Baby arapaima Beat up

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Mike R.

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jun 4, 2020
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Two weeks ago I bought a baby arapiama from Global fish co. I put it in a grow out with some other fish and everything seemed fine, until about 2 days ago when I saw something like a gash with a circular mark. That made me think that my Red Belly Pacu may have gotten into a scuffle with the arapaima. Then today I wasn't sleeping in my room because I offered it up to my friends who were sleeping over. That meant I couldn't monitor the fish and see if I could understand what was happening. I also have to small RTC, an alligator gar, and a senegal bichir. Today when I went in to feed at about 1 pm, I noticed the arapaima was missing scales on his back and sides, and his tail was split into almost a V shape. He still is eating but he is just super lethargic and tomorrow I go on a road trip. I made an emergency run to my LFS and finished setting up a seperate tank since my other four are all stocked. I moved the Pacu into it and he is doing fine. I also added stress coat and bought some anti fungal and anti bacterial medications just in case. I can't really send pictures right now but maybe tomorrow if he is still alive. I added a water hyacinth as comfort for him and he used the petal as a bed almost, resting near the surface, and than swimming whenever I even step foot near the tank. Now, thats not a lot, but I have seen him do. He was also just sitting right next to my filter intake, (HOB), and when I came he kept swimming. Please help!!!!!
 
I would move the pima to any available tank where it could be alone and hopefully recover.It sounds like the pima was like a newjack being thrown into a prison yard with all those other fish.How big is the tank btw?
 
Well today I woke up and he seems to be even better than the day before and some of his wounds are starting the early process of healing.
 
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Well they are all real small, but I am upgrading them to a 40, and almost done my plywood 300g growout. I appreciate your help. I don't think that is now a possibility. I tried to move my pair of convicts to my community and today I am missing three fish... this hobby can be difficult to deal with for me.
 
Well they are all real small, but I am upgrading them to a 40, and almost done my plywood 300g growout. I appreciate your help. I don't think that is now a possibility. I tried to move my pair of convicts to my community and today I am missing three fish... this hobby can be difficult to deal with for me.
I agree that this thing of ours can be a bit difficult to deal with in the beginning,one of the most important things that one can do is to read up on and try to learn as much as possible about the particular fish that are of interest,be armed with knowledge of the fish's needs and focus on those fish that are best suited to the furnishings that are available.
Keep us posted on how things turn out.
 
If I am reading this correctly, you are planning to upgrade your fish...an arapaima, a pacu, a RT cat, a poly and a gar...into a 40gallon tank...indicating that they are in something even smaller currently. Never answered when asked the tank size, but clarified that the fish are "real small". OP, I think you know that your current tank is "hopelessly and hilariously" undersized for those fish. Aggression problems are much more common when the fish can't get out of each other's way.

Even your soon-to-be-completed 300 gallon is totally inadequate for this community. Maybe make some hard choices, re-home most of them, and concentrate on the one that you really want. Unfortunately, getting new fish and then quickly leaving home for a road trip also increases the odds of something ugly happening while you are gone.
 
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I think all the fish will end up dead or stunted in a short space of time.
I'd recommend giving them away to someone with a more adequately sized tank and buying something more suitable, what you have is basically the same as buying a pet elephant and keeping it in your bathroom.
 
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