Hey everyone, this is posted in the poly section but I figured maybe someone who doesn't frequent that sub might have some advice.
So here's the deal: I have a 45 gallon tank with only 3 small senegal bichirs (ranging from about 4.5 inches to maybe 6? Not sure they are hard to measure but aren't very big.) The water is great, even some of my more sensitive snails that tend to turtle when water gets bad are out and about 24/7.
I have an issue where my heater magically unplugs itself sometimes. I've taken steps so it never happens again, but this time my biggest and healthiest one got paler and started thrashing about in the water for no apparent reason. Today another one joined him in the behaviour.
I've removed carbon from the filter and done 2 doses of Neoplex only to see it get worse. I did a ~40% water change today as well. The thing that is strange is the behaviour is spreading but they are all voraciously eating.
My leading ideas are that it's from high nitrates, which doesn't make sense cause my kit said they are fine. The other one is some sort of gill fluke or something, since the most violent reactions tend to happen around the neck where they jerk their head. They also flare their gills a bit but I know bichirs tend to do that anyways.
It's so weird to have them all active, alert, healthy looking and eating like crazy butt then have them thrash around like that. I've had my oldest bichir for about 6 years and another for about 3. Never seen this behaviour though they are captive bred males so they really slowed down on growth rate.
So here's the deal: I have a 45 gallon tank with only 3 small senegal bichirs (ranging from about 4.5 inches to maybe 6? Not sure they are hard to measure but aren't very big.) The water is great, even some of my more sensitive snails that tend to turtle when water gets bad are out and about 24/7.
I have an issue where my heater magically unplugs itself sometimes. I've taken steps so it never happens again, but this time my biggest and healthiest one got paler and started thrashing about in the water for no apparent reason. Today another one joined him in the behaviour.
I've removed carbon from the filter and done 2 doses of Neoplex only to see it get worse. I did a ~40% water change today as well. The thing that is strange is the behaviour is spreading but they are all voraciously eating.
My leading ideas are that it's from high nitrates, which doesn't make sense cause my kit said they are fine. The other one is some sort of gill fluke or something, since the most violent reactions tend to happen around the neck where they jerk their head. They also flare their gills a bit but I know bichirs tend to do that anyways.
It's so weird to have them all active, alert, healthy looking and eating like crazy butt then have them thrash around like that. I've had my oldest bichir for about 6 years and another for about 3. Never seen this behaviour though they are captive bred males so they really slowed down on growth rate.
