Redtail Shark Sick????

[BBB]

Don't know if this is the part of the forum, but whatev.
I have a redtail shark in a 30 gallon tank which has been running for about 3 weeks. I got the redtail after my tank had been running for about a week and a half. he was doing fine for about 5 days and then i noticed he was sitting in one place alot a floating onto its side. i dont know if this is a coincedence or not but his mouth also seemed like it was wierd since normally its on the bottom of his body, but his was like swelled up kinda and sticking out. After about a day he was fine and then a day later it happend again. Then he recoverd in a half a day and started grazing across everything again.
Do know why this would happen??
Also is there a reason whyhis mouth would look like that??
Thanks

[TowBoater]

Your tank wasn't fully cycled when you placed him in there and it caused a lot of stress on him. If he is doing fine now, he will be. He cycled your tank I think and that is really rough on a fish, most don't live.

[BBB]

well i had two feeder goldfish in there for about a week until i put him in there. The ammonia was never that high but a little high and i never saw the nitrites or nitrates go up.

[TowBoater]

Well it still isn't cycled. My ammonia never went over .5 even with fish and then my nitrites stayed up at 5 for about a week and a half and then down to 0.

[BBB]

My water was fine, everything ammonia nitrates nitrites were all in safe levels 2 days ago. I also used bacteria starter.

[TowBoater]

The refrigerated kind is the only one that works.

[BBB]

what do you mean?? Is it just coincidence that the redtails mouth wasn't right??

[RobbieG]

The sitting in one place and laying on his side sound like ammonia poisoning.

I really can't picture what you mean about his mouth though.

[BBB]

nevermind about that then. is it luck that it survived??

[TowBoater]

Yup, really lucky. He is one tough fish!

[genitor]

If your tank is cycled. Ammonia will read 0 ppm, nitrite 0 ppm and nitrates will be high. Otherwise your tank is still cycling and your fish might still be in danger.

[BBB]

How long does it take for a tank to cycle normally?? I used bacteria starter but i was told the frozen kind is the kind that works.

[TowBoater]

biospiula is the stuff I think. It can take different amounts of time, from a week to a month.

[BBB]

why wont nonrefrigerated kind work??
I dont know how much you know about redtail sharks but how dark of a red does its tail get cuz i know if it isnt red its a sign that its stressed