LDA33 Is he looking ok?

[redfan]

Hi,

As some of you may know I have an issue atm with my 30G Cuckoo tank. This guy is in my 4ft tank with the Jaguars and tetra's and its a sterile tank (different equipment used).

There is no sign of any illness within that tank and tbh it's been my rock through all the hassle I have had with the other tank.

Anyway the LDA33 has always been since his arrival (2 months+ ago) always hidden from sight when lights are on and only coming out of his piece of wood when his cucumber is added to the tank.

Since Monday though he has been very active in and around the tank irrespective of the lights. Along with this he has not eaten for 3 days, though that maybe because I have been trying to change his food about.

He seems fine apart from this yellowing on his belly. Is this to be expected from a fish that has exclusively eaten just cucumber? Also I would like to feed him a wafer now and again, any ideas how to do so given whenever (lights on or off) if a wafer goes in the tank at least 1 of the Jaguars will appear and eat it whole?

I have thought about stuffing bits of a wafer into the cucumber piece?

Anyhow, enclosed a pic and would appreciated any advice about this (am not overly worried but wanted to just check)

Thanks

[krazyGeoff]

Hi redfan,
The yellow doesn't worry me; however the sunken belly would indicate to me that this fish is starving. These fish require an almost constant supply of food.

Cheers
Geoff

[smitty]

See if he will start eating frozen blood worms and definitely make sure he has a constant supply of fresh veggies.

[Birger]

I have thought about stuffing bits of a wafer into the cucumber piece?

A problem is the "Jaguars" are a much more aggressive feeder, whether they are a

Liosomadoras

or a

Synodontis

(either are sometimes called Jaguar) they will eat the food before the plec gets the time needed for it to eat. My Liosomadoras even eat veggies so you may have to seperate this one off to ensure it is eating. Often when plecs start wandering around seemingly aimlessly it is not much longer before they succumb to starvation.

Birger

[Suckermouth]

By Jaguar, do you mean a cichlid? Either way, if a fish can swallow an algae wafer whole then they don't get to be kept with my loricariids; I separate the fish or sell it, but either way a loricariid will have trouble competing with that. The sunken belly is a concern but he's only a little skinny and I don't think he's gonna starve to death quite yet, but it is a sign you should be doing something now before it gets worse. I agree with the others, start leaving out cucumbers or what have you permanently. I haven't tried the algae wafer stuck into the cucumber trick but my fish haven't had anything big to compete with either; it could work but I don't know.

[redfan]

Thanks for the replies. I will make sure there is constant food in the tank for him!

I did notice last night with the cucumber that it was actually the tiny little BN that was scoffing it, which in itself is something of a first as the BN has always exclusively eaten algae from the plants etc (mind you the tank is rather clean now).

Will go and add some courgette to the tank just now (that's all I have atm) and will keep you posted should anything change.

Thanks again

[MatsP]

Whilst cucumber isn't directly a bad food, it is VERY low in substance. Courgette, sweet potato and nearly all other vegetables is a better food. Beans are a good source of protein. This fish looks quite undenourished, but as it's feeding, giving it a bit of extra nutrients is definitely beeficial.

--
Mats

[ginagv]

Mats,

When you say beans, do you mean green beans or ? I'm not too worried about my ABN, as he gets zucchini as well as algae wafers in his diet during the week.

Gina

[redfan]

Thanks as ever for the replies. Just gotten back from Hospital as had an issue with my heart last night (all is well and its kind of a pre-existing thing) on my arrival back I notice that the double portion of courgette I left Friday is about half eaten I guess.

I did add a algae wafer to one of the pieces and it was kind of semi exposed. Before I left for hospital last night I did notice that he was happily munching on the wafer within the veg The great thing is to the best of my knowledge this method did not rouse the interest of the Jaguars, so that's a plus.

Have added a new piece tonight (minus wafer) and as for the plec himself, he seems OK and from what I could see his stomach is not as sunken as it maybe was yesterday. Also, he has been on the new piece pretty much straight away. One thing I would mention at this point is (given issues in other tanks) I have noticed he has very faint spots on his body (not like his actual pattern ones). I did do a video yesterday afternoon, not sure if it's visible there (the shaded spots do not look like Ich from what I can tell but...) Guess I'm hoping the problems have not spread (nothing else has any signs of anything or behaviour changes).

