Pike cichlid trouble healing

[fishmarket]

Hi all, I have two Venezuela pike cichlids around 9 inches, one of them recently developed red sores on his lips and started to swim wobbly. This started about a month ago, I was certain he was gonna die but he is still hanging on. So far I have done two salt & heat treatment and one melafix treatment which cleared the sores but have since returned. I am currently on the second melafix treatment. No aggression with any tank mates, 125 gallon tank, water change at least twice a week. Anyone had similar experiences?

 

[fishmarket]

 

[tlindsey]

View attachment 1475213

Can the Pike close it's mouth?

 

[duanes]

What are your tap water parameters?
Hard? soft?
High pH? low pH?
what type Conductivity?
Many of these pikes come from very soft, mineral poor, low pH, low conductivity and seasonally high tannin conditions.

If your tap water is not soft, is pH above 7, and mineral rich, you may want to start mixing it with RO or rain water to bring conditions closer to the normal waters they have evolved to live in.
You may also want to add peat, or Rooibos tea to increase tannins which are anti-bacterial.
Although opposite conditions might not cause acute disease, they may be the cause of chronic infections that sneak up over time.

 

[fishmarket]

Can the Pike close it's mouth?

They both kinda always have it slightly open like that. Here's a pic of the healthy one.

 

[fishmarket]

What are your tap water parameters?
Hard? soft?
High pH? low pH?
what type Conductivity?
Many of these pikes come from very soft, mineral poor, low pH, low conductivity and seasonally high tannin conditions.
View attachment 1475214
If your tap water is not soft, is pH above 7, and mineral rich, you may want to start mixing it with RO or rain water to bring conditions closer to the normal waters they have evolved to live in.
You may also want to add peat, or Rooibos tea to increase tannins which are anti-bacterial.
Although opposite conditions might not cause acute disease, they may be the cause of chronic infections that sneak up over time.

Water is on tha hard side and fairly neutral. I actually have a piece of mopani driftwood that I have been soaking for a month to remove tannis, will that work?

 

[duanes]

The tannins you want to get rid of, would probably be beneficial if left in.
Especially .... if your pikes come from seasonally or constantly black water rivers, like th Rio Negro and/or its tributaries.
If your tap water is hard, diluting that hardness with rain water, and'or RO might hel keep them healthyp.
None of the above are instant solutions though, if the problems you describe have been chronic (gradually coming on).
How long have you had them?
I remember reading an article (if my memory serves) by Francine Bethea of Colorado, in the Journal of the American Cichlid Assn, who set up an elaborate rain catchment and filtration system, to provide proper conditions for her Amazonian pike cichlid breeding program.

 

[fishmarket]

The tannins you want to get rid of, would probably be beneficial if left in.
Especially .... if your pikes come from seasonally or constantly black water rivers, like th Rio Negro and/or its tributaries.
If your tap water is hard, diluting that hardness with rain water, and'or RO might hel keep them healthyp.
None of the above are instant solutions though, if the problems you describe have been chronic (gradually coming on).
How long have you had them?
I remember reading an article (if my memory serves) by Francine Bethea of Colorado, in the Journal of the American Cichlid Assn, who set up an elaborate rain catchment and filtration system, to provide proper conditions for her Amazonian pike cichlid breeding program.

I had them since May, so about 6 months, with no issues until now. I will try adding the driftwood for now. Thank you!

 

[duanes]

Something to consider about water parameters.
If you keep soft water cichlids like oscars, aquarium strain Sevs, rams, and other mainstays, those cichlids that have been in the hobby, have been around and bred for years under varying conditions, the effects of out of their norm parameters may be fairly minimal, or as the case with Oscars only show up after 2 or 3 years as hole in the head, or HLLE under less than ideal conditions.
But some of these newly collected, more exotic pikes, or other rarities like Uaru fernandezysepezi, recent afdditions, and bred by those who cater to strict water parameters, may not withstand the average aquarists parameters without some tweaking.

 

[Rocksor]

What is the diet? How often and how much do they eat? I'm guessing there is very little current in the tank due to the bichirs.

Can we get another full side view of the one with the red inside the mouth?