fish id and advice on possible disease

Pinantanjohn · 04-21-2008, 01:32 AM

My ex bought this fish just after I got the tank stable and didn't get any information on it. She thought it was cute. I have had this fish for about 3 years and he's been active and healthy until about a week ago. He was swimming head up like he was looking at the surface, being sluggish and respiring really fast. He was being picked on by my pleco for the last little while so that may be it. I have him quarantined and he seems to be getting a little more active but is still just sitting on the bottom panting.

The water tests really good and nitrates/nitrites are essentially unmeasurable. The tank really hasn't changed in many, many months. It's very stable. The only change is that I have taken out Frankenfish, a huge 6 inch goldfish I bought as a feeder to start the tank, that simply outgrew it (he's now in his own pond in my neighbors yard). The bioload in the tank has dropped considerably since he left so I can be certain my filters are fine. The other fish are happy and breeding like guppies ( they are guppies, go figure)..

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
thanks

missfish · 04-25-2008, 07:17 PM

G day,

I think its a flying fox. I ended up with one too! He was in a tank i brought from my LFS when they were setting up new tanks, any fish still in the tank the day i picked it up where mine. I also got a gold sailfin pleco, sweet! Anyway they are a alage eater and generally a bottom feeder. I think they would prefer to be in a school but I got mine when he was big so getting more would be expensive. My guy does breathe really fast all the time, especially when hes feeding. But then when he swims his gutts hit the bottom all the time, he is not streamlined anymore, but has a large potbelly! He does however look healthy, he cruizes around the plants and never looks sluggish. He does rest alot on the bottom on his pectoral fins (and belly now) but i think this is a behaviour common in them.
I'm not sure what could be wrong with your fish but i'm sure someone will come to your aid!

Goodluck

Missfish

Pinantanjohn · 04-26-2008, 12:12 AM

Thanks... It's definately a Flying Fox, I found that out a day or so ago. This poor fish doesn't seem to be a bottom feeder, but that could just be the negative re-enforcement from my Pleco chasing him around when he get's close to the bottom. He is only eating the flake I feed the guppies, but he's back eating at least.

I'm wondering, I have a full tank bottom filter running and it's not good for the plants. Is there some way I can keep plants without having them stuck in the substrate. I'm not talking about the little floating mung that rapidly fills the surface and effectively kills all the light, but some grasses and ferns for the baby guppies to hide in. the only thing I know of would be hydroponic medium in a net cup sitting on the bottom. It's fairly inert so it shouldn't mess with the water chem. Any other ideas?

Peace...
John