I'm not really sure if this is in the correct forum, so I apologize in advance if I am mistaken. I just needed to get some things off my chest about my red devil cichlid, Mr. Orange, and see if anyone has any advise. I first got Mr. Orange 7 years ago because I was not able to keep a community in my 10 gallon (go figure). So I went to my LFS and asked for something that is really aggressive so that I will not be tempted to put anything in my 10 with it and possibly loose more fish...I was directed to a little 3 inch peachish orange fish called a Red Devil. Not overly attractive to me at the time, but as I would walk by the tank, it would follow me, not hide like most other fish. If I put my finger up there, it tried to bite me. I was sold! Foolishly buying a fish on impulse out of frustration with multi fish setups, with no prior research. Why research it, I had been keeping my red belly piranha for two years solo without a problem...I though I knew what I was doing. Anyway, I set him up in the 10, and within a short amount of time, I realize he needs more space. So him and the piranha traded tanks, and now Mr. Orange was in a 20 long. About a week later, he was upgraded to a 29, and the piranha to a 20. So Mr. Orange stayed in the 29 for several years. When we moved into our house (from an apartment), Orange went into the spare room, and Poseidon (the piranha) went into the living room.
About a year and a half ago, the piranha died, because as saddened and embarrassed as I am to admit it, I had been neglecting the tanks for about a year. Topping off the water, once, maybe twice weekly feedings, maybe a water change once or twice in that year. I messed up, and it cost me my piranha that I was actually pretty attached to since I raised it from the size of a nickel. Of course I had no one to blame but myself. Well, I decided that is not happening again. I moved Mr. Orange out to the living room, and in doing so, did a 100% water change...to get him in clean water asap. This was again, foolish and impulsive of me. Mr. Orange did not do well that night, he laid on the sand (I swapped out his gravel for sand that day too...) and did not really do anything. He was breathing so I turned off his light and went to bed thinking I killed another fish. I woke up in the morning and there he was, swimming like normal...I was genuinely shocked. I thought all was well...A few nights later I am looking at the tank and notice a few small but deep holes in Orange's head around his eyes. Hole in the head. This is when I realized that not only did my neglect kill my piranha, almost kill Mr. Orange but I just gave him a very serious and usually terminal condition. I started doing research and treating with Metro+. The holes never got worse, but not better either, but I did not want to treat him beyond the 3 day limit. Per the instructions, I treated him again for another 3 days a week later. Again, no improvement, but not worse. I started saving my money to get him the larger tank he needed...which at the time, my research was saying 55 was minimum tank size.
Well, about a year ago I got him a 55 with a Fluval 404 and a Whisper 60, and a bunch of other stuff (hood, lights, canopy, stand, gravel...) for $150 on Craigslist. (Nice!!) Anyway, the holes are still there, again not worse, but not better. He gets weekly 50% water changes, Hikari Gold (always had that), frozen blood worms, frozen brine shrimp, and that frozen Emerald Entre Cichlid Delight stuff. I feed him once every other day. Ammonia is at 0, nitrites at 0 and nitrates (which were out of control) under 20...closer to 10.
Anyway, I guess the moral of the story is do NOT buy any fish without doing research. Do NOT neglect your fish, if you are no longer interested enough to maintain the tank, do everyone a favor and give them away or sell them. DO your regular aquarium maintenance. NEVER put a fish that is supposed to get 12 (easily...possibly more) in a 10 gallon, 20 gallon, or 29 gallon tank. It is cruel, expensive and a LOT of work when something needs corrected. I think I have learned more in the past year about fish keeping then in my previous 7 years as an ignorant and impulsive fish keeper.
If anyone has any advice as for healing these holes, that would be great, otherwise I am going to keep giving Mr. Orange the best care I can give him, and anytime I get annoyed because I need to buy yet another heater...I just remember, that he deserves it for making it through my idiocy. Hopefully he will be around for another 10 years, but I understand that may be overly optimistic. Either way, there will always be a red devil cichlid (okay okay, probably more accurately a RD x midas hybrid) in this tank. These fish are ridiculously tough, interactive, interesting, violent, messy and beautiful. They have a lot of personality, and demand respect. Thanks for the opportunity to get this off my chest, any comments are welcome. And again, if anyone has any idea for getting these holes healed up (if possible) I am all ears. Thanks again guys (and gals), this is truly a fantastic forum!
About a year and a half ago, the piranha died, because as saddened and embarrassed as I am to admit it, I had been neglecting the tanks for about a year. Topping off the water, once, maybe twice weekly feedings, maybe a water change once or twice in that year. I messed up, and it cost me my piranha that I was actually pretty attached to since I raised it from the size of a nickel. Of course I had no one to blame but myself. Well, I decided that is not happening again. I moved Mr. Orange out to the living room, and in doing so, did a 100% water change...to get him in clean water asap. This was again, foolish and impulsive of me. Mr. Orange did not do well that night, he laid on the sand (I swapped out his gravel for sand that day too...) and did not really do anything. He was breathing so I turned off his light and went to bed thinking I killed another fish. I woke up in the morning and there he was, swimming like normal...I was genuinely shocked. I thought all was well...A few nights later I am looking at the tank and notice a few small but deep holes in Orange's head around his eyes. Hole in the head. This is when I realized that not only did my neglect kill my piranha, almost kill Mr. Orange but I just gave him a very serious and usually terminal condition. I started doing research and treating with Metro+. The holes never got worse, but not better either, but I did not want to treat him beyond the 3 day limit. Per the instructions, I treated him again for another 3 days a week later. Again, no improvement, but not worse. I started saving my money to get him the larger tank he needed...which at the time, my research was saying 55 was minimum tank size.
Well, about a year ago I got him a 55 with a Fluval 404 and a Whisper 60, and a bunch of other stuff (hood, lights, canopy, stand, gravel...) for $150 on Craigslist. (Nice!!) Anyway, the holes are still there, again not worse, but not better. He gets weekly 50% water changes, Hikari Gold (always had that), frozen blood worms, frozen brine shrimp, and that frozen Emerald Entre Cichlid Delight stuff. I feed him once every other day. Ammonia is at 0, nitrites at 0 and nitrates (which were out of control) under 20...closer to 10.
Anyway, I guess the moral of the story is do NOT buy any fish without doing research. Do NOT neglect your fish, if you are no longer interested enough to maintain the tank, do everyone a favor and give them away or sell them. DO your regular aquarium maintenance. NEVER put a fish that is supposed to get 12 (easily...possibly more) in a 10 gallon, 20 gallon, or 29 gallon tank. It is cruel, expensive and a LOT of work when something needs corrected. I think I have learned more in the past year about fish keeping then in my previous 7 years as an ignorant and impulsive fish keeper.
If anyone has any advice as for healing these holes, that would be great, otherwise I am going to keep giving Mr. Orange the best care I can give him, and anytime I get annoyed because I need to buy yet another heater...I just remember, that he deserves it for making it through my idiocy. Hopefully he will be around for another 10 years, but I understand that may be overly optimistic. Either way, there will always be a red devil cichlid (okay okay, probably more accurately a RD x midas hybrid) in this tank. These fish are ridiculously tough, interactive, interesting, violent, messy and beautiful. They have a lot of personality, and demand respect. Thanks for the opportunity to get this off my chest, any comments are welcome. And again, if anyone has any idea for getting these holes healed up (if possible) I am all ears. Thanks again guys (and gals), this is truly a fantastic forum!
