Hi Everyone,
In need of your experience and advice.
Some background..
Recently, around 2.5-3 months ago, I was lucky enough to get some nice apistos. Agassizii Double Reds, Baenschi Inka II and Elizabethae super reds.
These were imported from Europe, Germany to be more specific. I live in South Africa and we do not have a variety of Apistos, that is why a group of us imported them.
I prepared the tanks, 4 x 2ft tanks, with sponge filter, silica sand, driftwood, T.catappa leaves, clay pots, Java Ferns and Crypts. Cycled the tanks for over a month, with Microblift Special Blend as per instructions. All parameters were good before introduction. All fish were acclimatized properly and was doing well.
The agassizii (1m3f) are in one tank, Baenschi (1m2f) in another and Elizabethae (1m1f) in the other.
I fed them BBS upon arrival, and around every 2nd day since. Also, feed ocean nutrition super shrimp, finely crushed pellet food, blackfood, various crushed flake food... all very high quality foods, that i got from a fellow fish keeper (Prof. Bellstad).
All the fish are doing very well, the Baenschi have bred and have fry, Agassizii are all well and the Elizabethae were doing well.
Around 2 weeks ago, after a WC, my male elizabethae male stopped eating and started to hide. I first thought nothing of it, but after the 2nd day, I started to worry. I asked all my contacts, and there was no definite answer.
So here are the Symptoms.
Very Slow breathing, fins fully erect, sits on substrate upright, hides in caves but doesn't swim around, doesn't accept any kind of food, colour varies from very dark to very pale (now mostly pale), looks alert but i can touch him and move him and he won't react or will react very little.
I haven't used any meds, and still do WCs (25% every 4 days). Added aquarium salt and more special blend. Added another internal filter with peat and added around 10 x t.catappa leaves to try lower the pH.
My water out of the tap is 8pH, but drops to around 7.5.
The prof thinks it might be osmotic shock, due to pH, that is why i added so much more leaves and the peat. But it hasn't helped.
The male is still hanging on, but very thin and I'm at a point where i must decide if i have to end his suffering. So that is why I'm turning to you guys.
Have you guys had anything similar happen to your apistos? any new ideas or remedies? and will it be wise to force feed the Elizabethae? and how?
Really appreciate any feedback!
Regards,
Chongkie
In need of your experience and advice.
Some background..
Recently, around 2.5-3 months ago, I was lucky enough to get some nice apistos. Agassizii Double Reds, Baenschi Inka II and Elizabethae super reds.
These were imported from Europe, Germany to be more specific. I live in South Africa and we do not have a variety of Apistos, that is why a group of us imported them.
I prepared the tanks, 4 x 2ft tanks, with sponge filter, silica sand, driftwood, T.catappa leaves, clay pots, Java Ferns and Crypts. Cycled the tanks for over a month, with Microblift Special Blend as per instructions. All parameters were good before introduction. All fish were acclimatized properly and was doing well.
The agassizii (1m3f) are in one tank, Baenschi (1m2f) in another and Elizabethae (1m1f) in the other.
I fed them BBS upon arrival, and around every 2nd day since. Also, feed ocean nutrition super shrimp, finely crushed pellet food, blackfood, various crushed flake food... all very high quality foods, that i got from a fellow fish keeper (Prof. Bellstad).
All the fish are doing very well, the Baenschi have bred and have fry, Agassizii are all well and the Elizabethae were doing well.
Around 2 weeks ago, after a WC, my male elizabethae male stopped eating and started to hide. I first thought nothing of it, but after the 2nd day, I started to worry. I asked all my contacts, and there was no definite answer.
So here are the Symptoms.
Very Slow breathing, fins fully erect, sits on substrate upright, hides in caves but doesn't swim around, doesn't accept any kind of food, colour varies from very dark to very pale (now mostly pale), looks alert but i can touch him and move him and he won't react or will react very little.
I haven't used any meds, and still do WCs (25% every 4 days). Added aquarium salt and more special blend. Added another internal filter with peat and added around 10 x t.catappa leaves to try lower the pH.
My water out of the tap is 8pH, but drops to around 7.5.
The prof thinks it might be osmotic shock, due to pH, that is why i added so much more leaves and the peat. But it hasn't helped.
The male is still hanging on, but very thin and I'm at a point where i must decide if i have to end his suffering. So that is why I'm turning to you guys.
Have you guys had anything similar happen to your apistos? any new ideas or remedies? and will it be wise to force feed the Elizabethae? and how?
Really appreciate any feedback!
Regards,
Chongkie