Listless fish newly added to aquarium?

Question

180 litre aquarium, up and running 2 weeks. Cycled using old media. When ammonia, nitrites came down to 0 and nitrates up to 10 added fish. 2 in first day, they were fine, then a third the next day and a fourth the day after. The fish are young malawi cichlids (aulunocara sp x3, one yellow lab). The yellow lab when added swam ok for a few minutes but since then he's just sitting on a rock, slightly head down and has been for the last 6 hours. His gills are moving, but not excessively fast. When he does move he looks a little listless, and he will move around just a bit before going back to the exact same rock. He was acclimatised by floating bag for 30 mins, adding some tank water slowly then let swim out. Tank readings are o for Ammonia and Nitrite, 10 for Nitrates. Ph is 8, temp 25C. Tank lights are off, and so are room lights in that room. Have I just bought a dud fish or is he settling in ? The other three are fine; all of them fed today, swimming well.

Thanks guys - I had planned to get four in and leave things settle while doing water changes as necessary to let the bacterial filter adjust so this is it for additions for the moment.

I'm basically a hypochondriac; You've re-assured me greatly that he should make it.

He didn't make it. This morning he wafted of his rock and croaked in front of me - at least he had the decency to do so before I went to work so I could fish him out, rather than have him start to decompose and poision my water.

Thanks for the answers folks.

I don't think it was just stress - it strikes me as not a coincidence that I noticed a poorly yellow lab when purchasing and made a mental note not to have him, but then got distracted. I think I ended up with the dud - not that this was deliberate - my LFS have already promised me a new fish.

I don't think it was necessarily adding fish too quickly - 2, then 1 then 1 over three days with a tank which was cycled with old media is not excessive in my opinion.

The drip method sounds like the safest way to add new fish to me, and is useful advice. I don't think however it would have made a difference for this poor fellow.

Thanks again folks

Answer 1

Floating a bag for thirty minutes is not sufficient to acclimatize a fish to a new tank.Your Labidochromis is reacting to stress. The water from the pet store was probably vastly different than your tank.(The water in your tank should be fine for Malawi Cichlids) To properly introduce a fish to your aquarium,put the fish with the transfer (pet store) water in a small container.(1 gallon or so.) Start a slow drip of aquarium water into the small container.(slow is the key word). When the container is nearly full discard most of the water and continue the SLOW drip.Repeat this for at least an hour, more time is better. When the water in the small container is almost all aquarium water net the fish and put it or them in the aquarium. This avoids shocking the fish and reduces the chances of introducing parasites ,pathogens or diseases from the pet store. Good luck.----PeeTee

Answer 2

hes just stressed, give him some more time. Also you shouldn't be adding fish daily since every new fish takes its toll on your biological filtration. Give a few days to even a week between adding fish so the biological load can even out again (ie. ammonia back to 0)

Answer 3

Striped peacock eels are oftentimes non violent yet might want to by danger mistake smaller fish for nutrition. Shrimp are suited on the prey record. in case you get higher, non violent fish, try to be advantageous. yet with any such enormous fish that would want to strengthen as a lot as fourteen", you could opt for to think about your inventory. perhaps a pair of rams? non violent cichlids that boast a form of colorings.

Answer 4

He just needs a little more time to adjust to the new environment. Give him a few days and all should be well.

MM