i just bought a dragonfish and have no idea what to do, can somebody give me some advice.?

Question

i bought 2 dozen rosey reds to feed him. he ate about 10 of them last nite and now he acts like hes gonna die. he is turning white and he keeps rolling on his side and dropping to the bottom if the tank.

Answer 1

What do you mean by dragon fish?
Do you mean a mandarin dragonet?
http://www.asiadivesite.com/images/malaysia/mandarin.jpg

You may also be refering to the lion fish (sometimes called dragon fish):
http://static.zsl.org/static/site/image-library/watermarked/005.jpg

Or possible the violet goby aka dragon fish:
http://www.aquariumfish.net/images_01/violet_goby.jpg

If it is something other than that, you'll have to be more specific. But all in all, he does not sound healthy. First of all, 10 roseys is probably way too much to for him to eat at once. I can't be sure without knowing what fish you're refering to, but feeding exclusively live, and a lot of them, is typically not a good, healthy, well-balanced diet. He may be constipated or bloated - offer him a piece of shelled pea.

Check the water levels. Again, I don't know the size of your tank, whether or not it was cycled, etc, but test for ammonia and nitrites - if they are above 0, you are having a spike, and must do an immediate water change to bring the levels down.

Also, research your fish to make sure you have the correct pH, salinity, hardness, etc. Most fish are adaptable but you should still know your ideal range.

Answer 2

I sell dragonfish, they aren't too hard to keep. It sounds like you've overfed. Have you checked your water levels? If it was fine in the store, then looks bad in your tank, chances are you ammonia or ph is off and he is really stressed. Check your tank, lay off the food. Some fish will eat out of instint, even if they are full. Like oscars will still go after smaller fish, even if they are really full. They usually have to spit it back out because they can't hold it in.
Dragonfish aren't overly active. You may also want to call the petstore, and see what they have for a fish guarantee. Usually if your water tests ok, they should replace or refund you your money unless they're not a very reptutable store.
Good luck

Answer 3

dont feed him roseys. remove half the water and change it to fresh water. treat it with a tab of tetracyclin. for three days. then again change half the water, this will make him better. try feeding small gold fish. you can give him chicken heart also, i have been having dragon fishes for 10 yrs now. another good food is prawn or shrimp. when u buy for ur home u can feed ur fish also. it will be amazin to watch it come and eat from ur hands.

Answer 4

The mandarin dragonet is a voracious and finicky eater. Not a fish for beginners.

This site is the Wikipedia of the aquarium hobby:

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/index.htm

Answer 5

Zoe is right on target, I just wanted to add that you need to do a lot of research. Search for him online, talk to your local pet store where you bought him. He sounds so sick that I'm afraid you may not have more than a couple hours.