In message , Fuzzy Orange
writes
Szaki wrote:
You have high Nitrite or Ammonia in the tank, from over feeding or some
other reasons. 60% water change don't do it, if it's high. Change the water
completely or few water changes, 3/4, 1/2,1/2, than 1/4 water changes, same
day. Check your water quality at petstore, free, or buy a kit. It's much
better if you learn how.
High Ammonia or Nitrite will kill your fish within a day, also stresses it
out, that's why they get diseases.
Can you picture it, if I lock you in a room, for months, nothing comes out,
only food goes in.
Your waist, breath, CO2 just accumulate in there. Wouldn't you get stressed
out after a while?
Julius

If you say I have high nitrite or ammonia and these will kill my fish
within a day then why have they been sat at the bottom but very much
alive for over a week

because the build-up is gradual...

The water was completely fresh 3 weeks ago when I moved into my new house

If none has been changed for three weeks after moving house this might
be your problem; also if you added three new fish you've doubled the
bio-load on an already overstretched system (your stocking levels are a
fair bit higher than recommended) and the filter isn't coping with the
extra waste. Did you notice vaguely cloudy white water at any point?

Basically, your water has been getting slowly more toxic over the last
three weeks. You should probably do fifty percent water changes daily
(and do use something to get rid of the chlorine) for a while and then
keep a close eye on your ammonia/nitrite/nitrate levels. If you do
intend to keep all those fish in that tank (which no-one here will
recommend, btw!) you're going to have to be absolutely religious about
water changes and you will need to under- rather than over-feed.

The white spots could be Ich, I'm not sure - you'd need someone who
knows more about stuff than me to deal with that one...
--
sophie