Hey! Today I purchased a bangaii cardinal and a mandarin dragonet from my LFS to add to my established display. I put them in an acclimation bucket, and they have been acclimating for about an hour now. My LFS isn't the best at fish keeping from what I had heard, but the shipment of cardinals and dragonets had gotten there just a few hours prior. They have an airstone with them and this fish was behaving normally at the store. I watched them for about 20 minutes before I decided they were ok to take home. About 30 minutes ago I noticed some 3-dimentional spots on the body of the bangaii (who is little, just under then or about an inch). 10 or 15 minutes ago took the bangaii in the net and lifted his side out of the surface of the water and shone a flashlight on his body and since the spots had gone away, I decided they were just bubbles. I put him back in the water, swims out of the net after a minute, still acting normal. Just a minute ago I saw him struggling to swim upright. He would float on his side, then move back normally, then stop and float on his side again. That concerned me a good deal. Is there anything I should do? I noticed the bubbler offsetting his swimming earlier, but he is on the other side the bucket and doesn't look close enough to have that be the problem at the moment. The mandarin is looking fine. Any help is appreciated! Thank you!
Bangaii Cardinal Floating on Side?
- Thread starter mav.23
- Start date
Are you trying to acclimate him into your display tank or a quarantine tank? After an hour, they should have been fully acclimated. Also it is best not to remove fish from water with netting, especially highly stressed fish just acquired. That practice can cause a good deal of damage to fish. Better to corral them into a ziplock or plastic container with water then put them in to quarantine.
Maybe you can attach some pics of your new fish? At this point, I'd just leave them be in whatever tank (not acclimantion bucket) you have planned for them. Turn off tank lights, but leave at least some dim room light overnight in room where they are located. Take some pics to post if you can tomorrow.
Also, mandarins require highly established larger tanks that can produce an adequate natural food supply for it. Do you have this?
Maybe you can attach some pics of your new fish? At this point, I'd just leave them be in whatever tank (not acclimantion bucket) you have planned for them. Turn off tank lights, but leave at least some dim room light overnight in room where they are located. Take some pics to post if you can tomorrow.
Also, mandarins require highly established larger tanks that can produce an adequate natural food supply for it. Do you have this?
Okay, thank you. I will keep an eye on him and add him asap. And yes, I have had my display for years and it is fully stocked with LR and pods. I've been planning for a mandarin for over two years, but I appreciate your concern! Thank you again, I'll try and figure out how to attach pictures too.
I have a QT but due to more specific reasons that I am not willing to disclose online, hadn't been able to get it out. So far, none of my fish have caught any marine diseases yet. I've been very fortunate. I usually treat all fish I get with Stressgaurd by SeaChem and wait about 24-48 hours. So far it has worked.