Any one know anything about fish?

[Emeye]

We have a big tank at work with not many fish in it - no one seems to be taking much care of them as the usual person is off ill. The tank is starting to look a bit grubby and slimy.

Now I know nothing about looking after fish but feel a bit sorry for them - they all look OK apart from the big black one which now seems to be covered with what I can only describe as a cobweb?

Anyone know what this is and if there is anything I can do - this big black thing just sits still in the same spot most of the time anyway, but I think it's alive. I'll try to get a pic.



Cheers.

Edited by Emeye on Saturday 9th October 11:17

[Ruttager]

It needs cleaned. It sounds like one of the fish has fish fungus which kinda looks like a woolly growth on the body. There are treatments available in the shops that will help cure this. Its been ages since I've kept fish but if its just freshwater fish then a 50% water change in the tank will help. If its saltwater fish then you need to get the salinity correct (no idea on that one). The tank should really have a partial water change every week depending on how good the filter is. I'm sure someone will be along with better knowledge on this.

[Emeye]

Cheers, had a closer look and the whole tank looks manky with algae starting to grow on the side of the tank - the image upload is not working at the mo due to an upgrade so I'll try to find another way.

[Parsnip]

If they are saltwater, then don't go near them - you will probably do more harm than good - keeping a saltwater tank is hard work and needs a fair bit of knowledge to pull off.

If it is a freshwater tank, then you can do a few things:
If you find a gravel hoover (siphon type thing) you can use to to clean all the fish crap out of the gravel and also to remove a bit of the water.

Don't dump water straight out the tank in - ideally find some sort of dechlorinator for the water. At the very least leave if for a few hours - it lets the water get up to room temp, so there isn't too much temp difference between the tank and new water.

The white "cobweb" could be whitespot (also called ick) which is super contagious, but treatable - would advise you speak to a expert who can advise you on the best way to go based on what fish you have in the tank etc. Generally the sure is to up the temperature a bit, chuck the treatment in the tank (whole tank needs treated) and make sure the water is aerated - but some treatments disagree with some fish - so ask advice before you chuck the stuff in.

[Emeye]

Pretty sure they are freshwater. I definitely don't want to do any damage - there are loads of different treatments etc under the tank, but not sure what they are. Def. needs a clean though.

[SimonMaidenhead]

Pretty sure the fish you have is a variety of plec called a gibbiceps (sp), it's a nocturnal algae eater so should not be in the same place every day (are you sure it's alive). Do a 30% water change as soon as possible and take the picture to your local aquatic store and ask their advise.
p.s. giving the fish a gentle nudge to see if it's alive wont do it any harm, probably make you jump more tbh

[Emeye]

SimonMaidenhead said:

Pretty sure the fish you have is a variety of plec called a gibbiceps (sp), it's a nocturnal algae eater so should not be in the same place every day (are you sure it's alive). Do a 30% water change as soon as possible and take the picture to your local aquatic store and ask their advise.
p.s. giving the fish a gentle nudge to see if it's alive wont do it any harm, probably make you jump more tbh

It is alive - one of the guys gave it a gentle stroke! It moved its fins but didn't swim off. It pretty much spends all day in the same place - but might move around at night when everyone has gone home.

Apparently they are getting rid of the tank and fish - they're looking for someone to take them - that big one, a sort of Nemo type fish and a few neons (I think). I am tempted but know nowt about fish and would have to have a much smaller tank than the huge one we have here. Don't think my missus would be that impressed either.

Edited by Emeye on Saturday 9th October 14:19

[ML]

That's a Plecostomus Catfish.

[Parsnip]

ML said:

That's a Plecostomus Catfish.

Thirded, now I have seen the pic.

Plecs are freshwater and also bloody hard to kill - that whitespot (which is what it looks like) does look nasty though - can infect the whole tank very quickly.

Without knowing what else is in there, the standard treatment is to wind up the temperature and use a whitespot treatment - would defo clean the tank and get rid of the algae first though - the treatment will reduce the oxygen in the water and having a minging tank filled with algae won't help matters.

Normally, a plec will keep the tank pretty algae free - so the fact there is a load in there means it isn't doing too well.

[v8will]

ML said:

That's a Plecostomus Catfish.

That was my thought as well, Ideally a 50% water change and clean the gravel would be a good start. Plecs are tough but that one looks a bit poorly. Good water conditions will be a good start though

[otolith]

Doesn't look like whitespot to me - though the photograph isn't very clear. We lost two small expensive plecs in a whitespot outbreak, and neither of them had any sign of the parasites on their skin - killed either by infestation of the gills or by the whitespot medication.

Worth mentioning that the fish don't give a toss about the algae, it just makes the tank look unsightly.

[Emeye]

Thanks for all the replies.

I has a look on google images for white spot, and it doesn't look like it to my untrained eye.

It seems like the cobwebby stuff is just laying over the fish as it is also on the log it's lying in. When my colleague stroked the fish some of it just came off.

I've reported it to the management and hopefully they are going to get it sorted.

The big fish is about 10" long - if I wanted to take it home along with the 3 neons and the other 2" long orangy fish (sorry I don't have a clue ) how big a tank would be OK?

I'm willing to learn what to do to look after them.

[Amused2death]

If the fish are NOT going to get any bigger then a 24'x12'x18' would ensure they all have some room to move.

BUT....try to get an accurate identification of the Plec to ensure it wont outgrow the tank.

[Wheelrepairit]

The Plec looks like its changing its skin, ive one about a ft long in my tank and it does it about twice a yr.

[nammynake]

Get over to the practicalfishkeeping.com forums. Plenty of very knowledgeable people there who'll be able to help.

[mybrainhurts]

Flush them down the bog...

They'll think they're at Alton Towers...

[Jasandjules]

That doesn't look like whitespot to me but some form of fungal infection (though I am afraid that my freshwater knowledge if very low).

I think if you can get some dechlorinator then definately do a 25% water change then I'd say do another water change the next day of 25% and I'd be inclined to do that a few days running. I say do 25% a day as I don't think fish cope well with very rapid water quality changes (though of course I have no doubt freshwaters cope better than marines) and so it is safer IMHO to do it over the course of a week.