Why is my red parrot fish lying in the sand flat or leaning on the sides of the tank?

Question

i have a 20gal tank wth 3 red parrot fish.
i got 3 red parrot fish last week.(they are here for a week now.)
they always are leaning on a rock or lying on the sand.
i see some white-like scratches in their skin and i believe in must be from lying on the sand.
they dont swim a lot and if you dont look close enough.the look dead.

my dad pu methylene blue---not sure and a chlorine eliminator on the tank.(liquids)

please tell me how to solve this problem and what causes these weird behavior.

fyi brandi91082,
i still have my 10neons,7glowlites,3guppies in my 15 gal and they are doing fine.2 weeks now.
and i have another tank which i am using as a gift for my mom,she wants parrots and i strongly disagreed it will not turn out fine but it is her birthday so i must say "ok".

and i strongly suggest brandi91082 that you keep your mouth shut if you dont have something nice to say.
btw,never judge me.you dont deserve it.

Answer 1

sounds like it might be ammonia poisoning -- you should gravel vacuum and change 20% of the water every week and use a chemical to boost beneficial bacteria like stress zyme or cycle.

start with gravel vacuuming and changing about 75% of the water.

i am assuming they are eating? if they aren't it could be swim bladder. you can find lots of info on swim bladder on the internet.

do the spots look like sugar stuck to fish or actual scratches? if it looks like sugar then its ich and methylene blue should help. just keep using it for like a month -- it takes a long time to cure ich.

Answer 2

how long has the tank been set up?
if you didn't put it through the nitrogen cycle, then thats your problem.
there's a build of Ammonia in the tank, and ammonia hurts, and potentially kills, fish. Invest in Ammonia and Nitrate/Nitrite test kits. The ideal readings are 0 Ammonia, 0 Nitrite and about 25ppm Nitrate (if the nitrate is higher than 50ppm this is also a problem).

as you now have the fish, you will need to do DAILY 20% water changes, do one now, make sure you put dechlor in the new water and it's the same temperature as the tank before it goes in. test the water parameters daily, and write down the readings, you shoul d see ammonia peak and then drop, then nitrite peaks then drops then you see the nitrate reading begin to climb.

there's also a possibility that your new fish may have come with a parasite or problem when you bought them. or that the instability of the water they're in has caused them to become more susceptible (sp?!) to disease.

and i'm not a parrot fish expert, but i think they're going to get too big for you 20 gallon in the long run. they get pretty chunky.

Answer 3

Just so everyone knows, this kid just kills fish, he had 25 fish or something in that 20 gallon tank, and kept asking how many more he could put in, and now it seems that they all have died, and he has replaced them with parrots, which grow EXTREMELY large, and will eventually need at least 30 gallons apiece. Parrot fish are not a natural cross of fish, they are made by humans, maybe a cross of the red devil cichlid and gold severum. In my experience, they are mean, and will kill anything that you put in the tank with them, they spit gravel alll day long and make huge piles, and they get HUGE. It is not right to keep fish this size in a 20 gallon tank. I just dont understand how people can justify doing this to animals. I always understock and overfilter my tanks, because fish are friends, and I want all my fish to live out their life expectancy in as close to natural conditions as possible. The behavior these fish are displaying is NOT normal for them, they are a very active and sometimes obnoxious fish, jumping out of the water to beg for food, and often nipping at hands that get put into their tank. I think that your fish are about to die AGAIN, numbah. I also think that you should sell your fishtank until you're old enough to properly research the animals you choose to get and are able to maintain proper husbandry of your tank.

Answer 4

has your tank been cycled? Also Parrot fish are known for hiding and sulking for a while up to 6 months you have to give the a place to hide they will come out when they feel comfortable and eventually you will need a bigger tank they can reach a size of up to 10 inches

Answer 5

it may desire to be because of the fact there is not any longer adequate oxygen, the tank isn't very clean, or the fish are hungry/somewhat interested in some thing close to that section. If neither attempt to call your interior of sight puppy save and ask them approximately it.

Answer 6

he is probably sick, you should have your water tested, your nitrite or nitrate levels may be to high, you can have this done at most petstores