ok...i just got tropical fish yesterday...they seemed ok yesterday but i have 2 fish and there always at the top of the tank and dont swim that much..whats wrong..is the tank getting enough oxygen or should i move the filter beacause thats where the fish lay on top of the tank near the filter?
2007-04-10 06:17:39 · 7 answers · asked by syd. 4 in Pets ➔ Fish
Although fish sometimes are shy when acclimating to a new tank. My first question is how long have you had the tank up and running prior to putting the fish into the tank? If the tank was not cycled prior to putting your new fish into it, chances are your ammonia is spiking.
Here is a web page that describes what is going on in a new tank
http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/biologicalcycle/a/nitrogencycle.htm
The only way to remove the ammonia is to do a water change 25% or more. Your best friend right now is a water testing kit. This will allow you to know if there is a problem with the water. Ammonia, nitrates and PH.
Usually when fish hover near the top of the tank they are trying to escape something in the water. I would test first to be sure the fish are slowly being poisoned by ammonia.
Also, be sure your ph is within the safe range. 7 is usually where fish stores keep their PH for fresh water fish. It is possiable your's is too high or too low.
Feel free to email if you need additional help.
Good luck.
2007-04-10 07:25:08 · answer #1 · answered by danielle Z 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
If the tank is new, you will need to get a test kit so you can test for ammonia, nitrite and pH. Ammonia and nitrite are toxic and will build from fish waste. The pH isn't as important as long as it is stable. Most fish can adjust to any pH between 6.0 and 8.0 as long as it is table and not fluctuating all over.
What type fish did you get and what size tank is it?
2007-04-10 15:02:15 · answer #2 · answered by rdd1952 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Are they alive? did you remove the chlorine and chloramines from the water? is the temperature ok? If all is well then they probably are needing to acclimate to their new environment. Some fish species become extremely shy in a new environment.
2007-04-17 09:48:02 · answer #3 · answered by pilot 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Many fish tend to be shy when acclimating to a new tank. Just to be safe check your water levels and see if something is amiss.
2007-04-15 00:50:03 · answer #4 · answered by Palor 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
some of the tropical fish can take up to 2 weeks to properly aclimate to their new environment so don't worry too much however keep a very close eye on your chemical levals and put live brine shrimp in the tank to encourage eating
2007-04-10 13:31:23 · answer #5 · answered by Adam T 3 · 3⤊ 3⤋
They are probably just still settling in to their new home. It can take some fish a few days to get used to a new tank. I wouldn't worry at all.
MM
2007-04-10 13:24:23 · answer #6 · answered by magicman116 7 · 5⤊ 4⤋
They are probably getting used to their new home. They might act like that for a couple of days.
A$H!
2007-04-10 13:31:34 · answer #7 · answered by A$HLEY*! 4 · 2⤊ 3⤋