Giraffes breathing heavily

[RemainVayne]

Got 3 giraffe cats in from wetspot yesterday. 2 of them are about 2.5" and one is about 5". The 2 smaller ones both have ate a little, but have been breathing quite heavily and it has me concerned.

These 3 are alone in a QT 37g, perfect water parameters, and I just treated the tank with prazipro this morning.

Do baby giraffes just naturally breath heavily/fast? Are they still just stressed maybe? Or do you think there may be more going on?

 

[piranhaman00]

I would not worry, most likely just stressed. But add an air stone for comfort.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

If I had to guess, your water differs vastly from the water they had come from. If the water is within their natural parameters, I think they should calm down sooner than later.

Agree with the additional aeration just in case your DO is lower than in the water they came from.

I hope you will meet success with them. I got 4 from WetSpot years ago - two Volta, one Niger, and one Congo. Still going.

 

[RemainVayne]

If I had to guess, your water differs vastly from the water they had come from. If the water is within their natural parameters, I think they should calm down sooner than later.

Agree with the additional aeration just in case your DO is lower than in the water they came from.

I hope you will meet success with them. I got 4 from WetSpot years ago - two Volta, one Niger, and one Congo. Still going.

I see varying reports of what the ideal PH is online. Any suggestions? And it looks like between 72-77* f for them?

 

[Yellowcat]

Having kept a few giraffe cats I've had no problems with 74 F degree water temp's and preferred PH of 6.5. Some auchenoglanis and especially parauchenoglanis ("dwarf giraffe catfish") can be really stressed at a PH of 8.0 or higher, worse if combined with high water temperatures at the same time...

 

[RemainVayne]

Having kept a few giraffe cats I've had no problems with 74 F degree water temp's and preferred PH of 6.5. Some auchenoglanis and especially parauchenoglanis ("dwarf giraffe catfish") can be really stressed at a PH of 8.0 or higher, worse if combined with high water temperatures at the same time...

Dang, I'm up closer to a PH of 8.0 and I think I'm currently running their QT tank at 80*...I'll adjust it lower in the morning.

 

[RemainVayne]

And when should I expect their appetites to be all that I've heard the giraffes to be? They still don't seem to be eating much at all...

 

[Yellowcat]

Once they settle in with better water parameters their appetite should improve. As juveniles they are inclined to be shy at first and a little skittish. They do prefer a gravel substrate and some driftwood to provide hiding and shady places to feel secure. They, as many cat species don't like lighted tanks or one's close to direct sunlight or well lit rooms in general, at first. They tend to feed better late in the day at low light or better at night with lights off. I always fed mine with a blend of Hikari sinking pellets, Carnivore pellets and the small algae pellets. As they grow they will become less shy and more outgoing in general to the point of eating out of your hand in a few months or so. They will likely grow to a foot long or so in their first year and to 18" in another year. They will eventually grow to 3' over several years so hopefully you have plans for larger tanks. Once they reach 16", each will need a tank size minimum of 130 gallons, needing an upgrade from there. You didn't mention which species you got from Wetspot that has 2 species for sale, a. occidentalis and the 'bouche' variety but caring for them is more or less the same...

 

[RemainVayne]

Once they settle in with better water parameters their appetite should improve. As juveniles they are inclined to be shy at first and a little skittish. They do prefer a gravel substrate and some driftwood to provide hiding and shady places to feel secure. They, as many cat species don't like lighted tanks or one's close to direct sunlight or well lit rooms in general, at first. They tend to feed better late in the day at low light or better at night with lights off. I always fed mine with a blend of Hikari sinking pellets, Carnivore pellets and the small algae pellets. As they grow they will become less shy and more outgoing in general to the point of eating out of your hand in a few months or so. They will likely grow to a foot long or so in their first year and to 18" in another year. They will eventually grow to 3' over several years so hopefully you have plans for larger tanks. Once they reach 16", each will need a tank size minimum of 130 gallons, needing an upgrade from there. You didn't mention which species you got from Wetspot that has 2 species for sale, a. occidentalis and the 'bouche' variety but caring for them is more or less the same...

Thanks man, I appreciate your 1st hand input! They're in my basement and I don't even have a light over them, so it's pretty dark. I'll stick to feeding sparingly at night.

I got 2 occidentalis and 1 bouche from wetspot. Ever since I got into monster fish, giraffes have been my dream fish so I'm overly paranoid about taking care of them, especially as the occidentalis are so small. They're definitely shy and very skittish. The bouche, who is a few inches bigger, is much more laid back and less skittish.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

Our pH here is 7.2-7.6. The temp ranges seasonally from 72 F at the lowest to 88 F at the highest. You just got yours 2-3 days ago. Give them a week or two to adjust. The fact that they are feeding at all is a good sign already. IDK if you are keeping them together but if so, I'd watch out that the Bouche doesn't harras the lil guys.