HELP! Butti acting odd

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
M

makoshoemaker

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 7, 2010
549
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San Francisco
Hey everyone, my buttikoferi has been acting odd. It has been hanging out by the heater, and turning completely black instead of the blue and white. He has been thrashing around the past few days and getting startled easily as well. He is about 7" and he is housed in a 20 gallon. He has plenty of space to swim around and doesnt really do much. He has been just leaning to one side of his body and letting the current take him around. I did a 50% water change when I realized this behavior. Could he be a she and maybe this is spawning behavior? Im very concerned and I love this fish. Tomorrow if he isnt looking better I will either continue to wait it out or I will switch my baby oscars into the 20 and put another filter on the tank and put my butti into my 65 until the oscars get big enough to hang. Has anyone experienced this before? This is all freaking my girlfriend and I out and I would be devistated if I woke up and found him dead tomorrow. I added a very small amount of prime in case there is still some chlorine in the water after the water change. Thank you everyone
 
Eating habits the same? How's the poop look? Breathing hard? Not familiar if this is common with butti's but if my fish turned black and hid in at the top and spook easily I would be worried.
 
He isnt eating as aggressively as he usually does. He has just been sitting in the corner of the tank looking up. Could be low oxygen levels, but I dont understand why this would just start happening now. He sat in front of the filter last night.
 
whats your water parameters ? thats a pretty big fish for a 20 gallon hes probably getting cabin fever but more likely the ammonia and nitrates are through the roof. try doing a big water change and see if that helps a lil but i think its time for a bigger tank
 
I agree. A 20 is way to small for a 7" fish. I would definately switch to the 65.
 
Im going to put him in the 65 as soon as I can get my oscars to grow 3" to prevent them from becoming a meal. But i have him in the 20 so that the oscars can gain dominance over the 65 so when i put the butti in HOPEFULLY he will be out of his element and in turn less aggressive.
 
I'm not usually one for getting on people about overstocking. I think on these boards some have a tendency to be too cautious, but I highly doubt two oscars and a buttikoferi in a 65g tank will work for very long, if at all.
 
Hes back to be normal. It was his reflection that was freaking him out. I put a thin layer of black beauty in the tank and he was moving it around and seeing himself at the bottom. I added more and problem solved. I do understand he needs to upgrade but i need to grow out my oscars before he can be put with them because they are bite sized right now.
Explanation: The oscars are in my 65 so that when they grow up (3-4" more) then they will have dominance (hopefully) over the tank, and when my butti gets put in he wont be the king of the hill, but rather a new fish to a new neighborhood. Hopefully this will mellow him out, its my only chance. I have a 112, but as of now i dont have space for it. So I am moving within the next few months to hopefully a place that will have space for my 112 so they can all live happily ever after. If not the 65 will suffice with multiple water changes like I have been doing. 30 gal changes 2 times a week (trying to stimulate growth since my oscars havnt grown in 2 months since i got them)
 
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