opinions please

[bluekrissyspikes]

my lung fish moved from his 50g in march into a pool that is quite a bit larger. since i moved him all he has eaten is 2 earth worms and a couple floating plants(which i can only suspect he ate as i did not see him but they disappeared) I know that they can go for a long time without eating but i am starting to get pretty concerned. he also stopped doing his circling around thing and digging in the subterate. i have been looking for a second hand tank around 150g or larger for a long time now and i'm planning to keep looking until i find one. buying a brand new one is not an option right now. sooo....(please don't freak!) i am wondering if it would be better to put him back into the 50g for the time being since he seemed a lot happier in there. he was more active and eating a lot everyday. he is starting to get skinny now and hardly seems to move at all. i know the tank is too small for him to stay in forever but is it better to have him in a small tank where he is active and eating or a big pool where he is not? i also want to say that i'm not going to give him away, i love him. if i brought him back to the lps he'd be put in a 20g and left there for god knows how long.

[bluekrissyspikes]

11 views and no help?

[zennzzo]

Are the water perameters the same in the pool and his old 50g?...Alot of fish take time to get used to their new suroundings, some more than others...

[haynchinook334]

he is just getting use to his new home, give him time....as long as he is eatting all is good.

[bluekrissyspikes]

thank you for the replies. yes. everything is the same except the tank/pond and he now has more filtration. i am wondering if he doesn't like the shallower water. he was used to 20" of water and now has about 12"

[bluekrissyspikes]

Are the water perameters the same in the pool and his old 50g?...Alot of fish take time to get used to their new suroundings, some more than others...

that is why i'm worried, because he isn't eating. unless you count 2 worms as eating but he used to eat 6 jumbo shrimp, 5 or so algea wafers, and pellet food everyday plus 'treats' like peices of fish, feeder fish, hot dog peices, ect...

[zennzzo]

6 jumbo shrimp, 5 or so algea wafers, and pellet food everyday plus 'treats' like peices of fish, feeder fish, hot dog peices, ect...
Dang that's alot of munchies...I see why you are so concerned...

[beblondie]

put him back into the 50 gallon and see if he doesn' perk up.I'm thinking the lower water level has triggered an attempt at estavation.

[zennzzo]

The lungfish estivates by burying itself in mud formed at the surface of a dried up lake. In this state, the lungfish can survive for many years.
Wow!, I did not know this...

[beblondie]

its in the sticky section

[bluekrissyspikes]

ok. thanks beblondie. that is what i thought might be going on but i wasn't too sure because i hear of other peoples lungfish going for a long time not eating. i'm going to clean the 50 out tonight and put him back in there and see what happens.

[bluekrissyspikes]

he is back in his 50 gallon now and he seems to be happier. he started digging around and circling the tank right away. i have made 2 observations since i put him back in the tank. The first is that his face seems to be a much darker shade than normal and the second is that he has signs of lateral line disease starting. I gave him a shrimp which he has not eaten but i am hoping he will eat it sometime during the night. He did however suck it into his mouth which is more than he has been doing lately, so this is a good sign. i am attributing the fact that his face has darkened to the start of estavation. his skin also seems sort of wrinkly which it is normally not. i am attatching a couple pics to show the color difference. thank you to those who replied and especially to beblondie for seconding what i had originally thought. i hope to continue to see improvement.

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj171/tattoogemini/HPIM0739.jpg

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj171/tattoogemini/HPIM0734.jpg

[ermgravy]

He probably did start to at least slow down in the lower water level but given time he would probably have figured it was a permanent change in water level rather than the pool drying up. this is really interesting although i dont see a 12" pool as an ideal depth for a big lung in the slightest.

[bluekrissyspikes]

well i was trying to give him more swimming room.

[Star-Flog]

ok. thanks beblondie. that is what i thought might be going on but i wasn't too sure because i hear of other peoples lungfish going for a long time not eating. i'm going to clean the 50 out tonight and put him back in there and see what happens. Once my Marble lung was not eating more 5 weeks because of water parameters issue but now he is active and health as ever. Amazing fish !:nilly:

[ermgravy]

well i was trying to give him more swimming room.

granted i fully get ur motives and it would of worked for a considerable amount of time but more its a bit shallow for life....

[bluekrissyspikes]

oh. yes i know. i wasn't planning for it to be his forever home. just a transition until i find a descent used tank that is not way over-priced.

[GriF]

Good luck with your lung, I think the dept of the pool is no problem I keep my waterlevel at 40cm +/- 13 or 14 inch....for both my lungs.
for me this works perfect.

[bluekrissyspikes]

really? interesting. he's still not eating normally but he muched down a few algea wafers so i guess that's better than nothing.