fish health question?

Question

i have a female swordtail (or something similar) in my 2.5gallon tank which is in it's fifth day of cycling and I have noticed that the bottom side of the fish is starting to turn white, it used to be almost transparent. Also, I am not sure if it is my imagination, but there appears to be some slight swelling in the area i mentioned.

my current ammonia reads just below 1.0, nitrite 1.6 and nitrate 12.5

should i be worried about this?

the part of the fish turning white does not appear to be fungus or itch, it is not a superficial thing.

Answer 1

Yes, you should be worried, but it's not a problem that you can't correct. The color change is due primarily to stress from the cycling water conditions. Continue to monitor your water quality very closely and change water as needed to keep it where it is now. Once the cycle completes and there is 0 ammonia and nitrite (essentially 0 that is) she will return to normal coloration.

MM

Answer 2

If it is a female she could be pregnant and becoming gravid. You need a water change though (25%) to bring down your levels. Ammonia should be a 0, nitrates and nitrites should be as close to 0 as possable. In a small tank you will really have to watch your feeding and keep up on your water changes. Good Luck!

Answer 3

Whats the pH?
1ppm of ammonia can be fatal at 7. Get the ammonia down by reducing trhe pH to ~6.75. Add "stress zyme" or another tank cycling aid, tetra have a new product which suppose "instantly" cycles the tank, i would add this to supplement normal cycling.

Answer 4

The environment your fish is in right now is very bad for it and you are essentially killing your fish. Do a 30% water change with de-chlorinated water and keep doing them as often as necessary to keep the toxins close to 0. Yes, this may slow down the cycle, but it will also save your fish.