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I was going to add this to maniac's post "Possible Fungal Infection", but didn't want to highjack the thread:
http://forum.apistogramma.com/showthread.php?t=7662
I don't know if this is the same or different. The photo looks a lot like my one fish when I first received him. As a further point of info & reference I'll share my recent saga. I had some A. cacatuoides "Triple Reds", received first of March 08, (from a 'reputable' breeder I may add,) that one came in w/ a raised, white blemish.
After some investigation, I thought I was dealing w/ a case of viral Lymphocystis. Most of my references stated it is self-limiting and no treatment was necessary (nothing treats virus.) However some cases can be particularly virulent, and then only possible actions are quarantine, +/or euthanasia to contain spreading.
I lost the first male after six weeks, then my only female*, two weeks later. Now three 1/2 months in, I have lost a total of FIVE of the nine fish I received. (Please don't ask me about water parameters....yada....yada.... Currently I'm running 12+ tanks**, around 300+ gallons. It's not ammonia.)
I did run a course of Maracyn-EM in the first week, just to be sure. No change in the blemish/ blister. Later, after I lost the first two fish, I ran three treatments of Prazipro. I did this when I saw a third fish looking badly, and in case my initial diagnosis of viral was wrong. I still lost three more fish, slowly over the last six weeks.
More Info & Mystery Deepens
They are in a 15g QT. I added Endlers for dithers. Yes, I'm getting baby Endlers. Both adult and baby Endlers seem completely unaffected. One month ago I threw in four half-inch Pelvicachromis taeniatus fry - I've got some to spare:redface: ; they show no sign of disease and are growing.
Because I had one female, after the fish settled, I could see some action happening w/ the boys jostling for attention. Since I was still concerned about the blemish not being resolved, I set up a second 10g QT, and moved the alpha male and the female. Yes, they spawned 04/11, five wks after arriving. When the fry started free swimming I moved the male back w/ the other boys. Even though the female became sick and died these fry are growing and seem to be doing just fine. (When I noticed the female started looking ill I removed her from the fry tank.)
So, I've been loosing my adult A. cacatuoides; the fry are seemingly doing okay and growing. The livebearer species are not getting sick. So far, the other cichlid species (P. taeniatus) are not showing illness. MYSTERIOUS!
- - - - - -
Thankfully, I learned a hard lesson a couple years ago. I don't care where a fish comes from, they go thru QT. Now, these fish are still in a QT. If I stop loosing any A. cacatuoides, how long should I still keep them under observation and QT? Or will it ever be safe to move them out of this tank and into a community show tank??? I had planned this group for my 75g high tech, heavily planted display tank.
Sometimes this hobby has more than its share of frustration and heartache!!!!!!!!!!!
Footnotes :wink: :
*OKAY, yeah, why only ONE female!!!! Should have received 4 pairs.
* *Publicly, it's my policy to admit only 6 or 12 tanks, depending:tongue: . For other hobbiest: when I can work out the kink on my bowing shelf in the newly purchased metal "Muscle Rack". . . there will be four more!
http://forum.apistogramma.com/showthread.php?t=7662
I don't know if this is the same or different. The photo looks a lot like my one fish when I first received him. As a further point of info & reference I'll share my recent saga. I had some A. cacatuoides "Triple Reds", received first of March 08, (from a 'reputable' breeder I may add,) that one came in w/ a raised, white blemish.
After some investigation, I thought I was dealing w/ a case of viral Lymphocystis. Most of my references stated it is self-limiting and no treatment was necessary (nothing treats virus.) However some cases can be particularly virulent, and then only possible actions are quarantine, +/or euthanasia to contain spreading.
I lost the first male after six weeks, then my only female*, two weeks later. Now three 1/2 months in, I have lost a total of FIVE of the nine fish I received. (Please don't ask me about water parameters....yada....yada.... Currently I'm running 12+ tanks**, around 300+ gallons. It's not ammonia.)
I did run a course of Maracyn-EM in the first week, just to be sure. No change in the blemish/ blister. Later, after I lost the first two fish, I ran three treatments of Prazipro. I did this when I saw a third fish looking badly, and in case my initial diagnosis of viral was wrong. I still lost three more fish, slowly over the last six weeks.
More Info & Mystery Deepens
They are in a 15g QT. I added Endlers for dithers. Yes, I'm getting baby Endlers. Both adult and baby Endlers seem completely unaffected. One month ago I threw in four half-inch Pelvicachromis taeniatus fry - I've got some to spare:redface: ; they show no sign of disease and are growing.
Because I had one female, after the fish settled, I could see some action happening w/ the boys jostling for attention. Since I was still concerned about the blemish not being resolved, I set up a second 10g QT, and moved the alpha male and the female. Yes, they spawned 04/11, five wks after arriving. When the fry started free swimming I moved the male back w/ the other boys. Even though the female became sick and died these fry are growing and seem to be doing just fine. (When I noticed the female started looking ill I removed her from the fry tank.)
So, I've been loosing my adult A. cacatuoides; the fry are seemingly doing okay and growing. The livebearer species are not getting sick. So far, the other cichlid species (P. taeniatus) are not showing illness. MYSTERIOUS!
- - - - - -
Thankfully, I learned a hard lesson a couple years ago. I don't care where a fish comes from, they go thru QT. Now, these fish are still in a QT. If I stop loosing any A. cacatuoides, how long should I still keep them under observation and QT? Or will it ever be safe to move them out of this tank and into a community show tank??? I had planned this group for my 75g high tech, heavily planted display tank.
Sometimes this hobby has more than its share of frustration and heartache!!!!!!!!!!!
Footnotes :wink: :
*OKAY, yeah, why only ONE female!!!! Should have received 4 pairs.
* *Publicly, it's my policy to admit only 6 or 12 tanks, depending:tongue: . For other hobbiest: when I can work out the kink on my bowing shelf in the newly purchased metal "Muscle Rack". . . there will be four more!
