PLZ!!!! I NEED HELP!!! with RD sorry its so long

[fwlion]

Havin some problems with my RD

Alright this is a little hard to explain without seeing it in person, but here goes I'm goin to try:

ok 1st off the tank: 110g. with 12in. RD/MD, 7-8in. female dovii, 6in. male dovii, 3x 4-5in. convicts, and 2x 13in. and 15in. feather back knives (P. Afer)

Maintaince regiment: used to be 35-40% waterchange once a month its NOW 1 or 2 40% waterchanges a WEEK, I feed once or twice a day NEVER ANY LEFT OVER FLOATING or food on the bottom ITS ALWAYS ALL EATEN



ok if I don't do a waterchange at LEAST once a week the devils hump (usually the size of a tennis ball) literally shrinks down to nothing, and then he starts to develope a little bit of ich (never to heavy) on his pectoral fins the next day he starts laying down on his side and the next day he doesn't get up at all stays on his side BREATHING HARD AND LABORED, MOTIONLESS. then i get scared and do a waterchange then after a fill the tank back up he starts to get up, the next day he's back to his active self, the next day his hump starts to come back. He'll stay fine for 3 or 4 days at the most and then RIGHT BACK DOWN HILL

ok heres the weird part: NOBODY ELSE EVER EVER SHOWS ANY ILL AFFECTS EVER

now the knives are EVIL there murder count is WELL over 10 fish now: could they be getting they skinny butts up in his gill plates at night????? I no that sounds kind of weird but with THIS pair of knives I WOULDN'T PUT IT PAST THEM AT ALL

 

[fwlion]

I've owned DOZENS of red devils and NEVER had one this sensitive IT FRUSTRATING

 

[Adam-011]

IMO i think hes not used to so many big WC's

 

[Red Devil]

Havin some problems with my RD

Alright this is a little hard to explain without seeing it in person, but here goes I'm goin to try:

ok 1st off the tank: 110g. with 12in. RD/MD, 7-8in. female dovii, 6in. male dovii, 3x 4-5in. convicts, and 2x 13in. and 15in. feather back knives (P. Afer)

Maintaince regiment: used to be 35-40% waterchange once a month its NOW 1 or 2 40% waterchanges a WEEK, I feed once or twice a day NEVER ANY LEFT OVER FLOATING or food on the bottom ITS ALWAYS ALL EATEN

or he may be be stressing because of the knives..stress brings out ICK and maybe the water changes are helping him keep the ick in check and not get worse..

 

[voss345]

mostlikely he is stressed because you have him crammed in a tank with a bunch of other fish, personally i would get rid of the dovii and knives and leave a couple convicts as dithers if your first interest is the RD

 

[pcfriedrich]

first things first, get the ick out of your tank. use medication, with no carbon in your filter, on top of that, add 1 tablespoon of salt per 5 gallons of water, and increase the temp over 86*. keep these conditions for at least 10 days, even if symptoms dissipate. Use this regimen even if there are no current symptoms of ick.

second, your aquarium is way overcrowded. that's a personal issue only you can deal with.

Also, I always thought nuchal humps were muscular, and didn't fluctuate in size (except of course growth/atrophy over time based on environmental issues), I thought it was pretty much genetics. I never knew they were based on mood. maybe I could increase my RD/Midas's hump somehow?

 

[pcfriedrich]

Ick doesn't "just live in aquariums". it is introduced, and if not completely cured it will continue to reappear, as in your case.

I've never had a case of Ick, but I quarantine all new fish in a 90* salted tank for at least two weeks before introducing them to my main tank. I also never feed feeders.

 

[Cichlaholics Anonymous]

Just get rid of the ich, and then make sure your fish get used to the large WC's by gradually raising how much you change each time.

 

[fwlion]

his hump fluciates with its called a WATER HEAD it goes up when he's happy and shrinks when he's stressed

and no the tank is not overcrowed what so ever

 

[pcfriedrich]

his hump fluciates with its called a WATER HEAD it goes up when he's happy and shrinks when he's stressed

and no the tank is not overcrowed what so ever

a 110 with 3 fish over 12", plus two dovii's and come cons? sounds overcrowded to me.

most people on here would tell you that the RD should have 75-100 gallons to themselves. knifes, too. doviis should have more than 100 gallons each.