so i posted on the angel/discus forum but that place is like dead so thought i would ask here since im sure a lot of you guys keep angels as well as the big brutes. i just got in 6 wild caught scalare yesterday, 2 that were large with there bodies being about 3in long (not including tail) and 4 that were smaller with bodies like 1.5-2in long. well they all looked good when they first came in and they were packaged great and i slowly acclimated them over a period of like 45min-1hr. and then placed them in the tank with the lights off, the argentea was bothering them a bit (though no damage) so i moved him to my quarantine tank and then they were all acting fine, they even started to eat a bit within an hour of going into the tank. but then this morning i turn on the lights to find the largest angel lying dead on the sand floor. anyone have any idea on what could have happened? he was gorgeous and i was soo sad to loose him especially after he/she was acting like they were adjusting so well. my pH is a little high at 7.2 but i thought that, that level would still be ok, not sure on the exact levels of stuff in my tank but usually my nitrates never get to more than 10 between my weekly 50-70% water changes, and i had just done a water change like 2 days before the angels came in, now im afraid that the others are going to mysteriously die as well but they are all acting normal so i really hope they dont they are really gorgeous, the larger one is still acting more skittish than the smaller ones but still not really that stressed either and i only have the light on, on one side of the tank so they can go to the darker side if they feel more comfortable there
New WC angel died :(
- Thread starter Sarah88
- Start date
Your pH could have been the culprit. It is hard to say, as they are wild caught angels. You have to expect for their to be die off.
Acclimation can be tough, especially with fish that prefer soft acidic water coming into water that is harder and more alkaline.
Not really sure what happened, and likely you will never know. Keep your spirits up and take care of the rest. Losing w/c fish is going to happen, that is something you just have to deal with IME.
Not really sure what happened, and likely you will never know. Keep your spirits up and take care of the rest. Losing w/c fish is going to happen, that is something you just have to deal with IME.
ugh, moderators were super quick in moving this to the angel forum, moderators i know its was in the wrong area but that is where the traffic is and angels are still technically Sa cichlids, they should all be together in one forum IMO.
but yeah thanks guys, so do you think i should mess around with my pH to lower it, i usually try to not mess with things like that as i dont want to have a pH crash but i have only had F1 fish before, these are my first wild caughts but im pretty sure they were with the guy i got them from for several months before i got them but i guess i didnt ask him whether he adjusts his pH or not, i guess i will ask him what pH he keeps his tanks at just to see. what pH would you guys say is ideal for these guys?
but yeah thanks guys, so do you think i should mess around with my pH to lower it, i usually try to not mess with things like that as i dont want to have a pH crash but i have only had F1 fish before, these are my first wild caughts but im pretty sure they were with the guy i got them from for several months before i got them but i guess i didnt ask him whether he adjusts his pH or not, i guess i will ask him what pH he keeps his tanks at just to see. what pH would you guys say is ideal for these guys?
Obviously for WC angels slightly acidic water is ideal, however after acclimating them to your tank I don't think lowering it again is a good idea... but I've never kept angels before... tough situation.
If it were me, I'd leave the pH as is, keep up on the water changes and make sure they get some good food in their belly. Leave the rest to the Fish Gods.
Good luck.
If it were me, I'd leave the pH as is, keep up on the water changes and make sure they get some good food in their belly. Leave the rest to the Fish Gods.
Good luck.
Depends on where they were caught.
Higher traffic isn't a good reason to post in the wrong forum. The forums were setup the way they are for a reason.
Higher traffic isn't a good reason to post in the wrong forum. The forums were setup the way they are for a reason.
Were the angels quarantined and conditioned before being shipped to you? Wild-caught fish go through a lot of stress when being transported to the States and some casualties are to be expected. Most good suppliers will quarantine the fish for a few weeks and get them healthy and eating before reselling them. Turning around and shipping them to new homes a few days after import is really hard on a fish.
I don't personally think your pH has anything to do with it. My wild angels adapted just fine to a pH of 7.6 and I've had them all for about five years now. Is your tank warm?
I also don't think it's a good idea to mix brand new fish into an existing tank, especially something that may be delicate and stressed out like wild angels. As I said in my other post about mixing angels with an argentea, it's best to acclimate the angels first to make sure they are eating well and settled in. Otherwise aggressive cichlids will take advantage of them.
My suggestion is to leave them in a tank by themselves for several weeks. Feed them well, do regular water changes, and keep them warm (mid-80s). Don't add anything to the water and don't try to change your pH. Stable parameters are the best thing you can provide. Attempting to change things will only increase the stress.
I don't personally think your pH has anything to do with it. My wild angels adapted just fine to a pH of 7.6 and I've had them all for about five years now. Is your tank warm?
I also don't think it's a good idea to mix brand new fish into an existing tank, especially something that may be delicate and stressed out like wild angels. As I said in my other post about mixing angels with an argentea, it's best to acclimate the angels first to make sure they are eating well and settled in. Otherwise aggressive cichlids will take advantage of them.
My suggestion is to leave them in a tank by themselves for several weeks. Feed them well, do regular water changes, and keep them warm (mid-80s). Don't add anything to the water and don't try to change your pH. Stable parameters are the best thing you can provide. Attempting to change things will only increase the stress.
im almost positive that he had them for awhile before reshipping them to me, and another member on here got angels from the same person a little while ago and they look great (he actually recommended this guy to me, and im assuming that mine are from the same shipment) but yeah i have my tank at like 81-82, that should be warm enough right? and yeah i was planning on putting them into my quarantine tank initially but it is only a 20g long and they came in larger than i was expecting so i didnt think it was wise to try and keep them in such a small tank, but now i moved the two established cichlids (the argentea and the honduran red point) to the quarantine tank and only have the angels and new schools of tetras in the large tank (i got the blood fin tetras from the same person and the serpae tetras are new as well) and was planning to have them by themselves for a few weeks like you said before trying to add the other cichlids back in
I think your temp is fine. I would also guess Ph is the root cause and some fish are more sensative to it than others. WC angels can be tough, Just keep an eye on them.