To preface, I have a 75 gallon tank. I have had plenty of complications already owing to that, although I anticipated (new at the hobby) the need for asking advice and research, the individual entrusted with this task did me plenty of service...essentially, despite being asked specifically about compatibility, I was told that a blood parrot, julie catfish, firebelly newt, and yes, an African claw frog would all be ok together. Local store too, doubly disappointing.
Anyway, to the relevant. After a month or so, one of the additions I decided on was an iridescent shark. I really liked the fish, and as I understand it, will leave other fish alone despite its eventual size due to its temperment.
Anyway, almost instantly he came down with ick, and the only one in the tank who patently had it. I'm assuming stress here. There are ample places to hide in the tank, but the parrot fish is slightly aggressive..not bad, but will occasionally nudge another fish gently. The shark, when so nudged, would bolt away. He liked a particular hiding spot I had simply made of a couple clay bricks and a floor tile on the bottom...but of course once in a blue moon the parrot fish would swim under there and even without being nudged, the shark would vacate...then come back usually.
So anyhoo, I put the temp up around 82 and used Quick Cure (carbon filters removed). After 2 days, the white spots were gone, and as per instructions, to continue the treatment after 3 days, I did a 25% water change and did another 3 days to get rid of the remaining ich (hopefully). Unfortunately, the shark ended up dying the last day I intended treatment. The reason for this long-winded post, is I am wondering just why. Here is my info:
To begin with, the water here is a bit of a pain, I think. It is quite alkaline (I haven't tested with a high range kit, but it's well off the scale of a liquid API test that goes to 7.6), and we have a water softener, which probably adds phosphate. I had shortly before added a phosphate filter--oh, and it's an Emperor 400 by the way. I've been told softeners would not be good because of algae growth...so now when I do water changes, I bypass the softener, and have been using half and half, so to speak. On to the shark..
The shark lost the white spots in a couple days, as I've said, though through the remainder of the treatment, he started exhibiting symptoms of other issues: fin rot, somewhat cloudy eyes/body, and his skin had a slightly haggard appearance. He also had redness at the base of the fins, which I know understand to be septicemia, which the julie catfish had and still has (treating for that now with a nitrofurazone product). I didn't want to mix chemicals obviously, so I got some anti-bacterial food while continuing the Quick Cure, but it didn't seem to do much. Throughout this, I had kept up on water changes. Oh, and I have a decent air pump with one long airstone on one side and a treasure chest bubbling doodad on the other. The surface is quite agitated. I'm hoping the new treatment for the septicemia will help the julie catfish. He has been living with it since before this, and seems lively and all. Also, I've read on this site that malachite green (Quick Cure) has strong antibiotic properties as well...so I'm wondering why that in concert with the medicated food did nothing to dent the septicemia of either the shark or the julie catfish. Oh and I did use half doses of the Quick Cure in deference to the shark's delicacy.
I can't think of what else I could have done or why he went downhill so fast once he was in my tank. He lasted just over a week. The only other thing I could have done that I can imagine is quarantine him...but I just don't have the room. I know they're schooling fish... Would 2 of them have made a difference in stress? Am I doing something wrong in general perhaps, or is it impossible to keep an iridescent shark in my particular tank? The only particular cause I could see was the parrot fish's aggressiveness, but all in all he's only a wee bit aggressive with all the room in that tank. Right now, I also have a tire track eel and a clown loach that hide all the time, and a paradise fish, and they're doing fine.
Anyway, to the relevant. After a month or so, one of the additions I decided on was an iridescent shark. I really liked the fish, and as I understand it, will leave other fish alone despite its eventual size due to its temperment.
Anyway, almost instantly he came down with ick, and the only one in the tank who patently had it. I'm assuming stress here. There are ample places to hide in the tank, but the parrot fish is slightly aggressive..not bad, but will occasionally nudge another fish gently. The shark, when so nudged, would bolt away. He liked a particular hiding spot I had simply made of a couple clay bricks and a floor tile on the bottom...but of course once in a blue moon the parrot fish would swim under there and even without being nudged, the shark would vacate...then come back usually.
So anyhoo, I put the temp up around 82 and used Quick Cure (carbon filters removed). After 2 days, the white spots were gone, and as per instructions, to continue the treatment after 3 days, I did a 25% water change and did another 3 days to get rid of the remaining ich (hopefully). Unfortunately, the shark ended up dying the last day I intended treatment. The reason for this long-winded post, is I am wondering just why. Here is my info:
To begin with, the water here is a bit of a pain, I think. It is quite alkaline (I haven't tested with a high range kit, but it's well off the scale of a liquid API test that goes to 7.6), and we have a water softener, which probably adds phosphate. I had shortly before added a phosphate filter--oh, and it's an Emperor 400 by the way. I've been told softeners would not be good because of algae growth...so now when I do water changes, I bypass the softener, and have been using half and half, so to speak. On to the shark..
The shark lost the white spots in a couple days, as I've said, though through the remainder of the treatment, he started exhibiting symptoms of other issues: fin rot, somewhat cloudy eyes/body, and his skin had a slightly haggard appearance. He also had redness at the base of the fins, which I know understand to be septicemia, which the julie catfish had and still has (treating for that now with a nitrofurazone product). I didn't want to mix chemicals obviously, so I got some anti-bacterial food while continuing the Quick Cure, but it didn't seem to do much. Throughout this, I had kept up on water changes. Oh, and I have a decent air pump with one long airstone on one side and a treasure chest bubbling doodad on the other. The surface is quite agitated. I'm hoping the new treatment for the septicemia will help the julie catfish. He has been living with it since before this, and seems lively and all. Also, I've read on this site that malachite green (Quick Cure) has strong antibiotic properties as well...so I'm wondering why that in concert with the medicated food did nothing to dent the septicemia of either the shark or the julie catfish. Oh and I did use half doses of the Quick Cure in deference to the shark's delicacy.
I can't think of what else I could have done or why he went downhill so fast once he was in my tank. He lasted just over a week. The only other thing I could have done that I can imagine is quarantine him...but I just don't have the room. I know they're schooling fish... Would 2 of them have made a difference in stress? Am I doing something wrong in general perhaps, or is it impossible to keep an iridescent shark in my particular tank? The only particular cause I could see was the parrot fish's aggressiveness, but all in all he's only a wee bit aggressive with all the room in that tank. Right now, I also have a tire track eel and a clown loach that hide all the time, and a paradise fish, and they're doing fine.
.