Strange Angelfish behavior

eveuh

eveuh

AC Members
Oct 31, 2009
32
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Michigan, USA
I have an angelfish, Ariconte (the only fish I have named in a long time), that I've had about a year now. He's currently in my 26G bowfront community tank that I moved into about 3 months ago. He's always been active, a little bit of a bully, and always very enthusiastic about food.

Very recently (the past few days) he seems to have lost his "zip". He hangs out in one corner of the tank and isn't interested in food...he'll sort of look at it, and then just swim by or ignore it entirely. He's not sitting on the bottom or swimming irregularly, and looks very healthy otherwise, he just seems, I don't know, depressed? Here is a photo I took tonight (not sure if it will be diagnostically helpful):

IMG_2265.JPG


The tank is also home to 7 danios and 6 neons, one three-spot gourami, a cory cat and yoyo loach, and assorted snails and ghost shrimp. The tank is a little overstocked, but I have 2 30G Aqua Clear filters running and perform regular water changes and gravel vacs. It's also got a bunch of live plants, here is a photo of the tank:
IMG_2264.JPG


Note how he didn't move between photos :/

I tested the water, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrates, and the pH was 7.8 (which is what it comes out of the tap at), in other words, totally normal. The temp hangs out at a steady 74F. The water is a little cloudy from a block of snail jello I tossed in last night, the fish like to tear them apart and the dissolved calcium always clouds the water a little. I haven't made any major changes lately, and everyone else in the tank seems perfectly happy and active.


Sooooo....long story short, is this something I should be concerned about? This is my first and only angel, so I don't know if this behavior is considered normal, and he will snap out of it, or if I should be really worried about his hunger strike. I have tried enticing him with bloodworms (a favorite treat) to no avail. Any suggestions? I don't want to lose my favorite fish :help:
 
Last night I did an extra water change and changed the carbon in one of my filters (it was due anyway) just in case something got in the tank that the testing didn't reveal.

The tank has always been at 74-76F, and he's been A-ok with that for a year, it's just in the past week that he has started acting listless. I guess I could run out and get a heater for the tank, but it doesn't seem likely that he just decided this week that the water was too cold.
 
Several months ago, 2 of my angels did pretty much the exact same thing. They hung out in a corner, not swimming around and when I fed, they would maybe swim out and look at the food, but would not eat. Otherwise they seemed fine. Everything in the tank (water, heat, filter) was great.
After watching this for a few days, I started getting really concerned. I started searching online (this was before I joined AC) and asking fish people for help. I got answeres that ranged from "sick fish" to "they are getting ready to mate" to others I can't even remember. I never really found an answer for their behavior.
But you know what? After a week or so (can't remember the exact time frame) they started eating and swimming around and acting completly normal again. I have no idea why they acted that way; maybe angels are just weird. I also know of one other member who said her angels did the same thing a while ago.
So I guess I would say, as long as your angel doesnt seem or act sick, wait it out for a week or so and see if he comes around. Sometimes fish just act plain weird!
By the way, he won't starve; fish can go a couple weeks without eating and be just fine.
 
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Looking at the picture of your Anglefish, unless this is just something floating in the water - looks like there are two white dots on her tailfin. IF there are in fact present, she may have parasites (possibly Ich) or other parasitic infection. Take a closer look at the rest of the body and see if you see anything else. Also, looks like a white poopy coming out of her?? Anglefish poops are not white -- and if that is a poopy, then it may actually be an instestinal parasite that you see coming out.
If, so, treat fish as such. Personally, i have NEVER had any sick fish with parasites recover, no matter what commercial product I used. Let us all know what happens.
Mike
 
The spots are just specks in the water (snail jello is so messy!), the photo was taken from the front of the tank and the angel is hanging out in the very back.

I think you are right about the poo though, I just got off the phone with my LFS (love them <3) and I am going to head over there in a few minutes and pick up some deworming medication they recommend. Here's hoping it works!!
 
Eveuh,

Having raised thousands of angels in the past 3 years the symptoms you are describing fit some type of internal parasite. I have treated my angels w/similar behavior with metronidazole and levamisole - I have gotten better response with the levamisole. Unfortunately it is no longer available (maybe in the future). I also agree with an earlier post - angels like warmer water, so raising the temp w/treatment may help.

HTH,
 
My guess would be internal parasites. Also, I know you said this angel has been living in this cool of water for about a year but they do need warmer temps and the lower temp can have an affect on their health. All the fish in your tank will do fine at 78 and that is the suggested min. temp I would keep that tank at.
 
I'm glad you guys agree it's probably internal parasites, that's what I figured after I googled around a bit and noticed the white poo. In 3 years of fishkeeping, this is my first case of parasites (that I know of, anyway), so I guess I'm lucky in that regard!

I picked up some PraziPro at the recommendation of my LFS and dosed earlier today. Hopefully that should knock out any internal parasites, then I think I will pick up a heater for the tank....especially since it's getting colder here in MI and it's probably not a great idea to rely on the heating system in my apartment building all winter!

I'll keep you guys posted on his progress, last time I checked on him he was a little more active (maybe due to last night's water change, since it was a little too soon for the meds to have kicked in), and he did actually look at the food I offered, though he didn't eat any. I also picked up some live brine shrimp at the LFS, I'm hoping they will prove too irresistible to ignore once the meds kick in :)
 
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