the-obstacle Posted June 20, 2011 Report Share Posted June 20, 2011 I came home and found my apisto agassizi male stuck in a sword plant breathing hard and not doing much else. I moved him to a hospital tank on his own with a fresh water change and some melafix just in case. He seems to be happier in some fresh water but not much. He's currently sitting on his forehead on the bottom with his tail in the air (so to speak). Every time his tail falls down and he levels out slightly he gives a kick and tries to get upright but can't keep it up for more than a few thrusts and goes back to resting on his forehead and breathing hard. There are no obvious signs what is wrong but I suspect it's a reaction to the ferts I've been adding to the tank (lost a male the same way a few months ago). Temp is 26.0, pH 6.2 (with co2 reactor on), amonia and nitrite are 0 and nitrate is barely reading but there is some there due to ferts (under 10ppm). Worst part is I've been holding onto him for 3 weeks for Nymox to pick up. He's coming tomorrow. Just my luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunbird73 Posted June 20, 2011 Report Share Posted June 20, 2011 buggar buggar buggar This is the way my agassizi female and my cockatoo female went out. Tried salt bath with the cockatoo and melafix with the second, not sure if it did anything except send them on their way quicker Apisto curse strikes again :tears: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the-obstacle Posted June 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2011 The crap thing is the 2 females in the same tank have now been through 2 males with no problems whatsoever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danval Posted June 20, 2011 Report Share Posted June 20, 2011 I have lost several Apisto's, some with similar symptoms. The day before I was going to give my mate my male Agassizi, it also died :dunno: Apisto's seem to be a little like that.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disgustipated Posted June 20, 2011 Report Share Posted June 20, 2011 yesterday my male agassizi was acting as you described, i noticed him acting funny and losing his brilliant colour about 3 days ago, so yesterday i did a 33% water change and tested all levels, all ok. but sadly this morning he was dead, sunken to the bottom, standing upright on his nose. that was the first flush funeral i've had to perform in almost a year. sad. i guess the fact i hadn't named him yet, made it a little bit less devastating... for the record, i had begun using fertilizers for my plants around two weeks ago, with flourish. i use half recommended dose with each water change including the change for the sick agassizi, because i am under the impression it is completely harmless to fish. there are 30 or so other fish in the tank, including kribensis and my female agassizi (who is now for sale) and all are doing fine, so for now i will continue to use the fertilizer and blame the untimely demise of my unnamed yet treasured male agassizi on spontaneous apisto quietus. still, i do i really hope it had nothing to do with the fertilizers...... 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the-obstacle Posted June 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2011 Yep, sounds exactly like what's happening today. Re: Ferts - I've never had any problem with overdosing comprehensive but I have had issues with adding too much magnesium and NPK at the same time. I suspect the males doing the current rounds in the stores are just really really fragile and any change in water parameters seems to push them over the edge. I just feel bad for Nymox that I can't give him the group I offered. Still, there are more males available in the stores at the moment so it's not a huge problem. Unlike the lack of female cockatoos but that's another story... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted June 20, 2011 Report Share Posted June 20, 2011 Sorry to hear that. They are the hardest fish to keep. I lost my last female agassizi and my second to last male cockatoo a few weeks ago for no reason. Similar thing, they just slowly get worse and worse with no cure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted June 21, 2011 Report Share Posted June 21, 2011 The female pygmy cory that I put to sleep did something similar, she swam along with her bottom end floating up in the air like a balloon attached. Sometimes would hide under a leaf to rest her floating bottom up against. In the end she got a fungus and started acting sick but I think it all started with an infection of a fin. I was taking some advice and reading around, and read that some swim bladder issues can start with a gut infection or worm etc so I think if it's not immediately detectable you might never know what it was. I don't think it's fertilisers unless they have started off a reaction in the fish, but I still think doubtful for most fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted June 21, 2011 Report Share Posted June 21, 2011 Sounds like he apisto'd on you. They can be quite terrible that way. I think it may have been the females. I had a few that went through no less than half a dozen males. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the-obstacle Posted June 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2011 Yeah, I wondered about a swim bladder issue. It certainly looked like it was gut related. It's a strange phenomenon that the females don't get the same sickness. I'm wondering if there's something dormant in the tank stock at the moment. I got both my recent males from the same local store and they may have been the same import / batch as there were a lot when I bought the first one and only one male left when I got the second. Fingers crossed Nymox has better luck with them. Oh, he was very dead this morning when I checked the hospital tank. I left a little led light on for him to be able to see and he died right up against it. "Swim into the light" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted June 21, 2011 Report Share Posted June 21, 2011 Sounds like he apisto'd on you. They can be quite terrible that way. I think it may have been the females. I had a few that went through no less than half a dozen males. Yep I agree, he apisto'd it just happens, no real explanation or cure that I have found.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshlikesfish Posted June 21, 2011 Report Share Posted June 21, 2011 Sucks to hear about it! My cockatoo is fine after his little swim on the floor though. A female has taken home in the cave you made me and he's chilling around outside it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the-obstacle Posted June 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2011 Sucks to hear about it! My cockatoo is fine after his little swim on the floor though. A female has taken home in the cave you made me and he's chilling around outside it Wow, really? It'll be a huge spawn if she makes the most of that cave. Sweet! Put me down for a couple of pairs when they do spawn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshlikesfish Posted June 22, 2011 Report Share Posted June 22, 2011 Neither of them were hanging out there today. I plan to set them up a 60x30x30 this afternoon to try and get them going. The plecs three times their size would get in the way of any breeding :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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