17 day hunger strike

[kdrun76]

This is a follow up to another thread, but it didn't see much traffic so I am going to try again. Old thread: http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=267808

I have a hybrid tilapia that is 15" long, about 6.5 years old. He was moved 17 days ago from a 210 gallon tank where he was trying to kill a pacu into his own 125. He is the only occupant of the 125. I cycled the filters before I moved him, so he went into a cycled tank. It does have BRAND new substrate though.

He hasn't eaten since he was moved. Not one morsel. His behavior is good, normal and destructive just like always.

I wondered if the substrate could have affected the KH GH and pH so I just ran some checks using an API test kit...

New tank
pH 7.6
KH 4 drops
GH 5 drops
nitrate 5ppm

Old tank
pH 7.2
KH 2 drops (that is really LOW!!!)
GH 4 drops
nitrate 8ppm


The differences are there, but they are not drastic.

I have tried: garden worms, cichlid pellets, cucumber, zucchini, arowana sticks, algae wafers, grass hoppers, water sprite and probably other stuff I am not thinking of right now.

He has never eaten live fish. I do have feeder guppies in the house, but I can't see putting them in the tank resulting in anything other than another breeding colony getting established.

Anyone got any ideas? 17 days is a long time to go with out eating!!

 

[kdrun76]

Its now been 20 days.

I added in 15 juvenile giant danios to give him some dither fish dancing around in his vision. I honestly think they did relax him. He just seems more content. The new fish were added Sunday, but as of last night he still hasn't eaten...


I would love a suggestion or two.

 

[gomezladdams]

Youve been trying everything I can think of.How is he looking?looking scary skinny yet?That would worry me.I remember you moved him with a bucket.Any chance of internal injury during the move?
A friend on another forum had posted rigs he used to forcefeed medicated food to w/c mbuna,but I cant imagine any way you could manage something like that with that beast.
Fingers still crossed for you.

 

[aquatic_wonders]

My aro had a Hunger strike before for more than a month....anyway hope yours end's his soon!!!

 

[Naldo]

Did you ever get to try the duckweed?
Is there any algae in the tank and do tilapia graze green algae?
Do you ever give feeder fish? My Pink Tilapia loves roseys and guppies.

Naldo

 

[tommy_dunk@mfk]

Youve been trying everything I can think of.How is he looking?looking scary skinny yet?That would worry me.I remember you moved him with a bucket.Any chance of internal injury during the move?
A friend on another forum had posted rigs he used to forcefeed medicated food to w/c mbuna,but I cant imagine any way you could manage something like that with that beast.
Fingers still crossed for you.

i read on here a while ago a 17 inch jag was taken out the water to be mesured n wen they put it back in it wasnt eating cos of internal injuries because the gravity afects large fish when ther out of the water

 

[kdrun76]

That is an interesting theory. I wonder if it has merit.

It wouldn't apply here as this fish was never removed from the water. I set a bucket into his tank and chase him into it. Once the lid is on, I just lift it over to the other tank and, set it in and take the lid off. He doesn't fit in the bucket real well, but its got to be better than netting him.

He is going back into the 210 with the Pacu tomorrow night for a month. I am getting some new large fish and need that 125 for a quarantine. Hopefully he will eat again in his old tank.

Naldo- I have not yet gotten the duck weed. Its been a long week. He has lots of algae and live plants (water sprite), he doesn't eat feeders, there are baby fish in there with him now.

 

[1974Pantera]

Only one suggestion, try feeding him some garlic or rub some garlic in something he use to eat.

Good luck, keep us posted.

 

[kdrun76]

I noticed today that the water sprite that had been in the tank is gone! He ate something! Not much, but something.

Its been almost 4 weeks.