Catfish won’t eat also 1 has an injury.

[fishhead0103666]

Have you tested your water?

Yes

If yes, what is your ammonia?

.5

If yes, what is your nitrite?

0

If yes, what is your nitrate?

20

If I did not test my water...

...I recognize that I will likely be asked to do a test, and that water tests are critical for solving freshwater health problems.

Do you do water changes?

Yes

What percentage of water do you change?

81-90%

How frequently do you change your water?

Every week

If I do not change my water...

...I recognize that I will likely be recommended to do a water change, and water changes are critical for preventing future freshwater health problems.

My Wallace’s shoehead catfish haven’t eaten since they got here on July the 28th. I was told that the seller had been offering frozen blood worms and they were gone in the morning so he had assumed they were eating the frozen blood worms. I have tried
Frozen blood worms
Frozen silver sides
Frozen mysis shrimp
Omega one shrimp pellets
Earth worms
Live platy from my tank
Live ghost shrimp

I still have frozen brine shrimp, frozen shrimp, frozen tilapia, and frozen krill to try food wise

Just before putting this thread up I tested the parameters and to my shock I found the ammonia was clocking in at .5 and I found out that the reason behind that was a big silver side has managed to get stuck inside one of the hiding cave decorations I put in for them. I put in 2 already cycled sponge filters in the tank to hopefully counteract the ammonia and I’m going to be doing several water changes after this post goes up.

Now for pictures of the fish in question.

Fish A

 

[fishhead0103666]

Now for fish B

 

[fishhead0103666]

Now for fish C which has the fun injury.

 

[fishhead0103666]

Anyone have any thoughts on if it’s parasites causing them to not eat also how to treat the fin injury?

 

[Kelly_Aquatics]

fin injury looks pretty severe not sure it will ever heal fully try epsom salt as for feeding try turning the lights off if you have not already simple but works for most catfish and bichirs or leave the food over night just moniter ammonia by the way very cool fish what is their tank setup going to look like long term

 

[fishhead0103666]

I’ve been leaving them food every night since I got them and I’ve even been wiggling certain foods infront of them to simulate a live prey item but nothing has worked even the frozen blood worms that the supplier supposedly had them eating which is why I’m thinking it may be parasites.
Also I’m not sure yet as it’s not concrete. The plan is to get them their own 75 gallon, make it a biotype aquarium, get a few more, and attempt breeding. Depending on how that goes I may end up getting a bigger tank and introducing some of my other african species.
kno4te you have any thoughts?

 

[celebrist]

Ammonia at 0.5 would seem to indicate an uncycled tank, how did you cycle it prior to adding the fish?

 

[Kolton13]

I’ve been leaving them food every night since I got them and I’ve even been wiggling certain foods infront of them to simulate a live prey item but nothing has worked even the frozen blood worms that the supplier supposedly had them eating which is why I’m thinking it may be parasites.
Also I’m not sure yet as it’s not concrete. The plan is to get them their own 75 gallon, make it a biotype aquarium, get a few more, and attempt breeding. Depending on how that goes I may end up getting a bigger tank and introducing some of my other african species.
kno4te you have any thoughts?

I messaged kno4te haven’t got anything back yet. Looks pretty severe I’m not to sure what to do to be honest. I’d try some aquarium salt.

 

[fishhead0103666]

Ammonia at 0.5 would seem to indicate an uncycled tank, how did you cycle it prior to adding the fish?

I cycled it like I do all my tanks now, I put some extra filters on one of my main tanks for a few months, move it over to the tank intended for the filters, slowly increase the stock until it’s where I want it. I had that tank up and running for somewhere between 8 months and a year. I moved the inhabitants out of there tank so I could use it as a quarantine tank.

The inhabitants weren’t huge by any standard but there were enough of them that a mini cycle shouldn’t have happened let alone a new cycle. I can list the previous inhabitants if you wish.

 

[fishhead0103666]

This was the last time I wrote down the results for this tank