Worried 1st time Channa owner

[Chananitas]

Hello, i've had kept different fishes before, but this is my 1st time having Channa (Channa aurantimaculata) ive just had it for a few hrs, but its behaviour is kinda new to me, its not moving in the tank, i thought they are an active fish, its just up on the surface, fins and everything tucked in. The person who i bought it with says its normal because its in a new environment, but it has been there for almost 6hrs already. Im really worried. Its more active when it was in the bag than inside the aquarium. When 1 first placed it in, it swam like normal for a few minutes, after a while it was swiming wildly at the bottom flipping, bumping at the bottom substrate and like scratching its body against it, but harder. Only happened once, after that it never moved. The only time ive seen fish stay like that is if there's something wrong.

 

[danotaylor]

Were you able to observe its activity level before buying it?
The water appears a tad milky in the pic. What are your water parameters?
Was the tank fully cycled before putting your channa in?
Any significant pH difference between your water and the water from its previous owner?

 

[Chananitas]

Were you able to observe its activity level before buying it?
The water appears a tad milky in the pic. What are your water parameters?
Was the tank fully cycled before putting your channa in?
Any significant pH difference between your water and the water from its previous owner?

Unfortunately i have not seen its activity with the previous owner. The water was not cycled before since they told me not to put any pumps or filter -even oxygen, since the movement of water might stress it. But i bought one anyway, unfortunately it arrived the same day the fish arrived. Also, that water have been collected days before and i placed water conditioner (its tap) 24hrs before i got it also place talisay (almond) leaf. I did acclimatised before releasing it.. after sending the videos to the seller, they even still suggested turning off the sponge filter (and also the light, which i did, but not the filter). Also the milky water might also be because of the glass since its not new.

 

[danotaylor]

How long have you been keeping fish?
Without a cycled filter the water will turn milky from ammonia. Ammonia coats the gills and the fish can’t breath. They go to the surface.
You should never place a fish into a tank that has not been properly cycled. It’s a death trap.

 

[Chananitas]

How long have you been keeping fish?

Its on and off had fishes when i was a kid, mostly just the usuals like goldfishes, fowerhorns which i have tried breeding successfully. When they died i stopped again a few years after that i was given another flowerhorn which died 3 yrs ago, and then i stopped again, then now this.. ive probably had 4/5 flowerhors the past 10 yrs. Thats why im really confused with this one.

 

[danotaylor]

In order to keep your channa alive you’re going to have to change 80% of its water daily to prevent ammonia poisoning from killing it.
Alternatively, if you know someone else with a mature fish tank you could get some filter media to add to you setup.
I am sorry, but you are the victim of absolutely trash info from the seller.

 

[danotaylor]

Do you have a water testing kit?
You should also add salt at 1tbsp/5gal to prevent nitrite poisoning. Keep the salt concentration stable with your water changes until you have 0 ammonia 0 nitrite and nitrates showing on your water tests

 

[Chananitas]

Do you have a water testing kit?
You should also add salt at 1tbsp/5gal to prevent nitrite poisoning. Keep the salt concentration stable with your water changes until you have 0 ammonia 0 nitrite and nitrates showing on your water tests

I have just ordered them, stores near me are out of stock and yes i moved it to a smaller tank with salt and just decided to treat it. It moves here better than in the tank, but wont eat

 

[Midwater]

i moved it to a smaller tank with salt and just decided to treat it.

You have not really listened to danotaylor . And you really ought to learn about the Nitrogen Cycle, or you will slowly kill every fish.

 

[danotaylor]

Thx Midwater

What are you treating it for? With?

Your problem is simple. You have a large waste producing fish in a tank without a mature filter. Its own waste products are the thing killing it.

DO NOT FEED IT atm. Do you eat when you’re sick?