Aquarium Keepers Struggle With Fish Health
Multiple posts express concern over fish health issues, including illness, unusual behavior, and mortality. Users seek advice on treatment options, tank conditions, and potential causes for these problems.
SOURCES (60)
“Ive had my bloodfins for several months now, I originally had a school of 7 and I think I still do but now im not too sure. I only see 5-6 of them at any given time now and I noticed this guy was swimming…”
“My fish, Wanda, who has been thriving in a planted 3.5 gallon for about a year, passed away a couple nights ago. I'm absolutely devastated, the worst part is I feel that it was all my fault. I just also wanted to post about how awesome she was, because she deserves it. I was doing a water change, and I accidentally threw up some of the substrate while I was moving around a plant. There were some dead plant leaves floating around gunking it up so I couldn't see. I used that stupid, dreade”
“i need help identifying what is wrong with my fish!! i have a slight feeling its dropsy but i have no other symptoms that would indicate that. he swims fine, eats fine, bloating is mild, but the way his scales look is why im concerned. submitted by /u/Zealousideal-Put6224 [link] [comments]”
“Just wanted to come here to share my experience with my two first fantails which honestly became a milestone in my aquarium journey. The orange fish was a rescue. My biology teacher’s assistant found her in a bag near a staircase with a fish that had already passed away, she brought her in the classroom’s aquarium and my biology teacher started taking care of her. Sadly she didn’t care much about her health, she had no filters, her water was brown, the glasses were covered in algae, the aquarium”
“Basically Title. Is He bloated? Got several more which seem normal. Hes been Like this for at least two weeks and acts totally normal. Should i be worried ? submitted by /u/sysadminfromhellJK [link] [comments]”
“Spotted her two times today laying at the same spot. 0,0,0 ammonia nitrites nitrates, temp 24-25 ph 6.4. Been in the tank for two days. Rainbow shark also seems somewhat lethargic. Any advice? submitted by /u/Icy_Buyer_7898 [link] [comments]”
“This is my 21 inch koi of 1 and a half year and for the past 3 months its been bloated like this. I need help on how to fix this. submitted by /u/Free-Annual5686 [link] [comments]”
“Does my betta have finrot? If so please tell me how to fix it and if his fins will grow back submitted by /u/blue_jellyy [link] [comments]”
“hi! I got both the eel and the pleco together, had them for about 5-7 months now. lately I’ve noticed my eel has begun to bully her tankmates, in particular the pleco and an elephantnose fish. I do separate feeding for the eel and elephantnos, but she still goes out of her way to bully him after feedings. I also noticed today that my pleco fins are ripped!!! I’ve seen the eel peck the pleco when she’s too close to her, but seeing this makes me think she might’ve done it to her. the eel used to b”
“I just woke up today, came down to feed the fish, and i saw my betta doing a handstand, she cant get back upright. Is there anything I can do? and what happened for this to happen? submitted by /u/Bozo_____ [link] [comments]”
“Can someone please help me? Is my daughters balloon molly just extra balloon-y? Or is it pregnant? Has the aquarium shop done me dirty here? Is he a she? I'm not ready to be a great grandparent. submitted by /u/ThrowRAbeej [link] [comments]”
“I’ve had her for about a year and a half. Within the past three months or so, I’ve noticed she stopped being responsive to food placed on her right side. I thought maybe bad genetics were making her go blind, but today it seems that eye is swollen. Could it be popeye? Tank set up: 1/9/25 Tank redone: 8/16/25 Brought Indigo home: 3/15/25 Tank size: 10 gallon Heater: Hygger 100W Filter: Aquaneat Sponge for 10 gallon Conditioner: Seachem Prime as instructed Water changes: 1x month Last water change”
“I just got a new ram for my tank and it's not doing the best it kinda looks like it has stress ich or something. Any advice submitted by /u/Lost-Alternative7492 [link] [comments]”
“I've had him for a few years now and somehow he's become a bit spoiled. I usually feed my fish Omega one brand food, but occasionally I have to get the cheaper stuff because the guy who buys it often forgets to buy food until its completely out and occasionally they're out at the store. Giles here has decided he is too good for the cheap stuff. He will get it in his mouth, chew it, spit it out, and turn to look at me like😑. He'll do this about 5 times before actually eating. But”
“I’ve been feeding every other day for the last few months but I had a ton of ramshorn snails. I skipped a few feedings and it’s under control now, but long term can I feed every 2 days? I have guppies, betta, neon tetras, and mystery snails (spread over 3 tanks). I’ve tried just feeding smaller amounts every other day but I haven’t found a happy medium where it seems like every fish gets some food and avoids a population boom! submitted by /u/Ok_Stress114 [link] [comments]”
