Ill Hatchet fish?

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Bubbles
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Hi,
One of our hatchet fish is hiding amongst the weed and tilting sideways. It gets itself right again if I look at it but then tips over again. I'm also concerned another is doing the same thing, though its difficult to see amongst all the floating weed. I'm worried I've overfed them and they're constipated? Or is it a swim bladder problem? Or something else? I gave a few squashed up peas which the other fish ate, but these two didn't come out to look. What should I do? Do I need to get them into a separate tank? Any advice gratefully received, thanks.
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Martinspuddle
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Gasteropelecidae family are all insectivores, these fish primarily feed on insects near the water's surface, therefore won't touch vegetable matter.

How long have had your Hatchets, what species do you have and what are your water parameters?
WARNING - DO NOT BREED, FEED OR PET THE PUDDLE! :dodgy2:
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plankton
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Martinspuddle wrote: Sat Apr 03, 2021 21:20 pm Gasteropelecidae family are all insectivores, these fish primarily feed on insects near the water's surface, therefore won't touch vegetable matter.

How long have had your Hatchets, what species do you have and what are your water parameters?
Also what are you feeding (besides pea ;) ), what other tankmates are there and how big is the tank?
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Martinspuddle
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plankton wrote: Sun Apr 04, 2021 10:07 am
Martinspuddle wrote: Sat Apr 03, 2021 21:20 pm Gasteropelecidae family are all insectivores, these fish primarily feed on insects near the water's surface, therefore won't touch vegetable matter.

How long have had your Hatchets, what species do you have and what are your water parameters?
Also what are you feeding (besides pea ;) ), what other tankmates are there and how big is the tank?
...and what sort of plants do you have, have the Hatchets got any cover?
WARNING - DO NOT BREED, FEED OR PET THE PUDDLE! :dodgy2:
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Bubbles
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Martinspuddle wrote: Sat Apr 03, 2021 21:20 pm Gasteropelecidae family are all insectivores, these fish primarily feed on insects near the water's surface, therefore won't touch vegetable matter.

How long have had your Hatchets, what species do you have and what are your water parameters?
Hi,
Ok, I gave them the peas as I read they can be a natural aid to fish constipation - which they might have got from over-eating? You're right, they didn't go for them! The tetras did though.

I've got 9 spotted hatchets. The water is pH 7.6, there is 0.25 ammonia (baseline water reading) and 0 nitrite. The nitrate is around 40 and I'm finding it difficult to get it down.
Bubbles
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plankton wrote: Sun Apr 04, 2021 10:07 am
Martinspuddle wrote: Sat Apr 03, 2021 21:20 pm Gasteropelecidae family are all insectivores, these fish primarily feed on insects near the water's surface, therefore won't touch vegetable matter.

How long have had your Hatchets, what species do you have and what are your water parameters?
Also what are you feeding (besides pea ;) ), what other tankmates are there and how big is the tank?
They're living with 11 tetras and 10 pygmy corydoras.

Food-wise I'm giving them frozen cyclops (for the small fish), daphnia (dried) and dried bloodworms every other day, flake food everyday, and Prima minigranules (which sink). The hatchets mainly go for the flakes and the bloodworm.
Bubbles
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plankton wrote: Sun Apr 04, 2021 10:07 am
Martinspuddle wrote: Sat Apr 03, 2021 21:20 pm Gasteropelecidae family are all insectivores, these fish primarily feed on insects near the water's surface, therefore won't touch vegetable matter.

How long have had your Hatchets, what species do you have and what are your water parameters?
Also what are you feeding (besides pea ;) ), what other tankmates are there and how big is the tank?
Oh - and the tank is 180L filled to 160....
Bubbles
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Martinspuddle wrote: Sun Apr 04, 2021 10:56 am
plankton wrote: Sun Apr 04, 2021 10:07 am
Martinspuddle wrote: Sat Apr 03, 2021 21:20 pm Gasteropelecidae family are all insectivores, these fish primarily feed on insects near the water's surface, therefore won't touch vegetable matter.

How long have had your Hatchets, what species do you have and what are your water parameters?
Also what are you feeding (besides pea ;) ), what other tankmates are there and how big is the tank?
...and what sort of plants do you have, have the Hatchets got any cover?

Yes there are lots of plants including floating ones. They like hanging out amongst the roots. Oh and the temperature is set at 24 degrees. The poor thing is now over by the heater. Do you think I should turn up the heat a bit??

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Martinspuddle
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Bubbles wrote: Sun Apr 04, 2021 12:44 pm The nitrate is around 40
High nitrates in a planted aquarium when fish are healthy is not too much of an issue but if any health problems do arise the they will quickly succumb.

Feeding, Lessen the amount you feed, maybe part of the reason for your water quality (I don't know your water supply parameters)

I only feed mine two or three times a week. Hatchets I found do need live foods, if only once a week but flake I found was not good for them long term.

How long have you had your Spotted Hatchets and what size was they when you purchased these fish?

Curious, why have not got the aquarium filled to the top, or are you worried the Hatchets will jump when you open the hood?
WARNING - DO NOT BREED, FEED OR PET THE PUDDLE! :dodgy2:
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Bubbles
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I bought the first 5 about 6 weeks ago and the second group 2 weeks ago. They were mixed sizes, a couple are over an inch and the others are smaller.

Re the aquarium - I guess that's it. Less chance of things jumping out. And the lights would be v close to the hatchets at the top of the water if I filled it right up. Maybe that's not a problem?
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