BGK issues

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secuono

Plecostomus
MFK Member
Nov 3, 2009
228
67
61
Culpeper, VA
I bought one at 3.5in from Petsmart 2 weeks ago. It was on sale. It was in a 40b, but the other fish bothered it a bit. So I moved him to my other 40b, no annoying fish in there. Temp 80F, it's summer and I can't get the temps any lower for very long. Long been running, Am 0, Ni 0, Na 5. Recently upped the water changes.
He never really ate...I've seen him take in 3 frozen blood worms and then spit them back out a few times. The other day he was laying on his side, I netted him and fed him, he ate some, then I let him go. Dead the next day when I came back from work!
I don't think he ever really ate enough to live... He was clean and dark black, no torn fins or anything.

If I wanted to try again, what would I have to do to make sure he eats and lives? I don't think dried or frozen food will work with them. The sale may be over now and I was 3 days past the return policy. Don't want to spend $20 if the new one dies the same way!

He had hide outs, tons of thick patches of plants to hide in/under and wood to hide around.

Ideas...? Should I try again? And yes, I know he will need a larger tank at some point. I can get one when he gets larger.
 
Sorry for your loss:( Small Knives are always tricky. I think you should give it another shot. BGK should accept BW very easily. That's what I start off all my Knives with and eventually switch over to pellets.
 
secuono said:
I bought one at 3.5in from Petsmart 2 weeks ago. It was on sale. It was in a 40b, but the other fish bothered it a bit. So I moved him to my other 40b, no annoying fish in there. Temp 80F, it's summer and I can't get the temps any lower for very long. Long been running, Am 0, Ni 0, Na 5. Recently upped the water changes.
He never really ate...I've seen him take in 3 frozen blood worms and then spit them back out a few times. The other day he was laying on his side, I netted him and fed him, he ate some, then I let him go. Dead the next day when I came back from work!
I don't think he ever really ate enough to live... He was clean and dark black, no torn fins or anything.

If I wanted to try again, what would I have to do to make sure he eats and lives? I don't think dried or frozen food will work with them. The sale may be over now and I was 3 days past the return policy. Don't want to spend $20 if the new one dies the same way!

He had hide outs, tons of thick patches of plants to hide in/under and wood to hide around.

Ideas...? Should I try again? And yes, I know he will need a larger tank at some point. I can get one when he gets larger.
Click to expand...

Sorry for your loss, Don't lose hope. I lost my Aba Aba, and Im getting a new one.
 
yeah sorry for your loss but dont lose hope, with my bgk i initially start them out in like a small 10g quarantine by themselves so i can really monitor how much they are eating, but if you cant do this just have to keep a closer eye on it. when feeding them to begin with i melt the bw in a cup with just enough tank water to melt the small piece of the block, then i use forceps to grab some worms and hold them right in front of the opening to the knife's cave. usually it will smell them and not be able to resist and will pop out grab one and dash back in (hold the bw just tight enough to keep from floating away but wont give too much resistance when the knife grabs it) i do this for about a week and a half-2weeks depending on how much it is eating and then i start using sinking pellets soaked in the same tank water with the bw cube and then after another week or two, if they are doing well and growing then i just put in the pellets and after a few days they start to take them. i have done this with a couple bgk and they all weaned to pellets and were/are eating well
 
you can always try live earthworms. cut or whole depending on size. they cant resist them. when i first got mine he was very picky also.
 
I agree with everyone's suggestions....

I say try it again.... BUT this time you may want to buy the fish at a more reputable LFS. You may be paying more, but have a better chance of not getting a diseased fish.... not to say the fish you had was diseases, but then again most fish will eat before dying.. it may have had an internal parasite.... just increases the chances of success.... good luck.
 
Just updating that I got a new bgk, they had more and I picked out the biggest they had. It was just a half inch bigger than my last guy, I think, but he is doing great. It's been a few weeks and he eats every day and even goes out and swims about during the day when there is no food. Seems like he's grown a bit, too.

The last guy did eat at the start, but soon quit on me.

New guy is always moving or hidden in the back, so no good pics to share. If I had high speed net I'd take a video to share, he comes out with the Dojo loach and Senegal birch, all are similar in length. None bother the Cories or Otos.
 
congrats on the new bgk they are so hard to get a good pic of mine is always out swimming around but never stays still long enuff to get a pic. mine gets along great with my sens to. you well enjoy the bgk they are so neat to watch.good luck with it
 
Oh, and they don't notice the worm until it gets sucked up into the filter, chopped up and spit back out.
But my ducks rather hog is all..=)
 
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