“As the title asks. Realistically, can you save a dying fish? Should you? I am talking your standard tropical here - i.e. not a super expensive ornamental where the "should" might make more sense. I have an albino shark who has... Something under his tail. Looks a little ulcery. I put him in a hospital tank about five days ago and have been treating with ehsa 2000. This morning I go to say hiya and he's jammed himself sidey ways under the ornament he usually hides in. I shifted it a”
“it’s swimming normally, eating normally, idk what’s wrong. its been 1-2 weeks So I don’t think its bloat. submitted by /u/Dapper_Inevitable_22 [link] [comments]”
“I had one of my gold ring danios pass today, very devastatingly. I've had it for about 3 months in a school of 8. My ph, gh, kh, ammonia, nitrates, and nitrites are all within very safe levels and nothing else in the tank(snails, shrimps, other fish) is showing any issues. I noticed this one looked a bit pale a few days ago, but didn't realize how serious it would become and how quickly. Yesterday I noticed that, in addition to being pale, it was very bloated, only swimming at the top of”
“I had a fish that tried to eat a piece of food on the bottom of the tank but when he tried to eat it he choked on a piece of sand and I don’t know how to react submitted by /u/NotDatGuyRishy [link] [comments]”
“Hello, I am coming on here to seek medical advice. I got my betta 6 days ago and I’ve just noticed that he has this white stuff in his mouth and I’m concerned. I have attached a video where you can see on 2 occasions he opened his mouth to reveal this white stuff, these 2 clips are 10 minutes apart and he’s not constantly opening his mouth like this. I just bought eSHa 2000 that will arrive in 2 days, is this a fungal infection? What do you advise I should do? I tried feeding him frozen daphnia”
“I have 10 strawberry rasboras in my betta community tank. Parameters are stable, tank has been running about 6 months. I noticed yesterday one of my rasboras is noticeably skinny. He’s engaged when i feed, is out in the open with group, no clamped fins, no heavy breathing. I target fed baby brine shrimp thawed in a bit of tank water and a pipette to feed. He eats when i step back, but i watched him eat a good amount yesterday, less today. Even saw him spit a few pieces out. Should i be worried??”
“Hello, I noticed this rasbora of mine has a strange white growth on his mouth. Is this some sort of infection? How could I treat it? submitted by /u/WHiskWell [link] [comments]”
“Please help :( are her scales supposed to be like that? I have two female plecos in the same tank (60 l) Today I've noticed my bigger pleco's scales looking like this! The smaller pleco's back is smooth, i think... I'm so scared. Is she sick? She swims and eats as usual... submitted by /u/HyperFish007 [link] [comments]”
“Ive noticed one of my honeys having difficulty swimming. Chilling at the bottom of the tank, resting on plants. That’s been about two days. I thought maybe it was a swim bladder issue bc he still eats and will swim up enthusiastically to get food. I gave some daphnia earlier today. Now he is bobbing vertically :( he still reacts but he’s obviously weak and not able to swim effectively. I did add new ember tetras and a couple shrimp about 1.5 weeks ago. I didn’t quarantine (i know, i got cocky an”
“I am going to get a lot of flack here. My Electric Blue Jack Dempsey is deformed and is not a great swimmer. He was initially in my cichlid tank of EBAs and blood parrots and he was beat up/chased bad. They are in a 40g for now. Love them all! submitted by /u/jumpinpuddleok [link] [comments]”
“So I got 3 new platy about 4 days ago. I drip acclimated the new fish before adding to tank. 1 of the new fish is disassociating, ignoring food, hiding and at times gasping at the surface. All the other fish seem fine. There are 7 total platy, 6 cherry barbs and 1 mystery snail. I have 1 double sponge and 1 single sponge filter on opposite sides of the tank, as well as an air stone. So there should be enough oxygen in the water… 20 gallon tank Ammonia 0 Nitrite 0 PH 7.4 Nitrate <5ppm GH 7 DGH”
“I have a 20-gallon long with a bunch of medaka and Vietnamese cloud mountain minnows, with several different varieties of each. I’ve honestly lost count of how many fish are in there at this point, but there are definitely at least 20 fish , plus Amano shrimp and cherry shrimp. I usually feed fish flakes, about 1–2 pinches at a time , and I’m starting to wonder if I’ve been feeding too much. There’s been a lot of buildup in the tank lately, especially around the plants and hardscape, and I’ve al”
