angels acting sick

[walju]

We brought home four Phillipine blue angels-about 50 cent size - 10 days ago. I acclimated them slowly and they were fine overnight and gorged on a meal of black worms. They ate a few times and then stopped eating and just spend their time hovering in one corner. Their appearance is okay(no spots or anything) but they seem to be "breathing " faster than they should. The water parameters are okay -ph7.4 which might be a little high for them. I tried increasing the circulation and turning off two lights. They are in a community tank because we brought them from a home breeder who raised them and his tanks seemed fine. I hate to loose them- does anyone have any suggestions? I am going to do a small water change today. All the other fish are fine. They are in a 28 gallon tank-planted. We are using a fluval cannister filter.

 

[Blueiz]

What are your ammonia and nitrite readings. It would make since that you are having a spike in those, or at least one of those, after adding the 4 fish, therefore causing the symptoms in your angels.

 

[walju]

ammonia is 0 and nitrates are 5-I took a water sample up to our fish store just to make sure our readings were okay-

 

[Blueiz]

What are you nitrites? Did they use a strip test? I would reccemend you purchasing your own liquid test kit if you are able to.

I would do at least a 50 percent water change and see if that makes a difference in there behavior. There is a possibility that they are still adjusting to there new tank. What are the other fish that are with them?

 

[walju]

We took a water sample to That Fish Place-a very large supply store near us-they said our parameters were okay The other fish in the tank are okay. They aren't at the top like the angels are-we have red-eye tetras(4), 4 sterbai , 1 albino bristlenose pleco, 1 clown pleco, 2 swordtails, and a pair of little apistogrammas. I just did a 10% water change and cleaned the cannister- Thanks for helping.

 

[mfdrookie516]

how did you clean the filter?

 

[walju]

I took everything apart- rinsed the sponges in aquarium water that I had taken off in the water change, and put in two new sponges-two old ones left in. I just rinsed the media baskets but didn't replace anything because it was done two weeks ago. That was all.

 

[mfdrookie516]

ok... i never change sponges... most last forever, or darn near close to it... also never change your bio-media... sounds like you did it pretty much ok though... when you replace your sponges, you lose alot of your bacteria though, so its really not a good idea to unless they are just falling apart

 

[walju]

Thanks for the info- now I am sorry I changed the sponges- we have a lava rock back drop in this tank-we siliconed the rock to a piece of plexiglas and siliconed that to the back glass. It looks neat but I think it makes the water harder. I hope this isn't causing a problem -it has been in for two years.

 

[mfdrookie516]

if its been in there for 2 years, i seriously doubt you would just now be having problems... and dont feel bad about changing the sponges... if you only took half of them out, that shouldnt be cause for concern. Just for future reference, this is how i clean my filters... turn valve off shutting off flow to filter. remove hoses. remove filter from under tank. fill up 5g bucket about 3/4 full from hoses, cleaning the inside of the hoses from the swift water coming down. remove sponges and media from canister in to bucket to keep wet. dump remaining water from filter, take a paper towel and clean the inside of the canister. remove impeller and clean all parts associated. fill filter half way with hoses. shake media baskets in bucket then put in filter. bunch up each sponge then squeeze and let go a few times until the majority of the "gunk" is out of the sponge, then put in the canister, fill on up, then put on the pump, hook up the hoses, let the air work its way out, then plug it in... but again, i serioulsy doubt your cleaning affected anything

 

[walju]

Thanks- that is a neat way to change the filter. Any other suggestions about the angels? one site suggested parasites. Could they have gotten them from blackworms? they are so pretty-really makes me sad that they won't eat and if they don't soon they won't live.

 

[mfdrookie516]

how rapidly are they breathing? you said you increased circulation, is there alot of surface agitation? have you been able to see their gills? ich affects gills in the fish, causing them to breath more rapidly... it will affect the gills before the white spots are noticable... see if they look inflamed or a darker shade of red than normal.

 

[walju]

I can't see that their gills are redder or inflammed- should I add melafix to the water? they are looking worse and I am afraid we are going to loose them. Nobody else in the tank is doing what they are.