My fish just sits at the bottom of the tank. Is something wrong with it?

Question

I went to the pet store and bought a black ghost and another fish with the word "green" in it. Green...something. The black ghost swims all around, but the other one just sits on the bottom of the tank. If I touch it, it will back up, but that's about it. I'm worried it is sick. It doesn't have any spots on it and I have it in a 30 gallon tank with just the black ghost. I have an oxygen hose in there along with the filter. Why isn't it swimming around like the other one. I hope it isn't sick. I just bought them today.

Answer 1

My betta is the same way

He can barely swim to get his food

that is why i put him in a smaller tank

i had another betta before that was like

that for a while before he died.....

but on my other fish, it looked like he had

a tumor or something. i know im no help,

but id also like to know the answer to this!!!!

Answer 2

If it is a Convict Cichlid or something like it then it is being scared. If you will put something in there for it to hide underneath, like a plant with big leaves, or a flat rock tipped over so there is an overhang, or something else to form a cave for it to be inside. Then it will feel a lot more confident and not "exposed to predators that want to eat it".

Answer 3

Okay its probably sleeping or doing something, the pet store wont sell you sick fish. Either he's just scared since he's new or just getting used to the water and the environment around him. happened to my fish too.

Answer 4

Hopefully u cycled your tank before you added the new fish! If you just got them today give him time. It was a stressful day for the little fella and he rode in a car today got taken from his familiar habitat and now has a new home with a new roommate and a new owner who is poking him for doing nothing lol. It just takes some fish time to adjust give him a few days if he doesn't start acting right then call the store you bought him from and share your concerns with them. Also if u didn't cycle your tank you may want to test your water. Hopefully u read up on the kind of environment both fish like make sure ur tank is an appropriate temp for the fish ... just give him time he will adjust... Good Luck!

Answer 5

I beg your pardon, but before I answer your question, I have to wonder why you would impulsively buy a fish whose name you don't even know. Ideally you should research a fish before the purchase, so as to make sure it is compatible in your tank, what care it requires, what it looks like when it's healthy, and so on. You can't rely on the store staff for this.

More specific information would be helpful, such as,

- what type of filter you have

- how long your tank has been set up

- what/how often you've feeding them

- how often you perform water changes

I can but make some very general guesses. It would be most helpful if you could find a picture of it on the internet, or at least describe it to us, but at it is I can only guess that it was either sick to begin with, and you should quarantine it  immediately so that the black ghost won't get sick (you should have a quarantine tank set up to begin with, but I assume you don't, which is really a problem in itself, since a tank is not something you can just set up immediately and put livestock in. See here: http://www.flippersandfins.net/articelho... or that somewhere in the process of acclimating him to your tank he has been damaged. How did you add the fish to your tanks? A lot of people mistakenly just float the bag in the water and then just open the bag and spill the fish into your tank; this is bad for a variety of reasons. To properly acclimate your fish to a new home, first float the bag in the tank water until it is roughly the same temperature, then open and empty the bag into a separate container and follow this method:

http://www.livestockusa.org/ACCLIMATING....

My other suggestion is to test the tank's water. I hope you already have a reliable test kit on hand; if not, purchase a liquid (as opposed to the cheaper test strips) test kit and perform them as per the instructions to make sure nothing is amiss. While you're at the pet store check to see what type of fish you have; it could be something so simple as you have placed a fish with certain requirements into a tank with very inadequate conditions.

Perhaps you're new to the hobby, since these are the first fish in this aquarium, and you don't know about cycling--did you cycle your tank?

http://www.aquahobby.com/articles/e_fish...

Since it's a bit too late for that now, again, go to the fish store and ask/pay for a cup of gravel out one of the tanks, and the beneficial bacteria in the gravel may save your fish.

I wish your luck for your fish's sake, and if the worse comes to worst, try to learn from this. You were right to come on the internet and ask for help, but it really is important that you research before doing anything to your tank.

Edit: Thanks for getting back to us re the fish type. It's not really your fault, in a way; people come into this hobby enthusiastic and with so much potential, but they don't know anything, of course, and they innocently rely on the pet store clerks to educate them. The clerks cheerily point them in the direction of a quicksand pit, and they never have a chance.

Convicts are supposed to be active little critters, rather obnoxious, so it is strange that he should be huddled in the corner like that. He is a cichlid (start doing some reading on them now!) and they generally have big personalities. I'm going to be optimistic and say he's still recovering from the good shock he's had yesterday. Just don't overfeed the tank in the mean time, and, if possible, get a few easy-to-keep plants from the pet store (java ferns, preferrably, or what is known as water wisteria) and try to get a cupful of gravel from an established tank, as I mentioned. It doesn't sound like you cycled your tank, so that could very well be what's causing it. Either way, it's not good to have an uncycled tank.

http://faq.thekrib.com/begin-cycling.htm...

Eventually, once you make sure he's healthy (keep a close eye on him) you might add a few more convicts and decorate the tank so that it creates interest--it could be that he's just bored or scared, but it's less likely. Don't put the cart before the horse; first make sure that he's healthy. Good luck, and try not to get discouraged! You might want to join an online forum, such as

http://www.fishforums.net/

So that you can always have a support system and make sure your questions are answered so that you don't have to rely on the pet store people's dubious knowledge.

Answer 6

my fish did that and when i hit the container it swam like it was on drugs , lol

then that night it died..

Answer 7

its just stress and also test the water parameters and find out wot fish it is

Answer 8

I will guess it is a green severum other wise knowen as the poor mens discus but it doesn't matter he is acting normal he is adjusting to his new home leave him alone and in a few days you will see everything is ok this in normal actions for new fish in new tanks