“I was curious on just how difficult it is to keep discus fish. I have been keeping aquariums for about 8 years now. The most demanding thing I've kept is probably an axolotl "which is 5 years old now". I was planning on getting around 6 discus that are 4in in size. They would be going in a 120g 4ftx2ftx2ft tank with a 30g sump. Planning on having lots of plants as well with about 10 or so corydoras. Any advice would be appreciated and also any suggestions on where to get the discus”
“Last batch about a week ago were no viable, I appreciate the help with my last post. These ones look like they may be more promising, this would be the second batch. Do I just leave them in hopes the eggs get eaten? My angelfish couple are very attentive over their eggs. I don’t want tons of angelfish, maybe a couple but I don’t have the room to keep all these babies if they make it. submitted by /u/Square-Constant8844 [link] [comments]”
“she definitely was NOT this goddamn round a few days ago, is it eggs? is she stealing all the food from everyone else? is eggbound a concern? submitted by /u/largestcob [link] [comments]”
Can anyone help me figure out why my female betta is spending most of her time in the back corner manly at the surface. She didn't have such a good start as…
“Hey guys, I need some advice. My betta recently passed away, so his tank has essentially turned into a 15-gallon snail tank. I also have a bamboo shrimp in there now, along with a brand-new bioactive HOB filter. (And a bunch of plants and stuff too, of course, including duckweed as a floater). I'm thinking about getting some new fish (or just one) that would fit well in the tank now that it has a water flow that, while not super high, I still doubt a betta would do well in. The important thi”
“I think she might be pregnant or something. I named her Tungsten submitted by /u/darkling-lover666 [link] [comments]”
“Hi i woke up to my biggest minnow having a lump on its rear. It might be prolapse? But i wanted to check and get best advice. All the other fish are still fine. Thanks. submitted by /u/SpecificLopsided9312 [link] [comments]”
“I'm at a loss... I've been keeping fish for over a decade and my 11 year old Common Goldfish (Bert) has been getting more and more red spots since August. No behavior issues, eating fine, moving fine and the tanks mates are all good. Main tank is a 75 gallon I keep at 70°F with 2 large sponge filters and a Fluval Fx4. He has 3 other goldfish tank mates. He's about 6.5" Their main diet is Repashy Super Gold, deshelled peas once a week and occasional Fluval Bug Bites Goldfish Pell”
“Something has hit my tank. It took my SAE, an angelfish, 3 tetras, and 5 Kuhli loaches. Everyone else has improved. Been feeding kanaplex and that helped everyone. But it’s hit the Kuhlis hardest. I found some of them exuding eggs from every pore, and some just laying dead. This one was missing for a few days and now looks like this. Any thoughts? Parameters are good, 250 tds, 0 ammonia & Nitrite, nitrate at 20, temp at 79°, ph 7.6 Most of these fish have been here for at least a year. Thoug”
“Please help! I added duckweed I got for free from a stranger a few weeks ago. Now I notice that my guppies gills are super swollen and flared. What could be wrong and what can I do? Help would be very appreciated. Thank you. I have some praziquantel but I’m scared to use it. submitted by /u/United-Conference-97 [link] [comments]”
“While reading on some other folks' experiences with Celestial Pearl Danios & parasites, I came across this comment : Honestly, drip acclimation can be debatably necessary even when getting fish from your LFS . YMMV, but I lost way more fish when I was drip acclimating vs now where all I do is float the bag for 15 minutes or so, then cut the top, pour out over my aquarium bucket into my net, and very quickly relocate to their tank once the bag is empty. Here's a site OP linked to disc”
“I suspect my new oto might have ich? How do I treat them? because arent they considered scaleless fish and certain meds arent good for them. Im UK based Thank you submitted by /u/BlueTit11 [link] [comments]”
“This is driving me crazy. I’m sure people get tired of these posts after a while but I need to bounce ideas off of some more experienced folks. My tank is 29 gallons, planted. pH is about 7.8, GH and KH around 6-8. Currently at 78F but that can certainly change. Only livestock at the moment are some ramshorn snails that came in on the plants plus a bunch of ostracods and similar microfauna. Tank’s been going for about 3 years with nothing in it (life issues got in the way of getting it stocked s”
“Hello fellow Turtle Friends, I wanted to ask for your advice. I have an aquatic turtle and I don't have much circulation in my aquarium and the filter is not much of a help. So I wanted to ask if you guys/girls have circulation pumps in your aquariums and if yes which one? I only have my turtle friend in the aquarium with estimated around 100-200l of water in it. Thanks for your help in advance :) submitted by /u/Weasel_flink [link] [comments]”
