Austrailian Rainbowfish in quarantine

**ayachi** · 04-16-2012, 08:01 PM

I just picked up 6 Austrailian Rainbows from my LFS. I have them in a 10G quarantine tank right now and I plan to leave them there for a week, in case they're sick.

The thing is, the Rainbows are just sitting at the bottom of the quarantine tank and not really moving much. At the LFS, there were a few fishes with bent spines, sunken stomachs and torn fins in the tank, so I'm rather concerned about the ones I have in quarantine. Do you think I should return them?

**Dave66** · 04-16-2012, 09:51 PM

Welcome to the forum. I have to ask, was the quarantine tank fully cycled prior to adding the fishes into it? How did you acclimate them?

By the way a week won't do it. You need to keep them in QT for at least two weeks to be sure they are disease-free.

I applaud your wisdom in having a quarantine tank.

Dave

**ayachi** · 04-16-2012, 10:32 PM

Thanks. I've been lurking quietly here for a long time now, but this is my first post.

The quarantine tank was set-up using old water from my 55G tank, which is cycled, and the filter media that's been running on that. It should be cycled, but I'll keep an eye on it, just in case.

The fishes were slowly acclimated. Not drip, exactly, but a quarter-cup at a time. The LFS has a guarantee policy of only 7 days so if I want to return them, I'd have to do it before then. That's why I'm wondering if this is normal behavior. I've never had rainbows before.

**Dave66** · 04-17-2012, 01:28 AM

The bacteria only live on hard surfaces, so the tank water didn't do anything in cycling the tank.

When did you add the filter? Reason I ask is the bacteria must have an Ammonia source, like fish urea, to live. If the filter was running on the QT tank for any length of time before you added the rainbows, I'd strongly suggest you do water tests for Ammonia and Nitrite as soon as possible.

And it isn't normal, since rainbows swim up in the water column, not hang toward the bottom of the tank.

Dave

**ayachi** · 04-17-2012, 02:23 AM

The filter had been running on the 55G for almost a month and was added to the QT the day the fishes were bought. The entire QT was set up that day, specially for them.

The fishes' tank mates at the LFS didn't quite look entirely healthy so I'm rather concerned that they might sick as well. I guess they were half-priced for a reason. If they don't improve, I might just return them by the end of the week.

**Lady Hobbs** · 04-17-2012, 03:03 AM

I would have not bought any fish that was sharing a tank with others that were ill. Especially those you described as having bent spines. Keep your new bows in a dark tank for now so they won't be so stressed.

**MuckyFish** · 04-18-2012, 12:24 AM

Have you put a filter sized for a 55g with the media into a 10g tank? If so that is not good and Maybe the fish are resting in an area of least current?

I am assuming you have a liquid based test kit I would check ammonia and nitrite frequently.

How big are these fish currently, you could be double stocked or about right depending on their current size.

+1 LH

If the filter is sized appropriately and they are still doing that in a few days I probably would consider returning them.

**ayachi** · 04-18-2012, 06:56 AM

It's an old TopFin 10 that I have lying around. So the current should be ok, I hope. I'll check the ammonia and nitrite with my test kit anyways.

The fishes seem to be doing better and swimming around a bit more and they seem to be eating so they might get better. They're about 1 1/2" to about 2" or so.

The employee at the LFS said that the other fishes were born with bent spines, which sometimes does happen. This place has a bit of a reputation in town for being one of the better places for ethical treatment of livestock so I got them anyways. I might return them, nonetheless though.

**Lady Hobbs** · 04-18-2012, 06:25 PM

If this store was ethical, they would have culled those with bent spines. There is no reason to release, onto the public buyers, fish with deformities due to genetics or disease.

Bent spines can also be a sign of TB that is spread from fish to fish as an infected fish dies and others eat it. Every fish with bent spines should be eliminated to prevent this.

TB is also spread to humans and will infect arms and hands that go into the fish tank. Nasty stuff!

**ayachi** · 04-19-2012, 09:04 PM

I've gone and returned the rainbows as the worry about sickness was too much to deal with.

When I checked the tank today, I noticed that they did remove the fishes with the bent spines and nipped fins. At least no one else will get the sick fishes now.

Thanks, everyone, for all your help.