polypterus endlicheri help?

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ornate.endlicheri

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Aug 27, 2012
5
0
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everett,wa
i posted this in the introductory section because i'm new and was referred here by my petco expert who was also stumped.
i think a moderator suggested i post here.

i have a 40 breeder grow out tank that is housing my endlicheri polypterus and my ornate polypterus they're both about 10-12inches

i have come here for some advanced help because the guy at petco also has polly's and has never heard of a fish acting like mine.

so here's the story.

about a month and a half ago i had 3 endi's and 1 ornate i run my tank with UG filters and a submersible heater.

I had just changed my substrate from aquarium gravel to complex silica compound and forgotten that all of my
good bacteriawas under the gravel/filters so i had an amonia spike on my hands after only a couple days
The endi's all took it pretty hard pink gills deteriorating fins all around and etc.. the ornate didn't really seem too bothered.
upon figuring out my issue I did a 50% water change and cleared out all of my roommates filters into my tank to help start bacteria.
the next day i found my youngest endi had died,i removed him and i continued to do 15% water changes daily for 2 weeks to help keep amonia down..

after all of that fiasco i noticed about a week ago my second youngest endi became very sluggish and had kept his mouth agape all the time he didn't even swim off when i put my had in the tank to see if he was living or not he just moved away slowly. i checked my water conditions and everything came out fine nothing out of the ordinary slightly low ph and slightly high nitratres. not really even to the point a water change was needed. i did a 15% water change anyways and 2 days later he became pale with the same symptoms. i figured maybe he was just sick. the next day after i had gotten home i found that he had died . he was sitting in the corner upside down with his fins torn up and bloody streaks.

now my oldest and final endi is starting to exhibit the same begining symptoms. my water is good i tested it at home and also took some to the petco where a fellow polly enthusiast works. i told him of my troubles and had him test my water. his tests came up with the same results. after talking for about an hour he referred me here.

i really hope someone can give me some advice because i would really hate to lose my oldest endi.
 
Not an expert,but here"s my thoughts:I think you changed the water parameters too much in such a short span of time plus they might have some internal infection going on。 shouldnt keep disturbing the water if its good。
 
Ph spikes can do just as much damage to a fish as nitrates. If you have both ph spikes and nitrate spikes you are asking for trouble. You added even more trouble when you removed all the bacteria. All though adding bacteria from other tanks is a good idea I would only suggest that if you were the one maintaining the tanks.
Get rid of the UGF, replace with either a HOB or a canister that is rated for more volume then you have, get a bottle of bacteria(start smart or tlc) and get your cycle going.
I would say NTS and hopefully you did not introduce any other parasite from someone else's tank.
Polys can be very sensitive to change specially ornates. They are one of the harder polys to keep.
Also for the amount of fish and size of fish you might want to consider a bigger tank. Good luck and keep us posted.




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Ps. Slow down on the w/c. If you keep replacing water the tank will never complete a cycle. I would also suggest testing your tap water.


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Ph spikes can do just as much damage to a fish as nitrates. If you have both ph spikes and nitrate spikes you are asking for trouble. You added even more trouble when you removed all the bacteria. All though adding bacteria from other tanks is a good idea I would only suggest that if you were the one maintaining the tanks.
Get rid of the UGF, replace with either a HOB or a canister that is rated for more volume then you have, get a bottle of bacteria(start smart or tlc) and get your cycle going.
I would say NTS and hopefully you did not introduce any other parasite from someone else's tank.
Polys can be very sensitive to change specially ornates. They are one of the harder polys to keep.
Also for the amount of fish and size of fish you might want to consider a bigger tank. Good luck and keep us posted.




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i intend to ditch the tank and UGF soon i have a 150 that i intend to buy a canister for. the 40 was bought as a grow out because my current living space is not big enough for the 150 and they were babies. i should be moving here in the next month and they'll be introduced to the 150. i'm hoping the endi will live to see the day. my ornate however is super hardy i've had no problems with him at all during all of this
 
also on my thread in the newcomer area someone said it might be ammonia burn? my ammonia hasn't been over .025 since right after i killed my bacteria bed. does ammonia burn have delayed after affects? or is there a treatment i should have done for the burns?

i don't keep the tank that i got the other filters from but i do trust my room mates tank he also keeps an endi and an ornate and they are still doing fantastic.

i'm going to cut down on the water changes to once a week and add beneficial bacteria
 
I have had many Bichirs become inflicted with this issue due to poor water quality. I do much larger water changes...sometimes over 50%. It does not affect the bacteria that is establishing in he substrate if you don't disturb it. A mild treatment with antifungal and antibiotics will usually help. Make sure there is a lot of oxygen pumping through water agitation with a pump or air stone. This is very important! Healing happens faster with oxygen saturation! Good luck!
 
I have had many Bichirs become inflicted with this issue due to poor water quality. I do much larger water changes...sometimes over 50%. It does not affect the bacteria that is establishing in he substrate if you don't disturb it. A mild treatment with antifungal and antibiotics will usually help. Make sure there is a lot of oxygen pumping through water agitation with a pump or air stone. This is very important! Healing happens faster with oxygen saturation! Good luck!

Being that the tank is not currently completely cycled doing the large w/c is not allowing the bacteria to grow. I think the best thing to do is may be get a 5 gallon bucket, bottled bacteria, air stone, and a cheap internal filter. Get the buckets going as quarantine tanks. With five gallons it is easier to cycle the water and easier to dose with meds. I would suggest primafix and melafix but after you get the cycle in the bucket. Then focus on getting your 40 cycled.
 
Just discovered the app..

since last night, I have been at work. Upon returning home my endi has taken a turn for the worse and things have progressed rapidly. He is bloody along three top and his top fins are deteriorated. He is now gasping rapidly.

@jlennon I went out and got the bacteria,melafix,primafix. I'm not exactly sure about establishing a 5 gallon bucket. doesn't establishing even a bucket require at least 24 hours?

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