# Piranah Dying?



## Kamee (Aug 29, 2003)

Well, I think my red belly is about to bite the dust. His color has been really dark for a while now, and hasnt eatin anytyhing that I can tell since I've had him. He was always real active untill the last day or two. Now he seems to be drawn to the powerhead, and is sticking there. I think he's lost the will to fight.








What would have caused this? The tern and caribe do great, always eat and are super active? I do a 25% water change weekly, and the tank is super clean.


----------



## EMJAY (Feb 27, 2003)

what? any physical damage to the fish? does he look sick?

this seems much to akward.

did you take a water sample? maybe he's in shock for something? how long has he been in this tank? check the temperature, it may be really low, or maybe to high.


----------



## Kamee (Aug 29, 2003)

His fins are lookin...I wanna say kinda seperated, not nice and smooth like they should. Other than that he looks fine, just real dark for the last week or so. I've had him for a litle over a month now, and like I've said before, I've never seen him eat. Only once, and I dont think he's eatin without me around since I clean the tank of unwanted food. The water temp is 82, I gotta buy a PH tester when I'm out today.


----------



## boxer (Sep 11, 2003)

check water parameters and maybe you might want to seperate him for a while incase the sickness may spread to the others


----------



## galland (Nov 7, 2003)

Sounds like it could be some type of bacterial infection. The fins are the first to go. I'd pull him out an quarantine him. Use a broad spectrum antibiotic for a couple days with the lights out. This will help reduce stress levels and decrease breakdown of the antibiotic. Make sure you take your carbon out of the filter while you do this. Watch for signs of illness in the other fish.


----------



## EMJAY (Feb 27, 2003)

hes gotta be stressed out. sounds similar to what happened to my wild reds a little while ago. the fins separated a bit. here:


----------



## vlahos (Sep 7, 2003)

stress should be the cause of this. have you seen the others pick on him? maybe his own tank for a while would be a good idea.


----------



## Kamee (Aug 29, 2003)

Nope. No one ever bothers him at all, he was swiming fine and active in the powerhead, the only thing I have noticed was the complete lack of eating.


----------



## EMJAY (Feb 27, 2003)

does his fins look similar to the pic i showed?

he could be stressted for a few reasons, im in a rush, so bare with me

basicly i think he's uncomfortale, and it's making him stressed. 
-maybe your doing to many water changes
-water quality
-not a big enough tank (maybe the case if he's a wild piranha, cuz wilds aren't used to bumping into invisible barriers like tanks are)
-not enough hiding spots
-lighting is wrong
-hungry and the option of food is not there for him, even though you do try to feed him, he may wwant something else. try live worms

these are thing off the top, but basicly i think that he is uncomfortable, for starters completly turn of the powerhead, maybe it's bothering him. maybe theres something, like a piece of equipment running that just to loud for him and it's bugging him out. im not sure what it could be, but something is not right in the tank.

is he in a high traffic area? try turing lights out complet;y, and covering the tank maybe.


----------



## EMJAY (Feb 27, 2003)

btw: this is what i would do ^^^^

and im just trying to help here


----------