“My betta got fin rot :( I've already done the treatment with kanaplex in the food for 7 days and I also put tannins in the aquarium but it doesn't seem to be progressing, the upper part is already better but the main part is not improving… my water parameters are stable at ph 7.8 amônia 0 nitrite 0 and nitrates 5-10 with a heater at 78F. I have him for about 5 months in a 10g heavily planted and he still super active Can I do another 7 days of kanaplex? Any tips? submitted by”
“Hi all, I need any and all help. I have just got home from work tonight to find that I have 7 fish dead all peacock cichlids and bristle nose. My blood parrots are still alive but 1 has like a milky film and looks like it is on the way out. Have never had anything like this happen before. What is it and what can I do????? submitted by /u/Velvet_-_Thunder [link] [comments]”
“Something is wrong with my Apisto's left eye. Seems like it's swollen/sticking out a tiny bit at the top, and it's white.... Any ideas? submitted by /u/No_Cook_8739 [link] [comments]”
“I cant tell if she is Gravid or just fat submitted by /u/RelativeTax2417 [link] [comments]”
“Hi y'all, I have a 40 gallon breeder tank with a handful of community fish and 2 feeder goldfish (i inherited from a local fair last year from family members). Oh yeah, and a painted turtle. I sometimes have ammonia issues. I assume it's from the giant goldfish pooping a lot. I water change weekly, water condition, and add aquarium salt biweekly. 75 gallon external filter, 10 gallon filter and a wave maker. Saturday, I had an ammonia spike and the goldfish got really weak. 50% water chan”
“I don’t know what’s wrong with my female cherry Barb, her stomach is very round and none of my other barbs look like this. I’ve fed daphnia and fasted yet she looks the same. Is this eggs or is something wrong? submitted by /u/Slater_007 [link] [comments]”
“Please delete if not allowed I can't find the past group I was posting in Please read fully before commenting. I have a Cory thats very unwell and I'm unsure what's the problem or how to help. It started over a month ago , he was starting to lay on his side and swimming looking like he was drunk ( not all the time) . I got told to seperate him and treat for bloat so I did. As soon as I put him in the tank he was stressed to bits but was told to hold It out as the quicker he's tre”
“so i started my tank a few months ago , it’s pretty heavily planted and the bacteria is well established, ammonia and nitrates are within healthy range , all other fish are perfectly fine. i have 4 platys , 7 fry platys (not planning on keeping them all to prevent overcrowding but waiting to sex them first , they are still in breeder box as too small to be in the main tank) , 5 cardinal tetras , and a male betta (who gets along well with the other fish , no bullying or aggression) . i did have 6”
“So I've had this one platy who just recently lost its partner. 3 days after her death he's just been swimming at the bottom not joining the other platies. so I had to feed him personally. The tank water parameters are fine, and the fish has been in the tank for 6 months. submitted by /u/Fluffy_Hedgehog8891 [link] [comments]”
“I have the following here at home: maracyn, maracyn 2, poly guard, kanaplex, aquarium and epsom salt, paraguard, methylene blue. For the love of all corys, how do I help my lil friends? I recently lost my favorite betta to dropsy and this is making me feel like giving up altogether. Barbels are missing from about half of the six habrosus cory. I do weekly water changes. They are in a ten gallon with 8 green neons. Should I treat the main tank or just the affected corys? I have another bare botto”
“I feel bad. This fish that I’ve had for a few years is clearly suffering and swimming erratically and going to the bottom. What’s the most ethical way to handle the situation? submitted by /u/Sufficient_Water_326 [link] [comments]”
“As the title says, I have a common goldfish in a 55 gallon tank. I know the tank size isn’t ideal, but I live with my parents and this is the largest tank I can get for now. I’m planning on switching from large pebbles to sand substrate so he can forage, but I’m worried that he is unhappy since he lacks a tank mate, are there any fish I can house with him? or would other forms of enrichment be ideal? submitted by /u/PigeonWithATophat [link] [comments]”
“To put it briefly, today we noticed that one of the fish's eyes is swollen—or rather, not the eye itself, but the scales around it seem to have formed a white ring. Also, I think four symmetrical red spots have appeared on its face (I’m not sure if they were there before). The tank isn't large, but the fish didn't seem uncomfortable; there’s no heater or water filter, though we do change the water frequently. Could you tell me if there's cause for concern? submitted by  ”