Ok so I posted this over at Aquaticcommunity.com but I want to see what you guys say:
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/*************/showthread.php?t=33404
The paragraphs below wont make much sense when read together because they are copy pasted quotes from the thread in the other forum, answering different questions and getting different info. Hopefully, you guys can get the information needed from them so we can diagnose the problem and I dont have to retype all of it!
Setup: 29gallon freshwater with Aquaclear 70 powerfilter and sand substrate. 1 pleco, 1 blood parrot, 1 jack dempsey, 1 firemouth. All currently about 2-3 inches, pleco almost 4. Will be moved to a 75 gallon by christmas.
Some days the are swimming around digging in the sand, chasing each other, doing fish stuff. Some days (like today) they are ALL hiding. The Blood Parrot and the Jack Dempsey are both hanging mid tank underneath a giant root thing, VERTICALLY with it, so they can not be seen. The firemouth is kind of moving around but he is pretty much hiding behind some drift wood.
What is the deal? 99% of the time when I shake the can of food infront of the aquarium, they go nuts and come up to the glass. RIght now, they wont even come out of their spots except when I drop food in there. They eat normally but then go back to hiding.
Also, is going mouth to mouth a form of fighting? My parrot and JD seem to be doing that a lot. They will lock lips and kind of wiggle or trash around, then release. My parrots face is all torn up. But neither runs from the other and they swim around together like nothing happened, acting as if they were friends?
Whats the deal with my fish!?
last water change was about 25% and sometime last week. Cant remember the day. I did just do a complete overhaul and change from gravel to sand about a month ago, but they have been fine since then, Its the past couple of days they have been acting really word. PH is 7.4 and has been that since day one of them being introduced to the tank (about 3-4 months ago)
Everything is fine excpet for the hardness of my water. I did a six in one kit and it showed my PH at like 7.2-7.8, about a 120 Alkalinity, no chlorine at all, my hardness was about 300, maybe a tiny less, no nitrite and my nitrate was about 20, maybe a little less.
So could the hardness be affecting the fish? What changes the hardness of the water?
ok so I did about a 30% water change, added some cycle too. My fish kind of came out and I was able to get a good look. They must be stressed, I noticed the left pectoral fin on the jack and the right one on the parrot are a little withered. Thats a sign of stress right?
Any more solutions? Would aquarium salt do anything? I was putting a LOT in for awhile and then I stopped because I put a pleco in there (I heard its bad for them...or was I wrong?) and thats when they started acting kind of weird.... If that info helps any...
Also, additional info, I changed over to sand and did a complete water change about 3-4 weeks ago.. Added a small pleco about 2 weeks ago. I also got a new Aquaclear 70 (300gph with a 29 gallon = crystal clear!) power filter about 4-5 weeks ago. They were fine for about 2 weeks after I did all this this. Their behavior and fin rotting just recently started....maybe like couple days ago.
I use water treatment and a good amount of Cycle with every water change.
Ok. So I just fed them and they come out like normal, eat normally but its like if I come near the tank AT ALL, they run and hide. Do fish hold grudges or something? Why are they scared to death of me? And how come when you see fish at the petstore, they are always right upfront at the glass swimming all happily? Mine seriously have mood swings...and lately, they havent even come up to the glass once. It makes me sad! lol
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/*************/showthread.php?t=33404
The paragraphs below wont make much sense when read together because they are copy pasted quotes from the thread in the other forum, answering different questions and getting different info. Hopefully, you guys can get the information needed from them so we can diagnose the problem and I dont have to retype all of it!
Setup: 29gallon freshwater with Aquaclear 70 powerfilter and sand substrate. 1 pleco, 1 blood parrot, 1 jack dempsey, 1 firemouth. All currently about 2-3 inches, pleco almost 4. Will be moved to a 75 gallon by christmas.
Some days the are swimming around digging in the sand, chasing each other, doing fish stuff. Some days (like today) they are ALL hiding. The Blood Parrot and the Jack Dempsey are both hanging mid tank underneath a giant root thing, VERTICALLY with it, so they can not be seen. The firemouth is kind of moving around but he is pretty much hiding behind some drift wood.
What is the deal? 99% of the time when I shake the can of food infront of the aquarium, they go nuts and come up to the glass. RIght now, they wont even come out of their spots except when I drop food in there. They eat normally but then go back to hiding.
Also, is going mouth to mouth a form of fighting? My parrot and JD seem to be doing that a lot. They will lock lips and kind of wiggle or trash around, then release. My parrots face is all torn up. But neither runs from the other and they swim around together like nothing happened, acting as if they were friends?
Whats the deal with my fish!?
last water change was about 25% and sometime last week. Cant remember the day. I did just do a complete overhaul and change from gravel to sand about a month ago, but they have been fine since then, Its the past couple of days they have been acting really word. PH is 7.4 and has been that since day one of them being introduced to the tank (about 3-4 months ago)
Everything is fine excpet for the hardness of my water. I did a six in one kit and it showed my PH at like 7.2-7.8, about a 120 Alkalinity, no chlorine at all, my hardness was about 300, maybe a tiny less, no nitrite and my nitrate was about 20, maybe a little less.
So could the hardness be affecting the fish? What changes the hardness of the water?
ok so I did about a 30% water change, added some cycle too. My fish kind of came out and I was able to get a good look. They must be stressed, I noticed the left pectoral fin on the jack and the right one on the parrot are a little withered. Thats a sign of stress right?
Any more solutions? Would aquarium salt do anything? I was putting a LOT in for awhile and then I stopped because I put a pleco in there (I heard its bad for them...or was I wrong?) and thats when they started acting kind of weird.... If that info helps any...
Also, additional info, I changed over to sand and did a complete water change about 3-4 weeks ago.. Added a small pleco about 2 weeks ago. I also got a new Aquaclear 70 (300gph with a 29 gallon = crystal clear!) power filter about 4-5 weeks ago. They were fine for about 2 weeks after I did all this this. Their behavior and fin rotting just recently started....maybe like couple days ago.
I use water treatment and a good amount of Cycle with every water change.
Ok. So I just fed them and they come out like normal, eat normally but its like if I come near the tank AT ALL, they run and hide. Do fish hold grudges or something? Why are they scared to death of me? And how come when you see fish at the petstore, they are always right upfront at the glass swimming all happily? Mine seriously have mood swings...and lately, they havent even come up to the glass once. It makes me sad! lol
