Pictus cats

[Miss Dib Dabs]

A second looks close to death now.
This is day three od treatment. You think I should do a water change? See if they seem any better? I'm lost. I've been treating the 55g for ich and all the fish in there have responded well. These pictus are very young and they are really covered in whitespot. Never seen such a bad case. The Gouramie they live with are all fine now.
I have a newly set up, as yet uncycled tank empty. Filter started yesterday. If the ammonia I put in there yesterday is reading 0 for nitrIte and ammonia I could pop the two remaining cats in there and see how they go?
Hugs,
P.

 

[Bloo]

I won't put them in the uncycled tank - that will definitely kill them off.
What an incredible shame that they aren't doing well, as I know you've specially prepared their new home for them and waited all this time until the time was right

Raise the temperature to 29 degrees Celsius.
What meds are you using ? If Interpet No. 6 (Anti White Spot Plus), then don't do any water changes during treatment.
The dosing should be done on days 1 & 4. The instructions aren't that clear as to what to do if the fish aren't responding to treatment within the first 7 days.
But lets see how it goes first before changing meds.

Fingers crossed.

 

[Miss Dib Dabs]

I'm using Protozin by Waterlife. I've used it before in a tank with no scaless fish in and it worked very well.
Sadly the second had died during our late lunch.
I went to my lfs and they will replace my losses but it isn't really the point.
Yes, I have looked after the tank and gotten it ready for them. If the the last of the 3 die I will do a 50% w/c at the end of the treatment, make sure the gouramies are over it and well then try again with them. The other is heavy breathing but doesn't look as bad as the other did. Fingers crossed for the lil fella.
Hugs,
P.

 

[Fishy411]

I'm using Protozin by Waterlife. I've used it before in a tank with no scaless fish in and it worked very well.
Sadly the second had died during our late lunch.
I went to my lfs and they will replace my losses but it isn't really the point.
Yes, I have looked after the tank and gotten it ready for them. If the the last of the 3 die I will do a 50% w/c at the end of the treatment, make sure the gouramies are over it and well then try again with them. The other is heavy breathing but doesn't look as bad as the other did. Fingers crossed for the lil fella.
Hugs,
P.

[snapback]856109[/snapback]​

you could try but if you have teh slightest trace of a minicycle the pictus's are GONE. i had a minicycle in my main tank and almost lost my pictus's.

 

[Miss Dib Dabs]

The last one has just stopped breathing.
That's all three within 12 hours.
Despite all my best efforts. Leaving the light off to ease any stress, checking water params. I guess the stress was too much. I feel worn out by it all today. Not only that but this morning the smallest endler in my small tank had been bullied to death by the bigger two. I hate days like this. *cries*
Now I need to finish the meds off on behalf of the gouramies, then get a big w/c done. I feel so sad.
Hugs,
P.

 

[Bloo]

Really really sorry to hear it ended this way. I know it's little or no consolation, but hopefully when you get you get your new pictus in you'll have better luck. Mine is so hardy maybe they were just fairly young (know you said they were quite small) and didn't take well to the stress - which made them susceptible to the ich

 

[Miss Dib Dabs]

They were very small and obviously young. Poor things. Am gonna give it a little over a week minimum, even if the tank becomes clear of all signs beforehand. I have the children away for a week then so house will be less stressful too. In the meantime I'll finish the course and do the w/c. Possibly do a further week if the tank requires it. *sigh*
Parts of me are kinda glad the worry of that is over. Am really sad about losing them all like this. Am suprised at how drained I feel.
Anyways, like I said, get the tank spot on then try again.
Hugs,
P.

 

[Maroonostrich]

It's devastating isn't it?



I had a good bawl this week when a bag full of pygmy cories arrived this week by mail order, and what I presume was a combination of shock and harrassment by the neons and my cichlid male (who has never bothered the neons, but these were just small enough to look like food..) killed them within hours!

I'm just telling myself things go wrong sometimes and no matter what you do, days like this are going to come along! My cichlids are well, my plants are healthy and the tank is operating well so I am counting my blessing and hoping to feel a lot less guilty soon!

I'm so sorry, I feel your pain!

 

[Fishy411]

try and find bigger pictus's if you want more. i bought mine at around 2" and had no problems.

 

[NinjaSmurf]

I'd give you mine since he's at three inches but I already promised him to my brother, as I seemed to have the worst luck with mine and he attacked everything in my tank. The last straw was when he tried to kill my bristlenose.

 

[jollysue]

That's a sad ordeal, Miss Dib Dabs

 

[CFC]

I'm sorry for your loss but I would advise not getting any more for at least a month, all Pimelodus species easily fall victim to ICH so it is best to wait until any remaining spores have died off.
In all truth it is best not to add any Pimeloid catfish to a tank that is under 6 months old, immature tanks often suffer from unstable water parameters and generally dont have a mature enough filtration system to cope with their heavy feeding habbits, all Pimeloid species suffer greatly when exposed to poor water and pictus cats seems to be more delicate than most.

 

[Miss Dib Dabs]

I figured that cfc. Pity I didn't give it more consideration previously. The gouramies in the tank are all looking good today happily and I don't plan on adding anymore fish until I'm happy the tank is settled now.
Actually every fish I've gotten from my lfs has ended up with ich within the week. Really not good. The ones I bought from further afaield, despite their drive home, had no trouble settling in and no ich at all.
I take the greatest care of my tanks and watch the water quality closely, especially with newly cycled tanks.
As it is, I can't change what has happened now. But it will be left for the gouramies for a while who have taken great joy in the caves and hiding places I have in there. Their colouring is excellent and they active and territorial already. If any pair off then the other two can be moved to another tank if need be and I may well look for older pictus in the future. For not the credit for those I lost can go towards an adult brachy they have in and food etc.
Hugs,
P.

 

[Fishy411]

I'd give you mine since he's at three inches but I already promised him to my brother, as I seemed to have the worst luck with mine and he attacked everything in my tank. The last straw was when he tried to kill my bristlenose.

[snapback]856645[/snapback]​

lone pictus's are aggressive. you need at least 3

 

[@ombomb]

Actually every fish I've gotten from my lfs has ended up with ich within the week.

Well I would avoid that place if I was you!

Maybe they don't look after their fish well or maybe they use RO water and you use local (ie London and high pH / super hard) or maybe loads of other reasons. If you have a shop that you are successful with, stick with it. I buy all of my fish from one shop which is much further away than several others, but it is worth the journey for healthy fish.