Various questions/ parasites, devil tank size, compatibility
I have a few questions that are all over the place, but I would really appreciate it if any of you have any insight into some of them. Here's my situation: As alot of fish keepers I went overboard and impulsive with the fish as I searched for the perfect one. I am now at the point where I want to get it down to the essential fish. I have a 110 gallon with a 9+" male Red devil (supposedly, most likely a hybrid), a 9" fm Chocolate(temporalis) and a 7" male synspilum and one about 1-2" smaller from the same group of juv's, not sure about sex but I assumed a fm for the smaller being that they're siblings and the one is drastically smaller, plus the guy at the hatchery tried to vent them and believed that they were a pair. I have a 55g with a pair of convicts and about 75 of so approx 1" babies. Separated in that tank is a 3" of so firemouth. I have a 3" bahia red geophagus in a 10g. And finally I have a 6" GT in a 10 gal being treated for intestinal parasites.
#1 I have been treating the GT for bout 2-3 weeks for internal parasites. He won't eat, isn't very aggressive, and constantly craps out stringy, clear poop. Parasites right? I started with some hex-out, then tried some jungle labs fizz whatever. After about a week or so with those two I moved him to the 10g and used seachem metronidazole. He fianlly satrted eating something as he would have some chunks or darkness in his poop which I assumed were convict fry that I had in there with him. I haven't seen any evidence of him eating anything in about a week now, and have gone to the extremes of taking him out and with an eye dropper mixing metro with water and sticking the dropper down his mouth and squeezing the mix into his mouth holding him so that the solution travels into his stomach and leaving him out for about 30 sec so that when I put him back in the water he doesn't just spit it out. Even this seems to not work as his poop is still clear and refuses to eat anything even tried gralic guard. If this guy hasn't eaten in weeks, and really hasn't eaten anything meaningful in over a month, and has probably had parasites for over a month, does this sound like a hopeless case? I'm really starting to get annoyed by the situation and doling out money left and right. Should I just euthanize this thing? I mean its a really cool GT and i would def like to keep it but when is enough enough? Also how easily are the parasites transferred btw fish, bc I have noticed my big syn having clearer stringy poop, but I think it might be due to me feeding him romaine lettuce.
#2 The red devil finally flipped the switch. While he was a little prick before, he at least for the most part left the synspilums alone and allowed the chocolate her safe haven in a flower pot. As expected, his aggression rapidly increased and he constantly chased the syns and just abused the choc, forcing her to just hang out in the top corner all day and just take a beating. After that continued for a day or two, I put in a divider with the devil in about 40 gal or so and all others in the rest of it. All is now well in the tank, where the syns leave alone the choc and vice versa. The bigger syn is constantly chasing the smaller one which it always has, but continues to do no more than ocassional slight fin nipping. I have read that they are quite peaceful fish, but rather aggresive towards their own species. I hate having the divider in there bc one of the things I love about getting the 6ft tank is the fish being able to swim the whole 6 ft. I am really strapped for cash and space right now and can't really upgraded tank size, max possibilty like a 20 gal, doubt a 30 g for the smaller guys. I absolutely do not want to get rid the big syn or the devil. I'd rather not get rid of the smaller syn or the bahia red. The little ones are fair game, but I figure I could prolly keep those in the small tanks.
I know it is absolutely not ideal and maybe not even smart, but would I be able to keep the RD in the 55 g by himself. It's a standard 55g so its only 12" wide. Would he at least be able to live moderately comfortably in there for a year or so until I can do something better? I keep pretty good maintenance of the tanks and would probably take even been care if that were the case.
#3 Would the bahia red be alright with the syns and the choc in the 110 g?
I have a few questions that are all over the place, but I would really appreciate it if any of you have any insight into some of them. Here's my situation: As alot of fish keepers I went overboard and impulsive with the fish as I searched for the perfect one. I am now at the point where I want to get it down to the essential fish. I have a 110 gallon with a 9+" male Red devil (supposedly, most likely a hybrid), a 9" fm Chocolate(temporalis) and a 7" male synspilum and one about 1-2" smaller from the same group of juv's, not sure about sex but I assumed a fm for the smaller being that they're siblings and the one is drastically smaller, plus the guy at the hatchery tried to vent them and believed that they were a pair. I have a 55g with a pair of convicts and about 75 of so approx 1" babies. Separated in that tank is a 3" of so firemouth. I have a 3" bahia red geophagus in a 10g. And finally I have a 6" GT in a 10 gal being treated for intestinal parasites.
#1 I have been treating the GT for bout 2-3 weeks for internal parasites. He won't eat, isn't very aggressive, and constantly craps out stringy, clear poop. Parasites right? I started with some hex-out, then tried some jungle labs fizz whatever. After about a week or so with those two I moved him to the 10g and used seachem metronidazole. He fianlly satrted eating something as he would have some chunks or darkness in his poop which I assumed were convict fry that I had in there with him. I haven't seen any evidence of him eating anything in about a week now, and have gone to the extremes of taking him out and with an eye dropper mixing metro with water and sticking the dropper down his mouth and squeezing the mix into his mouth holding him so that the solution travels into his stomach and leaving him out for about 30 sec so that when I put him back in the water he doesn't just spit it out. Even this seems to not work as his poop is still clear and refuses to eat anything even tried gralic guard. If this guy hasn't eaten in weeks, and really hasn't eaten anything meaningful in over a month, and has probably had parasites for over a month, does this sound like a hopeless case? I'm really starting to get annoyed by the situation and doling out money left and right. Should I just euthanize this thing? I mean its a really cool GT and i would def like to keep it but when is enough enough? Also how easily are the parasites transferred btw fish, bc I have noticed my big syn having clearer stringy poop, but I think it might be due to me feeding him romaine lettuce.
#2 The red devil finally flipped the switch. While he was a little prick before, he at least for the most part left the synspilums alone and allowed the chocolate her safe haven in a flower pot. As expected, his aggression rapidly increased and he constantly chased the syns and just abused the choc, forcing her to just hang out in the top corner all day and just take a beating. After that continued for a day or two, I put in a divider with the devil in about 40 gal or so and all others in the rest of it. All is now well in the tank, where the syns leave alone the choc and vice versa. The bigger syn is constantly chasing the smaller one which it always has, but continues to do no more than ocassional slight fin nipping. I have read that they are quite peaceful fish, but rather aggresive towards their own species. I hate having the divider in there bc one of the things I love about getting the 6ft tank is the fish being able to swim the whole 6 ft. I am really strapped for cash and space right now and can't really upgraded tank size, max possibilty like a 20 gal, doubt a 30 g for the smaller guys. I absolutely do not want to get rid the big syn or the devil. I'd rather not get rid of the smaller syn or the bahia red. The little ones are fair game, but I figure I could prolly keep those in the small tanks.
I know it is absolutely not ideal and maybe not even smart, but would I be able to keep the RD in the 55 g by himself. It's a standard 55g so its only 12" wide. Would he at least be able to live moderately comfortably in there for a year or so until I can do something better? I keep pretty good maintenance of the tanks and would probably take even been care if that were the case.
#3 Would the bahia red be alright with the syns and the choc in the 110 g?
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You're not gonna like this but you asked so I'll give you MHO. Make some choices & reduce the number & selection of fish. A lot of disease is caused by introduction of infected fish to an existing tank but can also be the result of STRESS & poor water quality. Stressed fish have weakened immune systems & are easily infected w/ a number of things that 'pop' up from time to time. If there's a constant battle going on somebody's got to go (LFS, another tank). Divider is good as temp. fix but you gotta make some choices to make the tank a 'peaceful environment' even for aggressive fish. Good Luck