Fire Red Apisto Hanging Feces

[vie]

I purchased a juvenile female Fire Red Agassizi's Apisto from my lfs about two weeks ago. She seems to be eating well and is very active but I noticed within a day some hanging feces. Almost every day it is apparent. It is dark near her anus and lighter and segmented farther from her body. I assume it is from constipation but it seems every fish I've ever witnessed this in has died within a few weeks or months.

I generally feed Bug Bites pellets or Omega One frozen brine or mysis, alternating days. I was able to find Hikari frozen brine infused with spirulina so I've been feeding that every other day or so. Is there anything else I can do? I tried peas on my last McMasteri but it didn't seem to do much, though he did live with the condition for a few months.

 

[MacZ]

Peas are an urban legend, an ever-perpetuated thing because it seemed to have helped some goldfish back in the 70s. There is no basis for this working.

Without a picture it's unlikely anyone can say anything useful otherwise.

 

[vie]

This is the best I could do. She darts around quite a bit and is camera shy. The pictured feces is short, though sometimes they are about three times as long.
I also feed Veggie pellets from time to time.
I have heard the pea remedy is a myth but it is mentioned frequently in forums and even some fish websites.

 

[MacZ]

I also feed Veggie pellets from time to time.

You can leave those. Not what Dwarf cichlids really need, the vegetable matter from the bug bites and any mulm the fish might eat contain enough fiber.

I have heard the pea remedy is a myth but it is mentioned frequently in forums and even some fish websites.

The definition of a myth: A perpetuated >story<.

To be frank, it just looks like you overfeed. Colour isn't off considering what you feed, it's not showing signs of inner parasites... the fish just got a healthy appetite. Tune down the amounts you feed and maybe add some vitamins to the frozen foods after defrosting and rinsing them.
Btw GOOD you don't feed blood worms! Thumbs up for that!

 

[vie]

Confession, I used to feed blood worms but after reading these threads, I realized how damaging they can be.

So, even though I've kept fish for several years, it's never been clear to me how much to feed and how often. Currently, I feed what I consider to be a very small amount twice a day. There is never excess food on the bottom of the tank. Should I curtail my feeding to once a day? Another part of the feeding problem for me is that apistos are pretty aggressive feeders so it's hard to get enough food to the other tank members, which are currently five blue eyed rainbows, two ottos and three Beckford's pencilfish. (That applies to my deceased McMasteri, who got pretty big. This girl is actually pretty shy so far.)

Also, which vitamins are you referring to and where can I get them?

 

[Mike Wise]

Rule of thumb: the stomach of a typical (non-predator) fish is approximately the size of its eye. Also note that fish, being cold-blooded need much less in the way of calories to live. Warm-blooded animal, like dogs, cats, etc., use up to 90% of their daily calories just to keep their body temperature stable. Cold-blooded animals use their environment for this. Me? My excess calories go to making my clothes fit tighter!

 

[MacZ]

Also, which vitamins are you referring to and where can I get them?

I add a liquid multivitamin mix by JBL (Advitol), many manufacturer offer basically the same mix. Just a few drops mixed in between live and frozen foods, once ot twice a week goes a long way. Nothing special.

 

[vie]

A vitamin for humans then. I'll look for it.
I frequently see suggestions for live food. The only live food I can source are brine shrimp. The couple of times I tried it, the fish didn't seem interested. Also, I checked into growing my own brine but it was too involved. I tried an artemia hatchery. It worked well but again, they were microscopic and the fish mostly ignored them. The closest I came to a live food happily consumed were the moth caterpillars that I found in my wild bird food!
Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[MacZ]

A vitamin for humans then. I'll look for it.

No! Humans need different combinations and ratios of vitamins. It still should be specifically made for fish.

Here. I hate it to post actual products, but seems a description of what you technically need isn't cutting it.

JBL Atvitol

Multivitamins prevent deficiency symptoms and increase the resistance of freshwater, pond and marine fish

www.jbl.de

You don't need to get this specifically, something similar that's available to you is enough.

Also live food of course has to be in appropriate size for the fish. Besides the rather small varieties like microworms, grindals, artemia, daphnia and the like, many things like Mysis or Mosquito larvae are definitely not something many people can cultivate themselves. Bigger stuff has to be bought. Or collected outside if climate, weather and local regulations allow for it.

 

[vie]

I apologize for the confusion. When I typed in JBL liquid vitamins on my search engine, human vitamins came up first. I should have been more thorough. Sorry.
I would be happy to buy bigger live food but none of the lfs in my area sell anything like that. I can only find brine shrimp.
Anyhow, thank you for all of your help. My Fire Red still has some feces hanging but she seems to be doing well and I've cut back on my feedings.

 

[MacZ]

If you can't get bigger live food, next best thing is frozen.