Many thanks again people

[racoll]

Looks like it's got a pretty serious ich or velvet infection.

[redfan]

Racoll Thanks for your input, I am guessing I am better safe than sorry and perform a temp raise along with adding salt? (I could add EXIT but guessing the same as the issues faced with the cuckoos so salt better, also snails present in the 65G tank)

Though would the Jaguars be ok with a temp rise to 28 - 29C?

Many thanks

[racoll]

I don't think the

Jaguar Catfish

will mind those temperatures short term, although I would go higher still, up to 32C to effectively deal with the ich (assuming it is ich and not velvet).

28-29C should be the standard maintenance temperature for

Baryancistrus

. They don't thrive in water colder than this.

[redfan]

Re the LDA33, looking at the picture as posted by JK in another thread

http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/down ... &mode=view

The pleco looks very similar to mine, the shaded spots are not (from what I can see) protruding from the body but rather under skin if that makes sense. Still trying to figure out if it is Ich / Velvet, hope you can see what I mean?

If for example it was velvet, how would one safely treat that with the Jaguars? I do have Maracyn Plus if that's of any use?

Sorry for all the questions but don't want to unnecessarily add anything to the tank when nothing else is showing any signs of illness.

[racoll]

Hi,

That fish is

Hypancistrus contradens

, not a

Baryancistrus

.

On that fish, the tiny protruding white lines/shading are the odontodes (protective "spines" on the body). They are entirely normal, and the fish looks healthy.

Your

Baryancistrus

will also have these, but from the video it also looks like it has ich or velvet. Velvet does form spots, but these are usually more yellowish, and can be like an overall film.

Luckily, treatment for both is similar, and the most "safe" method is taking the temperature up as high as the fish will tolerate (33-34C) for four or more days. The addition of malachite green at 0.04 mg/l is also advised.

If the other fishes are otherwise okay, I would perform this on the

Baryancistrus

in isolation. Do not feed, aerate vigorously, and change 50% of water daily (maintaining concentration of meds).

Hope this helps.

[redfan]

OK, thanks for clarifying that for me

I guess I shall be setting up my old 15G tank tomorrow for the pleco and add some media from the current tank to the filter there. As EXIT contains malachite green I will be adding that to the tank while gradually increasing the temp.

Many thanks for all the info, I will of course update on the progress.
Cheers

[redfan]

Well Scratch setting up the old 15G tank .. somewhat unbelievably despite my efforts to isolate the 65G tank from the recently infected tanks it would appear that this tank now has Ich too.

Have today noticed several tetra with whiteish spots / marks on fins and body along with one of them flashing on some wood.

My question is, I will now have to treat the whole tank and would prefer to use EXIT as this covers both spot and velvet. However while I know it's listed as safe for the snails in that tank (Mats I believe confirmed in my cuckoo thread that EXIT does not contain copper) would it be safe to use with the plec and in particular the Jaguars?

Hopefully get treatment started later today as going to have to drop the water below outlet in order to remove carbon (required as to catch hosing slime that backwashes on filter start up). Many thanks for your help.

[MatsP]

I would think that's safe - however, read the instructions for that particular medication, as I (and most other people) can't keep a "in memory database" of which medications are safe and unsafe for catfish, and which ones are "safe at half dose", etc. I have used JBL Punktol and Waterlife Protozin with whitespot - because that's what my LFS carries. It took a long time to kill it off, but eventually it did go away (not without losses, however).

--
Mats

[redfan]

Of course Mats and I thank you for the advice. I will make sure I have read the instructions thoroughly and from all the research I have been doing online it would seem to be very much the safest of the ones available at my LFS (I obviously already have some).

Thanks

[redfan]

To update -

The Exit seems to have done it's thing (just finished Day 3 of treatment)and the LDA33 is looking much better now and seems to have returned to his usual daily habits.

Only problem now of course is the treatment does seem to have affected the Jaguar Cats They are remaining active up until 11am or so (usually hiding away at dawn). Also, they seem to be refusing any food despite displaying as though they wish to eat.

Going to get the new carbon in the tank shortly and do a 40 -50% water change, hoping that will allow the Jaguars to settle a bit (they do seem unharmed other than this behaviour change).

Assuming the raise in temp to 27-28C (from 25-26C) is unlikely the reason for the change. At least I know for next time and hopefully no long term damage suffered. Thanks for all your advice guys