Five Young Angels Need Help

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Cichlid Woman

Dwarf cichlids rule ...
Nov 27, 2002
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I just picked up five silver angels at Superpet--the guy ordered them for me, and they're going to need help. I bought them because: (1) they're the type I wanted (silvers), (2) the price was right ($2.35 each), and--perhaps the worst reason--(3) I want them to make it. (I know you're not supposed to buy fish that don't look optimal, but I couldn't walk away from that tank ...) This store just opened a month ago, and their tanks look terrible. The manager told me it's because they just fired their fish maintenance guy and the new one hasn't shown up to work yet. Hmmmmmm.

These angels were in a shipment that "had been on the truck quite awhile" and had been unpacked for about an hour. They were in with larger angels who looked quite battered (frayed fins, some body hits, etc.). The ones I got (about the size of a quarter) were the best looking of the lot, but their eyes aren't red, and one was laying on the bottom of the bag by the time I got them home. They're going to need the best care I can give them.

I've got the bag sitting in the tank right now, and in a few minutes I'll put some tank water in there. I already squirted some StressCoat in their bag, which seemed to help a lot. There's no visible sign of disease or injury, they just seem very stressed out. They perked up a bit as soon as I put their bag into my tank--all that greenery and other fishies swimming around.

No, I don't have an isolation tank. My tank currently has some residual Ich Guard in it from a successful treatment about a week ago. All tank inhabitants are currently fine.

Is this the stupidest thing I've ever done? Am I going to deeply regret this in short order? Or have I saved five beautiful fish that I've been looking for and waiting for a long time? Argghhhhh.

Help? Suggestions?

Thanks,

-- Pat
 

Pootspete

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Jul 26, 2001
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Hi Pat!

What a big heart you have for these Angels. I am sorry I do not have the answer here, but I know for a fact you will get an answer from some knowledgable people here soon.

I just wanted to say how thoughtful you were in taking these guys!
 

pinballqueen

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Aug 4, 2002
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We have a store like that around here too. There's not a single tank there that DOESN'T have ich....

If at all possible, try to find a way to isolate the fish. If not, just load the tank with stresscoat and keep a close eye on them. They sound like they're just stressed, and it was very big of you to take them in. Hopefully, they'll do fine and give you greedy (but appreciative) looks every time you pass by the tank in the near future....

Good luck to you!
 

Cichlid Woman

Dwarf cichlids rule ...
Nov 27, 2002
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Oh thanks, you guys, because everybody on this forum is so knowledgeable and I know that strictly speaking I shouldn't have done it. I was expecting to get pretty (justifiably) ripped for bringing those guys home. So THANKS for the kind words!!!

Update: They've been in the bag about 45 minutes now (two infusions of tank water) and they're all waiting expectantly to go into their new home (all up in the bag looking out). I can't isolate them, so ... here goes ... say a fishy prayer!!

-- Pat
 

Cichlid Woman

Dwarf cichlids rule ...
Nov 27, 2002
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Update: The five angels are okay so far; they appear a little weak. They're swimming around a little, but not much, and they didn't eat when I fed flake to the rest of the tank.

Problem: the rogue male krib. (A few weeks ago, I posted that I had two krib pairs in my tank and the dominant pair wasn't mating. I suspected it was because of the non-mating other pair of kribs in the tank. My plan was to give them away so the dominant pair would have free range, so to speak. I was able to catch the female, and I gave her to an LFS, but I was unable to catch the non-dominant male because of all the plants. He's still in there, and he is now the "rogue male.") He's nipping at the new angels. I grabbed a net and went for him, but he (as usual) evaded me at the back of the tank under the heater. He's slinked out and nipped at the angels about three times now. I don't know if they'll make it through the night with that going on.

I'm going to try a bit of frozen food to see if I can get them to eat.

-- Pat
 

Cichlid Woman

Dwarf cichlids rule ...
Nov 27, 2002
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Update: they wouldn't eat.

One of them was vertical in the water--hanging toward the top of the tank, nose pointing up, tail down. That's not good, is it. I squirted some more StressCoat over him. It seems to have helped. He's not quite so vertical, but he still doesn't seem to steady on his ... er ... feet. The rest seem to be starting to check out the tank a bit.

I sure hope they make it. The "rogue" krib has settled down, as far as I can tell.

-- Pat
 

Cichlid Woman

Dwarf cichlids rule ...
Nov 27, 2002
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Two dead, three alive this morning; two of them aren't eating, but the other one is, a little bit. Those two are looking pretty weak. One is hanging out near the top of the filter intake tube at the corner of the tank; the other one is out in the open, but he's swimming kind of listlessly. The third one is swimming around almost normally and looking with great interest at the cinnamon dwarf guarami now residing in a large net at the top of the tank. (He's been nipping at the two weak angels, so he can sit in there in the net awhile.)

I've never noticed the cinnamon nipping before. Is he doing this because the two angels are dying and he knows it but I don't, or are dwarf cinnamons nippy?!

I fed Tetramin flake this morning.

Suggestions welcome!! And thanks for any advice/guidance you can give.

-- Pat
 

Pootspete

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Jul 26, 2001
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Hi Pat,

Sorry about your two losses this morning. I know you are trying to do all that you can to save the others.

I believe that the fin nipping of the other Angels is probably due to their weakness.:( I do not know specifically if dwarf cinnamons are nippers.
 
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