Need help with A. Heckelii

[blkg35]

I purchased some heckelii from my LFS. I put them in a qt tank for about 2 weeks. They were active and eating alot. They actually grew a lil in the qt tank in those 2 weeks. I then transferred them into my 75gal tank with some daemons. The following day, some of the heckelii started breathing really hard and had white poop. So I'm assuming they caught bloat.
The water in my 75gal is 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and nitrate at 5, pH is 7.1
I've lost 2 so far and 3 more look in pretty bad condition.
Im treating the entire tank with prazi-pro and cranked up the temp to 82deg.
My question is: Are heckeliis really sensitive fishes? What could have caused this drastic change in their condition?
Are the similiar to true altum angelfish where you'll get a really low survival rate?
I've tried searching on the forums and internet for more info but couldn't find any helpful info.
Please help.........

 

[JK47]

IMO they are not a very sensative fish. They should be given soft acidic water just as any SA cichlid should. Sounds to me, more like they had some sort of parasite (white fecies is always a good clue) What did you treat them with while in the QT tank?

On a side note, they will easily stess one another depending on their current size being in 75g tank. Acarichthys Heckelii need large footprint to spread out conspecific aggression between them and ultimatly will not do very well with Satanoperca Daemon.

 

[blkg35]

Justin,
I was qt'ing them with aquari-sol as a preventative. All fishes were eating and had dark colored poop. The day before I transfered them to the 75gal the alpha male gave a smaller heckelii a pretty bad beating. He didn't survive so I transfered the other 9 into my 75gal tank.
I'm glad to hear that they're not really sensitive fishes. I'm going to see how the prazi-pro works, I'm also thinking about adding a UV sterilizer to this tank, what do you think?

 

[JK47]

Justin,
I was qt'ing them with aquari-sol as a preventative. All fishes were eating and had dark colored poop. The day before I transfered them to the 75gal the alpha male gave a smaller heckelii a pretty bad beating. He didn't survive so I transfered the other 9 into my 75gal tank.
I'm glad to hear that they're not really sensitive fishes. I'm going to see how the prazi-pro works, I'm also thinking about adding a UV sterilizer to this tank, what do you think?

I would recomend adding UV in a heartbeat to anyone, just make sure you balance it with flow rates etc.. so it's effective against protozoa as well. I won't run a tank without UV ever again. I would also recomend contacting the manufacturer of the meds you are using and asking them if UV will have any effect on their product. I haver read that some meds can be rendered useless by UV. I've never experienced that myself though. GL!

 

[blkg35]

I just removed another dead heckelii. My 2 biggest ones have white poop and are breathing heavily. I'm going to add the UV sterilizer right now and pray its gonna help. My next step if the prazi-pro doesn't work will be potassium permanganate. Anyone have any good experience with PP treatments?

 

[Loves severums]

try Tetra Parasite Guard that what i use.

 

[xaznkewlguyx]

Dam.. this is not goood.

 

[House 64]

Just to add to what David/BlkG35 said.... I was in on the order with him and I've lost about half of them also. Water conditions are fine as the other Daemons, Rainbows and Cory's are doing fine and thriving. I've been loosing one or two a day and the count is up to five now. They are active and eating well, swimming around absolutely fine one moment, the next the are sitting motionless on the aquarium floor gasping in exhaustion.

I'm wondering if it's what Justin had stated, that they don't do well with Daemons. Seems like the ONLY other coincidence between our tanks.

 

[blkg35]

Anyone else with any ideas of what could be the cause? Or has anyone else besides Sean and I that experience this with heckeliis?

 

[jag123]

Just curious - are any of the heckelii bloated up? Makes me wonder with the heavy breathing and whitish feces that it could be bloat. I just lost 2 nanos to bloat recently under the same circumstances. Just a thought.