New tank - new fish don't seem 'happy'

[Bandido]

Hi everyone,

I just started a 20 gallon tank after decades away from fishkeeping. I'd consider myself a noob. I read EXTENSIVELY about how to setup and cycle a new tank, and the local pet-store (which is a hobby one, not a NoNamePetMart) confirmed that my tank had cycled and that I was ready to add fish.

So I added 5 Runny Nose tetras. The problem is that they just don't seem very 'happy'. I'm wondering if something is wrong. They mostly hang out at the bottom of the tank and their color seems to be a little 'faded'. They swim in little bursts and I just get the feeling they are stressed or something. I have 3 real plants and 2 fake ones.


My water has been tested for amonia, ph, nitrates and looks good.

Do you think they need more cover?

Do these fish usually hang out near the bottom?

Could it be something as simple as the temperature?

Any suggestions would be great. I don't want my fish just to live, I want them to be happy.

Tanks!

[Northernguy]

Welcome to the Fabulous AC!:22:
How did you cycle?
Can you please list the perameter readings that they gave you?Did they test with strips?
You should rteally invest in a liquid master test kit!
Here is a link with some info.
[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]

[oscar5]

Runny Nose tetras are middle and lower dwelling fish. How long have they been in there?

[Bandido]

Hi, and thanks for the welcome :)

I cycled using an ammonia/bio additive that I bought from the petstore. It caused my nitrites to spike which, I suppose, kick-started the transformation into nitrates.

I had my water tested twice at the store. The first time I was told my ammonia levels were safe but that the nitrites were too high. So I waited and did some water changes. And then when I went back a week later they said ammonia and nitrites (and ph) were all fine.

They tested using drops, not a strip. I confess that I did not ask for the actual numbers. The staff at the store are well-known for being knowledgeable in my neighborhood, so I took it on trust that 'things were fine'.

Oddly, the person who was helping me told me on both occasions not to bother buying any test kits. She said it was un-necessary. This was actually quite against my own gut-instincts. But again, since it is so rare to have someone working in a store try and talk you out of spending money (!), I figured she must have 'an inside scoop'.

Thanks in advance for the help! I'm really excited about getting back into this wonderful hobby that I enjoyed so much as a kid.

P.S. oscar5 - They have been in there 4 days now.

[Northernguy]

A test kit is very important to have unless of course you like going to the store a lot! lol
I don't think they will test your tank after hours.For some reason everytime I had to test my water was late at night or on a holiday!
A test kit will tell you whats going on in your tank.
Your fish sound fine.Can you post a pic of your tank?

[sandypants]

They could still be adjusting and will perk up after they are settled. What is the water temp?? It should be between 78-82 deg F.

[Wild Turkey]

You want test kits, go with your gut. You can get the tests for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and ph all for around 25 bucks in the API freshwater master test kit

Theres really no way to tell whats going on in the tank without those numbers, and if you ever suspect a problem, the first thing to do is test.

[jaysee]

I've found that when tetras are alone in a tank in smaller numbers (5 is the BARE minimum), they tend to just sit around a lot, aren't very active and don't school well. Adding a couple more will help, but IMO adding some other larger fish will do the trick.

[Jaster]

I have rummys as well and they love large school. When I first added them to my 80g they seemed kind of slugish and just kind of moped around. At the time I only had 6... well I added a few more and they sprang to life almost instantly.

Something my fish guy told me was that if they are unhappy, the water isn't the way they like it, sick or stressed their noses will turn from the bright red to a dull pink or even clear.

Without a doubt get a test kit. You may not need to test daily or anything once you're up and running but for a new tank testing every day or two is pretty important. Just to make sure nothing spike on you.

[-Lp]

Might just have a runny nose.:hmm3grin2orange:

Sorry, I couldn't help myself. Good luck with your tetras!

[Bandido]

Heh heh :)

Thanks for the advice and encouragement everyone!

I'll post a pic when I get home.

I think the water might be a bit cold for them. It was around 76-78 yesterday. And yes, it does look like their noses have gone from red to more pink maybe indicating some discomfort. Overall, they are more translucent than they seemed in the store.

I'm going to go back with my gut (and everyone's advice!) and buy a test kit today. I'll post anything unusual.

Apart from that, I'll just wait and see - and if everything seems to be okay with the water, maybe I'll just add in some more tank-mates for them.

[Northernguy]

Start with a water change.
Just because it tests fine doesn't mean they don't want fresh water.
I am glad you decided to get the kit! Its a very good investment.thumbs2:

[Bandido]

Miraculous turnaround!

Changed some water, increased the temperature slightly, added another floating plant and some Malaysian wood. Now the little suckers are scooting around in a big, colorful group. Woot!

Thanks again all. I'll have to test my water tomorrow cause the pet-store I stopped at on my way home from work only sold strips (and I've been told those are not accurate enough).

In any case, for the time being all looks well.

:hmm3grin2orange:

[Lady Hobbs]

You did not cycle your tank simply by adding a bacteria booster. That may be an aid in the cycle process but far from being the whole ball of wax. It will take a 6 weeks or more by adding a few fish every couple of weeks.

[Bandido]

Yes, I know that you are right but my post implied otherwise. I wasn't sure how to express the stage I was at.

Anyhow, I got an API master test kit this morning and here are the results:

Nitrate: 10 ppm
Ph: 7.8
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrite: .25 ppm

Do I have to worry about anything? If so, should I just increase the number of water changes? Or do I need to take more drastic measures?

Thanks again everyone!

[jaysee]

The nitrite is still a little high...well, .25 too high to be exact :ssmile: . You are at the final stage of the process, though, and it will probably be 0 within the next few days. If the nitrites are falling as I suspect they are, I wouldn't do a water change. I'm sure others would though.

[Wild Turkey]

The nitrite is still a little high...well, .25 too high to be exact :ssmile: . You are at the final stage of the process, though, and it will probably be 0 within the next few days. If the nitrites are falling as I suspect they are, I wouldn't do a water change. I'm sure others would though.

I agree. Test again tomorrow or even better tonight, (you only really need to test ammonia and nitrite right now) keep them both below 1.0ppm ish to keep your fish safe during the process, shouldnt be long now since you have nitrites but no ammonia.

You can figure out how much water to change with simple math. If you test and its slightly above 1.0, do a 50% waterchange and it will be just over .5 ppm