Angelfish not eating for a week!!!- any help would be appreciated

[Alice B]

The one really confusing thing about this fish is that he is still alive after a month. Hexamita can lay dormant until the fish moves to a new environment, then die within a few days. It is a parasite that produces an intestinal blockage.

I don't know Wet Web Media, but if they have smart people it's worth a visit. In the meantime garlic oil of some kind, maybe some spirulina flake, or mosquito larva, something fresh. I don't feed bloodworms often, nutrition vs contaminants are a concern.

Just a water change and fresh food, and maybe some cover, even a tall plastic plant might suit an angel. Or a flagstone leaned on the end of the tank to make a tall cave

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

I don't know Wet Web Media, but if they have smart people it's worth a visit.

They certainly do - people like Neale Monks answer questions there, and Bob Fenner, some well respected names in the hobby. From Neale Monkes bio on Wet Web Media:
"Neale currently writes for a number of tropical fish magazines including Tropical Fish Hobbyist and Practical Fishkeeping, and holds a BSc in zoology and a PhD in palaeontology. As well as fishkeeping, he has published numerous scientific papers on fossil cephalopods and other invertebrates, as well as books on ammonites, cladistics, and amateur astronomy."
Here's their help section, with some things to read before emailing your questions

Before You Write: A Checklist of Common Problems with Freshwater Aquaria, Bettas, Goldfish, and Freshwater Turtles (Terrapins)

 

[Navfish]

One point - don't keep him in a bare, empty QT tank. It's very stressful for fish to be in a bare tank, and won't help him recover, battle off infection, or want to eat if he feels exposed and stressed. Use a black rubbish bag to tape on as a background even, that's a cheap temporary background and means he won't feel open on all sides. Add some plant matter - take some trimmings from your main tank that you don't mind throwing away after, more Indian Almond leaves, some floating plant, some fake decor you have tucked away in the cupboard and is easily cleaned and decontaminated - make it suitable for the fish, not what's easiest to clean.

If you're going to use meds, stick to the directions rather than adding your own rest days. If you're going to discontinue one and try another, large water changes and running some carbon to remove all of the old med before trying the next is essential. Give him a few rest days between the two medications if possible, and try other things to tempt his appetite. Once he's not in a bare tank, hopefully he'll have more of an appetite. Try collecting some life food, like mosquito larvae from a bucket outside, or get some from a starter culture or store, or put the word out to local hobbyists and see if they can spare some from their own cultures. If anything can get a fish to eat, live food is usually it. I got some live blood worms from a bucket outside that I'd been getting some mozzie larvae from the other day. Agree with @Alice B that garlic is also often used since fish seem to be more likely to eat with the garlic scented stuff. There are recipes out there for how to scent food with garlic yourself. I haven't yet done it personally, so can't suggest a method I'm afraid.


As I say, I'm not that familiar with angelfish, never had them myself - but have had a lot of experience with other animals, like trying to save waifs and strays, and runts. I seem to have a knack for it. But...

If the eyes are an indication of a potential runt, and @anewbie suspects it may be an internal blockage... I'll give a word of warning not to get your hopes too high. Fish like angels are prone to having some phyical issues, right? Breeders having to cull heavily due to deformities/fin problems etc? If there are a lot of external issues, then there are just as likely to be a lot of internal issues, ones that may be preventing him from wanting or being able to eat. There's no way for us to be able to tell without a necropsy. So while I'd also be continuing to try to treatment at this stage, I'd just caution you not to get your hopes too high and try to aim any treatment to a likely suspect, rather than spending a fortune on different medications and hoping for the best. That if it's a runt with some internal, failure to thrive issue, that you may be throwing good money after bad.

I'd try sending this to the people at Wet Web Media, see what they say.

Yeah I have a couple of rocks in there along with a tall fake plant and some have live Java fern in there. I ordered more catappa leaves today. Also put a black jacket around the sides of the tank.

I also ordered general cure if I proceed to use it.

 

[Alice B]

I may check Wet Web Media out for the odd things I have seen over the years.

 

[Navfish]

One point - don't keep him in a bare, empty QT tank. It's very stressful for fish to be in a bare tank, and won't help him recover, battle off infection, or want to eat if he feels exposed and stressed. Use a black rubbish bag to tape on as a background even, that's a cheap temporary background and means he won't feel open on all sides. Add some plant matter - take some trimmings from your main tank that you don't mind throwing away after, more Indian Almond leaves, some floating plant, some fake decor you have tucked away in the cupboard and is easily cleaned and decontaminated - make it suitable for the fish, not what's easiest to clean.

