# Fish on top of tank



## fishboy85 (Apr 26, 2014)

Hi all just noticed today after I turned the lights of one of my fish ps neon spot is swimming near the top not swimming to well ether and looking really dark in colour just acting really odd and not looking to well was in two minds weather to flush him or not but I seperated him from the rest using a tank devider hoping he might be okay if left alone any other advice I would much appreciate


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## hisplaceresort1 (Mar 10, 2014)

So hard to say without more information...

To get the help you need, you will need to provide a bit more information - check out this link - http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=29339


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## fishboy85 (Apr 26, 2014)

I thought I had most of that information on my signature but anyway found him dead at the bottom of the tank this morning


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## hisplaceresort1 (Mar 10, 2014)

I am so sorry for your loss... I get very attached to mine, too...
Yes, there was some information in your signature; I apologize; I missed that.
But some of the most important information, about your water paramaters, is not included... how's the aeration? Is your tank is cycled and for how long... or if there were any new introductions... or if that is your entire stock list, etc., etc. You could be talking about another tank in your sig... I'm sure you see what I mean...

Try not to feel too badly... sometimes, even with best efforts, they don't make it.

To make sure it's not something in your water that just hasn't affected your other fish, you may want to test your parameters, and do an extra large water change "just because", and watch the other fish really closely... good luck, and if you do have any problems, people will be able to help you much more quickly and accurately if you provide all the recommended information.

And again; so sorry for your loss...


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## fishboy85 (Apr 26, 2014)

I was fully cycled fishless cycle added my fist lot of fish may this year and added the last lot the neon spot 2 months ago, its my fist fish I have lost to this tank, I checked my parameters tonight before my weekly water change and all was fine except for the nitrate higher than I expected tbh was close to 40 ppm got me thinking will have to up my wayer changed to twice a week or just a larger one, currently change 50 percent per week, the fish are getting big and thinking I will have to start trying to sex them and try sell then on my red zebras are around 3 inch but a few are larger, I have two that always fight and seam to have one side of the tank each, very territorial of there 
spots spend most of the time chasing the rest of the fish away, thinking maybe the neon spot got a bit close and thats why he got sick, thanks for your reply
Regards james


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## hisplaceresort1 (Mar 10, 2014)

Well, you probably answered your own question... it sounds like it might have been aggression. Even if he wasn't all chewed up, the stress could have been making him hang out at the top, where they don't normally spend much of their time, because he was trying to avoid some of the other fish. At any rate, just keep a close eye on the others... Good Luck!


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## fishboy85 (Apr 26, 2014)

Thats an other one down just caught them fighting over one and now its in one of the fish mouth, sad times


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## fishboy85 (Apr 26, 2014)

https://www.flickr.com/gp/[email protected]/3Pj62W
Is there a way I can prevent this from happening again? Im not sire what fish killed it


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## hisplaceresort1 (Mar 10, 2014)

Since no one else is chiming in, maybe because they don't want to be the bearers of bad news, I will give you my 2 cents...

...you have mbuna, not the "nice kids on the block"...

You have a big red zebras, and fish small enough to fit in their mouths...

I know seeing that would have bothered me, too, but the short answer is No, without some real intervention (removing/rehoming, changing mix of fish, drastic relandscaping that may or may not work, etc.), there is no kind of a "quick fix" to prevent that from happening again.

There are many articles and posts about mixes of fish that will go together "more or less" peacefully on this forum, and cookie-cutter mixes. But a huge size advantage, especially of a highly aggressive species like red zebras, makes the odds of smaller fish reaching adulthood diminish...

All I can say is, more hiding places small enough for the small fish that are too small for the larger ones to get to them. (That's why my fry survival rate is _too _high. I have a combination of coral and holey rock, and the more wiley ones have continued to surprise me with their survival.)

Anyway, you probably have some reading to do and changes to make to get that peaceful tank you want; mbunas may not be the way to go for you at this time, but there are more peaceful species than red zebras for sure... good luck.


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## fishboy85 (Apr 26, 2014)

Okay thanks for the reply im thinking im going to start again and try a species tank of something smaller


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