Angelfish with clamped fins

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MissInked

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Nov 9, 2012
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North Idaho
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Eryn
I have a 70 gallon lightly planted tank with a 50 gallon sump. Some of you may remember I was having some issues with my tank a few weeks ago (lost quite a few fish), but I took a bag of carbon out of my sump, and all my fish stopped dying. So I thought that was the problem, as my water parameters are all normal.
I've had very little luck with angels. I'll buy them from the store and bring them home, they will be happy and swimming around, good appetite, then after a few weeks of being okay they will take a turn for the worse, and seemingly overnight I'll lose them. I thought it may have been because of the size they sell them at at the pet store (dime sized bodies), and being that they're a pretty fragile fish to begin with. All my other fish (upside down catfish, sparkling gourami, and a school of white cloud dithers) are all doing great.
Last week, I picked up three larger sized angels (3 inch bodies) from a lady off Craigslist. She had them in a pretty dirty, overstocked 10 gallon, and I figured if they lived long enough to get that big in her setup, they must be pretty tough. They have been eating well and were active, until this morning I noticed one of them has clamped fins and is hanging out at the bottom of the tank. At this point, I am beyond frustrated. I feel like I'm running an angel euthanasia clinic out of my tank.
It seems weird that if it was stress caused, it would take a week to show any symptoms, when it has been active and eating well this whole time. It's hard to imagine it would be parasite caused, if it hadn't shown up in their previous setup. Water temp. stays at 82F, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites. My water is hard, but I think that's just this whole area, so that shouldn't have been any different in their previous setup.
I will be grateful for any suggestions or opinions at this point. I'm about ready to just move my cat and gourami into a smaller tank, and let my fiance take over my tank to put something big and scary in.
 

chickenlady

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Dec 28, 2009
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I keep my tank right at 78 degrees. They have grown, and spawned, and all seem very happy. 82 seems a bit on the high side. Since they are older fish, maybe you have a pair, and they have chased the third one causing it to get all stressed out? I have had angels gang up on one and actually chase it and harass it to death.
 

MissInked

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Nov 9, 2012
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North Idaho
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I'll try turning the temperature down gradually to see if I may just be running it too hot for them. But the silver with clamped fins is actually the fish in the pair, I believe. I have a marbled, a silver, and a chocolate color, and the marbled and silver and always together, the chocolate one is off by itself part of the time. But I haven't seen any aggression out of any of them, most of the time they're pretty content all swimming together.
 

Star_Rider

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Dec 21, 2005
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Ed
just the one angel?

angels are often prone to capillaria and camallanus infections(parasites)
darkening , clamped fins are a Sx but it is also SX of stressed caused from aggression.
keep an eye on them..capilaria are microscopic parsites but camallanus or often visible in the dark as red threads appearing from the anus.
 

MissInked

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Nov 9, 2012
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North Idaho
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Eryn
Just wanted to update, as I think I have FINALLY figured out the reason why I've been having such a hard time with angels. My tank was previously a salt water tank. I scrubbed it out pretty well and let it air dry for a few days before I got it up and running, but I'm thinking I may not have gotten all the salt out of it. Angels are sensitive to salt, which is why my angels have been the only ones affected. I am rehoming the angels tonight, to get them out of my tank (as the only other tank I have big enough to hold three angels temporarily is my electric catfish tank, and I don't want to put them anywhere near him), and I will be letting my tank run for a while then adding fish that are not salt sensitive. Thank you for the advice and suggestions.


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Star_Rider

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Dec 21, 2005
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Keep in mind also that the angels you got came from a less than good situation(overstocked and dirty 10 g) moving them to a clean tank can often shock them as well as stress form moving may also bring about some negative stress and Sx you see.

I do suggest you keep a close eye on them and keep watching for stress or relief. I find it difficult to that a previous saltie tank, well cleaned, would have much salt to subject the angels to stress. water changes would further reduce any concentration that build up.
angels are not that sensitive..but they are sensitive to change.
how are the water parameters NH3/NH4, NO2 ?
 
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