A background of the situation...
Months ago I started a 40 gallon breeder tank. I made the mistake of putting too many fish in at one time, refilling the tank with a garden hose. I purchased a spotted pike cichilid, a green terror, and 2 jewel cichilids (HEMICHROMIS BIMACULATUS I think). I already had a leopard sailfin pleco in the tank for about 2 weeks.
Everything seemed normal for a week or so. I was on top of the vitals (amm/nitrite/nitrate), but things progressed very badly. The pike cichilid was gravely ill. Due to constant hiding I didn't notice it until it was too late. It was covered in excess slime and the fins were deteriorating. It died before I had a chance to treat. The green terror died a week later.
The pleco and jewel cichlids also looked sick, but seemed to respond with medicine. I treated with salt, jungle anti fungal tablets, elevated temperatures, and later, jungle anti-bacterial food. The bodyslime and fins healed up on the jewels, but their behavior has yet to return to normal.
What's going on now....
The jewels are constantly hiding. One likes to hide in a cave facing vertical. The other hides in the spanish gallion. I'm pretty sure they're eating (unless the filter is sucking it up), but they rarely swim around. If one so happens to be out and it see soemthing outside the tank, it becomes completely spooked and goes berserk fleeting all over the tank.
I believe this hiding behavior started shortly after feeding them the antibacterial food, but I don't know if there is a direct correlation. I'm beginning to think they're permanently damaged from the medicine, elevated temperatures, or something in between.
My vitals are below.
78F, Amm/0ppm Nitrite/0ppm Nitrate/10-20ppm ph 7.0
I use genesis to treat my water when doing changes.
Months ago I started a 40 gallon breeder tank. I made the mistake of putting too many fish in at one time, refilling the tank with a garden hose. I purchased a spotted pike cichilid, a green terror, and 2 jewel cichilids (HEMICHROMIS BIMACULATUS I think). I already had a leopard sailfin pleco in the tank for about 2 weeks.
Everything seemed normal for a week or so. I was on top of the vitals (amm/nitrite/nitrate), but things progressed very badly. The pike cichilid was gravely ill. Due to constant hiding I didn't notice it until it was too late. It was covered in excess slime and the fins were deteriorating. It died before I had a chance to treat. The green terror died a week later.
The pleco and jewel cichlids also looked sick, but seemed to respond with medicine. I treated with salt, jungle anti fungal tablets, elevated temperatures, and later, jungle anti-bacterial food. The bodyslime and fins healed up on the jewels, but their behavior has yet to return to normal.
What's going on now....
The jewels are constantly hiding. One likes to hide in a cave facing vertical. The other hides in the spanish gallion. I'm pretty sure they're eating (unless the filter is sucking it up), but they rarely swim around. If one so happens to be out and it see soemthing outside the tank, it becomes completely spooked and goes berserk fleeting all over the tank.
I believe this hiding behavior started shortly after feeding them the antibacterial food, but I don't know if there is a direct correlation. I'm beginning to think they're permanently damaged from the medicine, elevated temperatures, or something in between.
My vitals are below.
78F, Amm/0ppm Nitrite/0ppm Nitrate/10-20ppm ph 7.0
I use genesis to treat my water when doing changes.
