I've got a new L018 gold nugget in quarantine, he appears otherwise healthy but is on one heck of a hunger strike. His belly was flattish when I bought him, now it's very hollow, but his colour is good, he's been active on and off, and he's been eating the little bit of algae in the tank (I've actually had the blinds open, trying to encourage more to grow).
I know he's still eating some algae because he's pooping, but very little. It's normal and green, not stringy or white, but the hollow belly and lack of appetite are symptoms of intestinal parasites, so I started treating with Metronidazole (in the water, since he won't eat) a few days ago, along with MelaFix (he developed a lighter patch on his back, I thought it might be the start of something bacterial, it appears better now).
I'm doing daily 50% water changes between doses of meds to keep the tank clean, and the tank is heavily planted with Echinodorus angustifolius and tenellus, which I hope will help to keep the water quality up (no problems so far with ammonia) since I'm grossly overfeeding to try and encourage him to eat something.
I read about garlic being both an antibacterial/antiparasitic and an appetite stimulant, so I've added sliced garlic to the filter and put a slice of garlic and a slice of zuchinni in the tank, near a spot he seems to favour. My house absolutely reeks of garlic, but other than that it doesn't seem to be having much of an affect.
I've offered him krill, brine shrimp, several types of pellets and wafers, zuchinni, garlic and daphnia paste - all stuff my other fish go nutso for. I'm out of ideas, any suggestions? I'm afraid he's going to starve to death before he figures out that these things are food.
I know he's still eating some algae because he's pooping, but very little. It's normal and green, not stringy or white, but the hollow belly and lack of appetite are symptoms of intestinal parasites, so I started treating with Metronidazole (in the water, since he won't eat) a few days ago, along with MelaFix (he developed a lighter patch on his back, I thought it might be the start of something bacterial, it appears better now).
I'm doing daily 50% water changes between doses of meds to keep the tank clean, and the tank is heavily planted with Echinodorus angustifolius and tenellus, which I hope will help to keep the water quality up (no problems so far with ammonia) since I'm grossly overfeeding to try and encourage him to eat something.
I read about garlic being both an antibacterial/antiparasitic and an appetite stimulant, so I've added sliced garlic to the filter and put a slice of garlic and a slice of zuchinni in the tank, near a spot he seems to favour. My house absolutely reeks of garlic, but other than that it doesn't seem to be having much of an affect.
I've offered him krill, brine shrimp, several types of pellets and wafers, zuchinni, garlic and daphnia paste - all stuff my other fish go nutso for. I'm out of ideas, any suggestions? I'm afraid he's going to starve to death before he figures out that these things are food.
