Sluggish Siamese Flying Fox

[J.D.S.]

Hey all...got a concern about my Little(about 3/4") Flying Fox named Rocky. (yes, I name my fish. )


First, the facts.


He shares a 10 Gal.(getting ready to upgrade) Tank with the following fish and plant.


3 Fancy Tailed Guppies.

1 Balloon Bellied Molly.

2 Dojo Loaches. (around 1 and a half inches each)

1 Striped Cory.

1 Onion Plant.

His water reads out fairly normal, water is hard(I have rocks in the tank), PH is a little low(6.8).


I purchased him about 4 weeks ago, hoping to clean up the algae in the tank. And for 3 and a half weeks now, he's done exactly that. The tank had never been cleaner, but for the past 4 days now, he's been acting VERY sluggish, only moving around the bottom of the plant. Occasionally, I'll view him in other spots, but for the most part, he stays with the plant. And now, with the sluggish behavior, the tank has started to grow VERY ugly brown algae. I chalked it up to just coincidence, but now that we're going on 5 days, I've begun to get worried. He looks normal, no ICH or other kind of sickness is apparent.


So, any advice or help is appreciated. I hope that my little Rocky will turn out okay. Feel free to ask any questions that will better aid you in your diagnosis, and I'll answer to the best of my abilities. Thanks in advance, all.


-J.D.S.

 

[WILDER]

Has he lost weight, what does it look like when he goes to the toilet.
Make sure he dosn't look bloated.
Check the anus to see if its enlarged or red and inflamed.

 

[gourami_fan]

Siamese flying fox tend to eat algae when they are young, but may move to different sources of food when they grow older. Unlike the siamese algae eater, that eats algae for its entire life. Sometimes they like to sit and rest at a spot for a few minutes and then go on zooming and zipping all over the tank afterwards.

Has he been rubbing against surfaces? Maybe try feeding him with other kinds of food and see if he goes for it. It is probably best to supplement him with other variety of food in his diet as well.

 

[J.D.S.]

For the first few days when I got him, all the Algae in the tank disappeared, and he DID look a little bloated. However, in about 4 more days, he went back to normal slender look and GREW LIKE A WEED!!! In 3 weeks, the fish has literally DOUBLED in size.


His waste looks brown and quite normal. His rear doesn't look enlarged or en-flamed or red.



After the algae had disappeared in the tank, I began feeding him algae wafers. Half a wafer every other day. He does still eat some of that half wafer, but mostly just leaves it for the loaches. I tried sinking shrimp pellets and he refuses to touch them. Only the loaches and cory take those. Perhaps I should try vegetables?


He doesn't rub against anything, just sits near the plant most of the day. And I watch him for awhile every morning and every night.

 

[gourami_fan]

Maybe it's not sick at all. Mine has established the bottom right corner of the tank his territory and he usually spends his time in that area unless looking for food or doing something else. He'll chase other fish away from that place too.

 

[J.D.S.]

Well he hasn't expired, so there can't be anything SERIOUSLY wrong...I would say he wasn't sick, only it was such a SUDDEN change in attitude. Ah well. I'll just pick up a few Oto cats today at my LFS to clean up the rest of the algae. Or maybe even a smaller species of pleco. Either way with the fox, whether this is his new attitude or not, I still need my algae out of the tank.



By the way, I was watching his attitude today, and he's anything BUT territorial. If a guppy even comes near him, he'll dart to the other side of the plant. He's about the same size as the guppies too, so there's no real threat. Maybe he's just a scaredy fish.