My convict acting weird then dies

[jeremy_r]

hello i have a 4ft tank with good filtration. I have a 6cm Convict and a 8cm Oscar
my convict is the agressive one but they never really fight... they take little bits but not serious.

i was looking at my tank and i saw the convict go crazy it just started shaking its head really fast for like 1min. Then it went back to normal. that day when i started to feed it bloodworms but only the oscar was eating. the next day the convict was just staying in the driftwood , i found it weird because the convict is usually really active and swims around everywhere. on the 3rd day it was acting the same and it hasnt eaten. i thought it was eating during the night when i was sleeping but i think i was wrong. the 4th day it didnt eat so it didnt eat for 4days.. all of a sudden it started following the oscar..the oscar didnt mind. it kept following it so i thought it went back to normal because it was swimming arouund again...the next day i found the convict dead. i looked at it it didnt have that whitespots stuff it didnt have the hith...

 

[digital_run]

Hey Jeremy..

Sorry to hear about your con .... Even though convicts are a mean little fish and will at times defend their fry viciously....Oscars grow much faster and larger then convicts and it would not surprise me if this wasnt a case of lack of space. What are your water readings? Just curious as I dont think it would be a case of poor water quality as cons are hardy and the oscar would be showing similar signs of distress...again sorry bout the loss.

 

[zephyr]

hey
um.... i think my water is
like 7.5 ph
i dont know anything about the ammonia and hardness of water
because i just started and i do water changes weekly
thanks for the reply so should i stick with the oscar
or if i get another fish will it die because lack of space ?

 

[jeremy_r]

hey
um.... i think my water is
like 7.5 ph
i dont know anything about the ammonia and hardness of water
because i just started and i do water changes weekly
thanks for the reply so should i stick with the oscar
or if i get another fish will it die because lack of space ?

sorry that zephyr account is my friends accidentaly used it

 

[trimacdevilconvict]

sorry to hear about you convict
you could buy and try a jag or another oscar,severum,blood parrot
a 4ft tank is not that small it will be about 55g (240ltr)or so i had two oscars and a plec in a 4ft for 3 yrs then i put them in a 100g with two gold sevs and a jd

 

[redgold]

If the fish died of disease...

...not eating is often a symptom of an internal problem, most often internal (in the gut) parasitic infestation of hexamita intestinalis. Did you ever notice any clear or white stringy poop from the fish? 4 days is pretty quick for the fish to die from this, though. It usually takes many days, sometimes weeks for larger fish.

Keep a close eye on the oscar, too, those parasites spread.

The best way to treat intestinalis is with metronidazole. You can buy it online from many sources. Soak the fish food for a few minutes in a small amount of water with a little metro powder mixed in, then feed the fish. If they're not eating, you have to treat the tank. Crank up the temp to mid 80's and add 400-500 mg/10 gallons. That's a lot higher dosage than most people recommend, but it works and it won't harm the fish. Turn off tank lights, too, as light degrades the meds faster. Metro is only effective in the tank water for about 10-12 hours. You'll need to treat daily for a week, big water change every other day. It's much easier and cheaper to treat sick fish in a small tank, btw.

If it's not intestinalis, it may also be an internal bacterial infection. A wide spectrum anti-biotic will help. Something like erythromycin or one of the furan drugs you can buy at the lfs or online. Follow the instructions... although I always increase the dosage by 50%, sometimes double (or more) the dosage on the first day of treatment.

btw, those two fish are still small right now, and a 4' tank is plenty big for them.

 

[digital_run]

...not eating is often a symptom of an internal problem, most often internal (in the gut) parasitic infestation of hexamita intestinalis.

Not eating is a sign that can be taken many different ways....I wouldn't get him to add medications and the like if he doesnt even know his water readings yet. Was the tank cycled? Do you have a test kit for ammonia/Nitrite/Nitrate? I'd look into getting those before i start treating for possible diseases.

 

[redgold]

...not eating is often a symptom of an internal problem, most often internal (in the gut) parasitic infestation of hexamita intestinalis.

Not eating is a sign that can be taken many different ways....I wouldn't get him to add medications and the like if he doesnt even know his water readings yet. Was the tank cycled? Do you have a test kit for ammonia/Nitrite/Nitrate? I'd look into getting those before i start treating for possible diseases.

Agreed... that's why I used the word "often" and asked if he noticed any stringy feces... AND why I led off with "If the fish died of disease...".

 

[digital_run]

...not eating is often a symptom of an internal problem, most often internal (in the gut) parasitic infestation of hexamita intestinalis.

Not eating is a sign that can be taken many different ways....I wouldn't get him to add medications and the like if he doesnt even know his water readings yet. Was the tank cycled? Do you have a test kit for ammonia/Nitrite/Nitrate? I'd look into getting those before i start treating for possible diseases.

Agreed... that's why I used the word "often" and asked if he noticed any stringy feces... AND why I led off with "If the fish died of disease...".

Wasn't trying to be a dink or anything

 

[jeremy_r]

um........ the oscar did some clear poos but i think it was the peas i fed.. yeh i saw some clear poos from the convict... is it really bad ?i think the oscar is all good because it still eats and it acts fine.

thx for advice

 

[fishycomics]

I find my cic' (in the right forum) go crazy jumping on the top of the water. then gone crazy. and turned belly up. in the tank at the dead center spot. with a min's time "hey where am I" routine. so 4 day death , wel I got 2 and 2 more to go then huh? I think my fish got seizures Lol

 

[fufanu360]

ceaser? (sp?)

some times they spaz out and ceasure and die

 

[fishycomics]

my fish jumped on the top of the water and zagged around and bellied up 2wice a day then 5 days later found dead on the bottom he was around 2' never knew the age, could mean a # of things but who knows..