If you're going to use meds, stick to the directions rather than adding your own rest days. If you're going to discontinue one and try another, large water changes and running some carbon to remove all of the old med before trying the next is essential. Give him a few rest days between the two medications if possible, and try other things to tempt his appetite. Once he's not in a bare tank, hopefully he'll have more of an appetite. Try collecting some life food, like mosquito larvae from a bucket outside, or get some from a starter culture or store, or put the word out to local hobbyists and see if they can spare some from their own cultures. If anything can get a fish to eat, live food is usually it. I got some live blood worms from a bucket outside that I'd been getting some mozzie larvae from the other day. Agree with @Alice B that garlic is also often used since fish seem to be more likely to eat with the garlic scented stuff. There are recipes out there for how to scent food with garlic yourself. I haven't yet done it personally, so can't suggest a method I'm afraid.


As I say, I'm not that familiar with angelfish, never had them myself - but have had a lot of experience with other animals, like trying to save waifs and strays, and runts. I seem to have a knack for it. But...

If the eyes are an indication of a potential runt, and @anewbie suspects it may be an internal blockage... I'll give a word of warning not to get your hopes too high. Fish like angels are prone to having some phyical issues, right? Breeders having to cull heavily due to deformities/fin problems etc? If there are a lot of external issues, then there are just as likely to be a lot of internal issues, ones that may be preventing him from wanting or being able to eat. There's no way for us to be able to tell without a necropsy. So while I'd also be continuing to try to treatment at this stage, I'd just caution you not to get your hopes too high and try to aim any treatment to a likely suspect, rather than spending a fortune on different medications and hoping for the best. That if it's a runt with some internal, failure to thrive issue, that you may be throwing good money after bad.

I'd try sending this to the people at Wet Web Media, see what they say.

I added some moss and a stem plant and added cover like u suggested around the sides of the tank!

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

I added some moss and a stem plant and added cover like u suggested around the sides of the tank!

It looks so much better! Good job You said he was interacting with the almond leaf before and seemed to enjoy it, so hopefully he'll do the same with the plants you added. Crossing fingers for you that he feels more secure and gets some of his appetite back! Please do keep updating, I'm invested now!

 

[Navfish]

They certainly do - people like Neale Monks answer questions there, and Bob Fenner, some well respected names in the hobby. From Neale Monkes bio on Wet Web Media:
"Neale currently writes for a number of tropical fish magazines including Tropical Fish Hobbyist and Practical Fishkeeping, and holds a BSc in zoology and a PhD in palaeontology. As well as fishkeeping, he has published numerous scientific papers on fossil cephalopods and other invertebrates, as well as books on ammonites, cladistics, and amateur astronomy."
Here's their help section, with some things to read before emailing your questions

Before You Write: A Checklist of Common Problems with Freshwater Aquaria, Bettas, Goldfish, and Freshwater Turtles (Terrapins)

I may check Wet Web Media out for the odd things I have seen over the years.

Sent an email to them, will update soon, and will mention what they say!

 

[Alice B]

I am going thru their files on corydoras.

 

[Navfish]

little update: did a couple of small water changes and I noticed that he’s still very invested in the leaves and plants. I do now know how he has survived this long. It’s partially due to his strength lol but also he’s been eating the leftover food at the bottom (like the little flakes and worms) I promise it’s not a lot of food at the bottom. It’s just the ones that I wasn’t able to get during a water change and “gravel” cleaning.

 

[anewbie]

Fishes really don't need a lot of food to survive and it is good that he is nibbling on stuff off the bottom at night. He will probably also nibble plant matter.

 

[anewbie]

One other thing I would suggest is if you have an air pump is to add a sponge filter - over time it will form biofilm which fishes love.

 

[Alice B]

I have a funny feeling your fish is fine, the prazi worked if it was needed. And fish don't eat a whole lot in volume.

 

[anewbie]

I have a funny feeling your fish is fine, the prazi worked if it was needed. And fish don't eat a whole lot in volume.

Well - my angels tend to eat as much as i give em as they are greedy eaters - i mostly feed them bug bites - i can't get a handle on the size of your fish and I think it is a bit of a runt - my runts do eat a lot less so I'm not sure what is going on. My adult angel will eat a decent size pellet twice a day but i should probably put him on a diet. Oh well the festums are a *lot* worse than the angels when it comes to eating.

 

[Alice B]

if your angels are preparing to breed they really do gobble.

 

[Navfish]

Well - my angels tend to eat as much as i give em as they are greedy eaters - i mostly feed them bug bites - i can't get a handle on the size of your fish and I think it is a bit of a runt - my runts do eat a lot less so I'm not sure what is going on. My adult angel will eat a decent size pellet twice a day but i should probably put him on a diet. Oh well the festums are a *lot* worse than the angels when it comes to eating.

Thats what worried me in the first place because the first week I introduced him to the tank, he was a hungry eater but suddenly stopped.

I did multiple water changes, getting out the prazipro and now waiting a few days, before dosing general cure for a week. Hope he gets his appetite back!