Flagfish on bottom

[tuculover]

Evening all,

I'm having no luck with flagfish lately. First try, male and female, had the male pass within a week. Received a replacement and had both fish go within a month. Tried again, with a more mature pair from a different store, and they're both hiding in the plants in the substrate, added 4 days ago. I'm sure it has to do with my water, but I can't figure it out. Tank is 8 years old, 29 gallon, filled with espei raspbora, cardinal tetras, and a yoyo loach. Had an SAE but thought it was aggressive and moved it a couple days ago. Added marycyn and prazi today in case they came in with something. 

Test strips show 25ppm nitrate, 150 GH, 80 KH, and 6.8-7.2pH.

Kind of a long shot, I know, but thought some people might have other ideas.

Thanks!

Edited April 25 by tuculover
Autocorrect

[Fish Folk]

Jordanella floridae are subtropical. They’ll thrive between 65-71°-F. Just a guess… but your temperature is likely higher than their preferred range. Add lots of extra oxygen if you’re trying to keep them that way.

I order mine here. Always pleased.

 

[Pepere]

Care guides online are all over the place temp wise… 

 

some stating 65 - 71, others ranging as high as 85…

 

being native to Florida marshes and shallow water ponds streams etc, I have a hard time thinking those bodies of water dont exceed 71 degrees regularly in the  summertime.

 

I keep some in tanks that range between 74 and 76 as set with Inkbird and they thrive at those temps and engage in spawning behavior.

 

I noticed that I saw them a whole lot more in one tank after rehoming a neon blue dwarf Gourami that was king of the tank…. Before rehoming they were always lurking in the vegetation and rushing to get away from him…

Edited April 25 by Pepere

[tuculover]

Thanks for the help everyone. Tank temp is 74. Noticed that both fish seen to have some very stringy poop that is still attached to their anus. The female actually looks like the anus is swollen, but I don't know enough about the fish to tell if that's normal. Could they be constipated from the store I got them from? My tank has plenty of algae to eat, that's why I got them.