this, if you can do it properly when you firt get them.

Answer 4

O that may no longer good once you regulate the water on a fish tank the tempacure can replace and that they do no longer seem to be use to the water yet so they pass in to marvel marvel is brought about via the tempature so they the place no longer use to it and went in to marvel know this is marvel beacuse it has happend lots to me such various situations basically make shure that the tempature is comparable to once you emtyed it i wait tell this is an identical temp. and then positioned some water in a zip lock and positioned them interior the bag close it and positioned it interior the tank after 30 min take them out and sell off them interior the water so ya i know that this is marvel beacuse what they do while they pass in to marvel is swim up area down and after a wile die bacuse that and that they cant consume so i'm sorry do exactly what i reported ubove once you get some extra fish so wish i ought to help and that i'm very sorry approximately your fish you will get some new fish and in case you do congrats =)

Answer 5

change 30% of the water now.


and make sure:

you filled the tank with dechlorinated water.

you have left the tank for at least a week, preferably more from setup to adding fish.

do you have a big enough filter for the size of tank and fish.

the water temperature is correct.

the ph is in a reasonable range.

test nitrite and ammonia levels.

Answer 6

if u just bought the fish and they have died then u should be able to get your money back...just bring in the dead fish with a water sample and if it wasn't the water you will get your money or something of equivalence back

Answer 7

Those guys stress really easily...give them a little time to acclimate to their new environment. Also, you may want to do a test on the water for things like ammonia, ph, nitrates/nitrites, etc just to make sure everything is where it should be...

Answer 8

. yes.take sample of water with you to shop they will answer your question better.we can only Guess want.s wrong.water test only take.s couple of min.s.sorry about your fish.good luck.

Answer 9

Maybe your tank is upside down

Answer 10

bladder problem, quick visit to the pet shop should sort it