black phantoms

[Briarmoor]

Finally! I pick up 2 male and 4 female Black Phantoms tomorrow. They go in the 55g with the wayward pleco. Since the pleco got there first, should I anticipate any territory problems? The pleco seems very shy and was in with goldfish, corys, and frogs at my mom's and never bothered anyone.

P.

 

[pebbles]

hi ... I wouldnt have thought so , my plec doesn't seem bothered by anything and they use a lower area of the tank anyway.The black phantoms can be shy at first so need some cover of plants . When I had mine I didnt see them much for a while and the plec just went about his usual routine .good luck with them ..

 

[Lateral Line]

I agree, I wouldn't expect problems between the tetras and the plec.

>>> can be shy at first so need some cover of plants

Indeed so.

 

[Briarmoor]

I picked up the Black Phantoms today except I think one or two might be hybrids, at least they have a tinge of red (not the female red) to them and the LFS guy thought that. Who knows. They only had one male, so I got him and 5 girls. One of the females isn't doing so hot. She was gulping a lot once I put her in the tank (levels are good), but she may be the same fish that plastered herself to the plastic bag and just took the netting harder than the others.

I am hoping she will come around by tomorrow. She was listing around in the tank, but seems slightly better a few hours later. For awhile she was away from the other fish. We'll see. They give a 24-hour guarantee, but I'd rather have a fish that lived than replace it. Cross fingers.

I turned the light out early after I fed and that seemed to make them bolder. All but the gulpy female ate some granule food and later rode the bubbles. They seem enamored of that and 2 chase each other across, then come back and do it again.

Funny, these didn't shoal like my neons do when they get scared. Don't know if it is a Phantom thing or they were not all acquainted that well at the LFS before I got them. Cattle and sheep are like that when you herd them. The ones that know each other will stick together in groups, but not reliably if they are strangers. Could it be the same in fish? They are grouping up better this evening.

I also added 5 black neons in the 10g and they are more at home. They are voracious, I couldn't believe how fast they snag food. Wow. They zip around more than my regular neons do. Their color is already improving.

The pleco checked out the Phantoms, or at least was over one that side of the tank, but quickly ran off to hide when I flipped the light on. Hopefully they will all lose their shyness after they've been here awhile. Stark contrast to the 20g and its over-friendly inhabitants. Someday one will go right up the vacuum!

P.

 

[Briarmoor]

The Black Phantoms are settling in. They hid behind decorations mostly until today. When they first saw the pleco they swam nose down and the male flared - it was hilarious!

Now they follow the pleco around on its forays. It is nice to see them settling down. The male needs only himself to cause flaring - he looks at his reflection in the glass. Silly tetra.

Unfortunately, I think one or 2 brought home a possible bacterial infection. One was gulping and not swimming right as soon as she got in the tank. She can go up and down in the tank, but bumps into stuff once in awhile. I thought swim bladder at first, but that she can go up and down in the tank I don't know.

She is still gulping and not eating, but not on her deathbed. I saw another one start the gulping today, that is what makes me think its infectious. I got them both out and gave them a salt bath (1/8 tsp of aquarium salt in a coffee cup full of regular tank water) for 10 minutes. They didn't seem stressed by it, in fact more relaxed. I put them together in there hoping it would make them happier having a buddy getting treated at the same time.

I hope they come out of it. I don't want to treat the whole 55g with antibiotics, especially not knowing for sure what is wrong and there being a pleco and so far healthy other fish in there.

A guy at the LFS was a real jerk, giving me about 15 seconds on the phone and offering no advice, just one word answers. I pay more for fish there just for the after sale help. The other guys there have been helpful, but if I get that again, I'll go elsewhere. Petco has a 2-week guarantee on their fish, this place 24 hours. If I'm not getting any service, plus sick fish anyway, might as well pay less and have a longer guarantee. Fish I've bought there before have been fine.

P.

 

[sylvia]

Congrats on the phantoms though it's a shame you're having trouble. They are normaly very hardy so if they pull through they'll probably be one of your hardiest fish. Just wanted to say that the red phantoms are probably just that - red phantom tetras - they are a closely related species which is red instead of the common black. They are otherwise pretty much the same (though I've always preffered the blacks and also found them to be a little hardier by comparison).