Help! Hoplarcus psittacus not eating!

[Airob]

Hello. I am new to posting in the forums although i lurk every now and then.

Im posting because im having trouble with a true parrot cichlid.

Some background: i have a 150 gal planted tank ( ive always been a planted tank guy and just a couple years started into cichlids) with assorted south americans. Festivum x 3 ( rare to come by where i live, or i would have more), 2 yellow acara, some unidentified pencilfish species x7, fancy plecos ( phantoms, L001, etc) and recently i got a rehomed hoplarchus psittacus, it was already big when given to me a month ago. I kept him in a separate 60 gal for close observation.

While it loved eating plants, i never managed to make it eat food. I have offered tetra/new life spectrum/tubifex/ aquamaster ( flake, freeze dried worm/ tablets/ crisps/ etc). And while he shows interest in what is going up at the surface and sort of gets close to food, he doesnt take bites and doesnt acknowledge it as food. Its starting to get a sunken stomach and im really worried.

The 60 gal broke due to an accident and i had to move the guy to the 150. He almost triples everyone else in size, but hasnt attacked nor demonstrated the slightest sign of agression yet.

This tank is kept at 25 c, lighting is strong but there are many big planta for cover ( water lettuce, swords, aponogeton madagascariensis, and some driftwood) so he can hide in almost complete darkness if he so wishes. I change water every week, 50%, although i am right now one week due, due to water supply cut. Service should resume tomorrow so i will do a big vaccuming ( i have slacked on proper vaccuming the last few maintenances, i know, not good) and probably change water twice ( saturday/sunday).

Tap stabilizes at 7.8 ph, 10 gh and 14 kh.

It is a pretty stable and long lived tank ( 5 years) with a 40 gallon sump. Most fish have over 2 years with me.

Some other thing ive noticed about the psittacus: two days ago started twitching its tail and dorsal fins and darting a bit ( such a big fish darting is dangerous). No irregular poops. He pooped yesterday but it was a normal, thick poop.

Hes never been as colorful as specimens ive see online either.

Any input is greatly appreciated.

 

[duanes]

It may be the type water, they normally live in acidic water with a pH of 5.5 - 6.
Your 7.8 pH water is over 180 times more basic (less acidic) than their normal blackwater conditions.
Festivum have been in the hobby since the 1950s (I had them in @ 1960), and tolerate wider conditions, whereas psittacus are more recent arrivals, and less apt or able to tolerate less than optimum/ harder water than their normal realm.
And harder water might contain, and make it prone to bacterial infections it would not get in anti-bacterial black water, those conditions your other fish could now have become immune to.
The addition of peat to your system might be a solution.
Also....when I quarantine, as I observe, I add daily portions of water from the tank any new fish will end up in, getting the new fish used to the normal bacterial flora and fauna of its intended tank.
My quarantines usually last at least 2 months, before subjecting the new fish to what it might come into contact with.

 

[tlindsey]

I agree with Duane but also like to add that Hoplarcus Psittacus are susceptible to HITH if Nitrate is not kept at its low levels. Dried leaves such as Oak can also be used for bacterial protection.

 

[Airob]

Thank you for responses. I have an almond tree and a few pieces of driftwood still leaching tannins. Would that be of use?

I might invest in ro/di if its totally necessary. I dont mean to disregard what you said but these psittacus were brought in by a store a couple years ago ( i live in el salvador, central america so these are rare occurence imports), and they came considerably smaller. At the very least, this guy has been living for a couple years in this kind of water, as i am very sure the previous owner didnt invest in ro/di, almost nobody does here for freshwater ( they then wonder why they cant keep altums, heh). He may have used driftwood though, but to what extend is driftwood effective for tampering with the water? I would assume water changes would just reset everything, which would be worse with sudden hardness and ph changes.

 

[duanes]

I believe the almond leaves and wood could be of help.
The tannins are anti bacterial, but will not drastically pH.
Hard water usually produces a chronic depreciation in health over time, and because it takes time to affect these type soft water fish, so in the same way it may takes time to undo.

 

[Airob]

Ill look into getting an ro/di unit though. Is there something else i could look into for the time being to make things better? All other fish are active and feisty when feeding, could they be scaring him/still getting used to tankmates?

I decided to stay clear of some species of fish some time ago ( psittacus included) but i guess im his best for rehoming, considering it would end in a jaguar/salvini tank if given to the standard hobbyist here, so ill have to cope with accomodations for him.

 

[Gavint85]

I can't speak as to the long-term effects of hard water, but I've had one in similar water types as you for some time and he eats fine. One of the LFS here have a reputable owner who sells raises and sells gorgeous discuss and he always told me that consistent water parameters are far more important than water softness. Maybe WC fish would be different than TR, but I try to buy TR and F1s for that reason.

They do seem to be a very skittish species, and my festivum and geos go crazy at feeding time while he lurks in the background. I feed with NLS thera+, and he takes it readily. He also tries to eat the TertaColor granules that float by him, but the smaller faster fish usually eat them up first. You could try soaking the pellets in garlic to see if that helps.

Best of luck.