Id Shark Dying?

[fishlover500]

My iridescent shark is dying he is about 2 inches and in a 30 gallon (i know he grows huge but I love to house these guys even for a small while) I have 2 of the same size that i have kept for about 6 months in there and have since become really
attached to both of them, they both eat well and have full stomachs.

This guy was lying on the gravel and still breathing, I don't believe he was gasping for air, he would occassionally try to swim
but he got about up and inch and sord of uncontrollabley crashed back. As i have said normally his stomach is very full but at the moment his belly is CRAZY sunken in what do I do!!!!?!?!?!?!?!!?!

 

[darknirvana217]

The dramatic decrease in stomach size sounds like an intenal parasite infestation. Some pictures would help us out. Has he been eating successfully in your tank for the past month, week? What was it eating? Any alternation in his coloration? Or, it could be one of those unknown diseases that so commonly occur in over bred commercial fish.

 

[fishlover500]

Turns out he died!?!? Should I treat the tank for internal parasites? He wasn't even big enough to have the ID sharks
normal black colour. I have a twin of him still they had prettymuch exactly the same colouring sorry, I am horrible at taking pics at fish. Both of the sharks have been eating successfully and I have had them for about 5-6 months (as said above)

I do have problems feeding these guys though, especially cause I have had two three inch id sharks pass away (probably from not eating well or whatever.) Is there any trick to feeding them? I use big al staple flake everyday and overfeed so he has a chance and gets food of the bottom. I also feeding high quality community sinking pellets (sorry forget brand).

 

[Corleone]

They like live food. I've never kept one for lack of a 1000 gallon tank, but my LFS has one just shy of 2 feet, and he seems a bit bigger every time I visit. The store owner fed him on livebearer fry until he got big enough to start taking feeder goldfish (he eats 6" goldfish now). It took him a long time to get up to 6 inches, but he exploded since then. He says he's had trouble getting them to eat enough when they're small, but once they're big enough to wipe out their tankmates, they never stop.

 

[darknirvana217]

I really wouldn't suggest feeding them live food as they are a very commercial fish and you shouldn't need to give them specialty treats like this. I would try frozen bloodworms or brine shrimp. Also, sinking pellets work as well. Flakes are typically not a great food for catfish or bottom dwellers. However, on a personal noteI would suggest to you to seek a new fish, as they do get well, huge. Theres a lot of fish I like but I don't have the space for them, and so I try to find alternatives.

 

[fishlover500]

I know they get huge but it takes a large number of years so I can keep them for quite a while before they
even outgrow 30 gallon.

Suggestions for alternatives with same sharklike appearance and swimming habits:?