I cleaned out my fish tank last week, and i notice since then that one or two of the fish act weird?

Question

I have a 50litre tank. I cleaned the filter and the pebbles at the bottom ,and changed quarter to half the water out of it. The fish seem fine , but I noticed yesterday that two of my fish have these "tails of waste" you could say coming from them.It is really weird to see, and when he moves quickly, the line of waste breaks off. But 10 minutes later, its hanging again from him.The fish is about 2.5" long, and the line of waste coming from him can stretch to 4 or 5" long. Help me, I think he could be in a bit of trouble.

Answer 1

The excess waste is from over abundance of food. Mollies are known for this. Really nothing to worry about. Since your fish are producing soo much waste, you may want to feed them greens every now and then to keep them from getting constapated. (Peas, cukes, lettuce spinach) In small amounts. This will keep their insides cleared. Also, How many times per day do you feed them and how much?

If this is not affecting your fish since they are still eating and swimming. Try the greens.

Try only changing 20-25% of the water for a water change.

Answer 2

This story is a common, but unfortunate one. Take time to read it, because this kind of story perpetuates the myth that water changes are harmful.

John is a proud fish owner who’s had a tank running for almost a year. He takes good care of his fish, feeds them properly, adds water to the tank when it evaporates, and keeps the glass sparkling clean, both inside and out.

One day a friend stopped by and noticed the gravel was a little dirty. He asked John if he’d vacuumed the gravel that last time he did a water change. John stared at him in confusion, he’d never heard about water changes. He quickly read several articles and found out he should have been doing partial water changes water every few weeks. Feeling like a jerk for neglecting his fish, he immediately performed a massive water change, vacuumed the gravel thoroughly, and changed the filter media.

Everything looked pristine, and John felt much better -- that is until the next day when he discovered that half his fish were dead. Within the next couple of weeks the remaining fish died, even though he performed several more water changes. John didn't replace his fish, and gave up on fish keeping. He told people that changing water killed his fish and is unsafe, even though books say differently.

What Went Wrong?
Did the water change kill John’s fish? The answer is yes, but not because water changes are inherently bad. The cause is more complex than that. Over time the by-products of fish waste, uneaten food particles, dead leaves from plants, etc., alters the chemistry of the water. Because the fish live in the water, and the changes happen slowly, they adjust to it.

A sudden, large water change causes such a drastic shift in the makeup of the water that the fish often cannot tolerate it. Those that do not die immediately are stressed and may succumb over the next few weeks or months. Naturally the owner thinks that the water change was a bad idea.

Should Water be Changed?
Now for the million dollar question, if changing water can kill fish, why do water changes at all? The answer is that regular water changes are important for the long term health of your fish. The dissolved wastes in the water, which are not apparent to the naked eye, won't kill the fish outright, but the stress reduces their immunity to disease.

Fish are exposed to bacteria, viruses, and parasites more often than owners realize. If the fish have a strong immune system they rarely get sick even when exposed to disease. On the other hand fish that become ill usually have been stressed by poor water conditions and/or improper diet. The best thing you can do to keep your fish health is to change the water regularly.

How To Start Doing Water Changes
If you haven't changed your water for months, or years, it is not wise to make a massive change. However, you still should start changing the water regularly. Start small, changing less than 5% of the total water volume. Wait a week, and perform another very small water change. Continue this process for several months, each time increasing the amount slightly. This will subject your fish to a slow change in water chemistry, which they can adapt to without harm.

You'll find that as you get used to the water changing routine, it takes less and less time to complete. It’s time well spent, as clean water is the key to keeping fish healthy and increasing their lifespan. Remember that the next time someone tells you that water changes are fish killers.

Answer 3

Water companies put chlorine in their drinking water to cut down on bacteria that is harmful for human consumption. This chlorine is what also kills and stresses fish! When you do water changes you have to make sure you put chlorine remover in the replacment water after you put it in your tank! Otherwise they die, also the water you add to your tank should be the same tempature as the water in your tank, or it will give your fish ick, which is a white cotton look substance that clings onto your fish and eventually drowns them because of the weight of the substance then you have to add ick out so it hopfully cures your fish in time??? If your not sure of my advice go ask someone at the fish store that knows about it they will tell you the same thing!!!.

Answer 4

Im guessing they are adaptning to the cleaness

Answer 5

im worried now, my fish do this and i just thought it was there poo. lol i hope it nothing serious like!