Sick female cacatuoides!!

[FreshWaterTropics]

Hey folks, my new female cacatuoides looks sick. She is very lethargic and doesn't seem to be eating. Her partner seems to be doing fine, he's active and eating well. My water parameters are temp is around 7.7 to 8.0 deg, Ph 6.5 , ammonia 0.25 and 0 nitrite. She looks a lot darker and is breathing rapidly with her mouth open. Any clue to what is happening or how I can treat her?? I've been feeding them frozen baby brine shrimp.


They are in a 25g high aquarium. Along with 10 neon and 2 rainbow and 1 dwarf rainbow.

 

[regani]

Difficult to say from a brief description like that. But your ammonia should read zero, so it could be an infection due to environmental stress.
Best course of action in most cases of illness is to start with a couple of water changes to make sure water conditions are good. Often improved conditions allow the fish's immune system to fight off a minor case of infection. With bad water no amount of treatment added will work properly.
No guarantee that the fish's condition will improve, but that's where I'd start.

 

[UnicornsvstheWorld]

Water changes like Regani said, ammonia can cause many problems with fish so its best to sort out that first, then see if the fish does improve. If not then it could be due to another factor.

 

[Linus_Cello]

I would also add increase aeration and keeping the tank dark if possible.

 

[Mike Wise]

I hope they are in a quarantine tank. Otherwise you may have problems with other tank members.

 

[FreshWaterTropics]

Great News I had her in a seperate tank, treated her with salt, she seems super healthy. She is eating like crazy. Thanks for all the help. I did do a 10% water change and added some extra benefical bacteria to even things out.

 

[Mol_PMB]

Forgive me as I am a relative newbie with Apistos. But do they like salt? My understanding was that their natural environment was generally very low TDS. I keep my SA Cichlids at a TDS of less than 60.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

But do they like salt?

No they don't.

My understanding was that their natural environment was generally very low TDS.

Apistogramma cacatuoides are a white water fish, but it is still fairly low TDS water

I keep my SA Cichlids at a TDS of less than 60.

I follow the same approach as you. I can't see any point in adding salt (have a look at Joe Gargas' article linked from: <http://www.apistogramma.com/forum/threads/water-chemistry-osmoregulation-ionic-imbalance-ph.11838/>) .

cheers Darrel

 

[gerald]

Certainly not for long-term care or breeding, but short-term salt baths (about 3 g/L, not more than a week or two) can help rid some bacterial and parasite infections even in black-water fish.

Forgive me as I am a relative newbie with Apistos. But do they like salt? My understanding was that their natural environment was generally very low TDS. I keep my SA Cichlids at a TDS of less than 60.

 

[Mol_PMB]

OK, many thanks for the clarification I'm still new to this!