quetzal cichlid in bad shape

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dempseyreed

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Feb 8, 2016
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We stopped by the LFS that I bought my largest quetzal cichlid from. Looks like her LFS tank mate was back (it wasn't there on my previous attempt to buy her at a later time). There was 2 good size salvini in with her (sharp looking fish) but the quetzal was beaten all to hell. Her back was all chewed up and her fins were a wreck. I felt so bad for her. Since we just got a 40 gal breeder to be a hospital tank and had a new bottle of melafix, I was just short of begging the boyfriend to let me get her for free or super cheap to nurse her back to health. :( he said no. He doesn't like the viejas like I do.
Geez, it's like seeing a sad dog at a pound and knowing you can't save them all.
 
That is really sad. Mine was in a tank full of larger snooks that were really beating on him.
But be sure to look for a larger tank in the near future because they grow fast. They also heal pretty quickly. They are pretty tough fish. Good luck!

My guy:

image.jpg
 
That is really sad. Mine was in a tank full of larger snooks that were really beating on him.
But be sure to look for a larger tank in the near future because they grow fast. They also heal pretty quickly. They are pretty tough fish. Good luck!

My guy:

View attachment 1172718


all fish heal pretty quickly, ......


......IF they are removed and the picking stops. That's a shame he wouldn't let her get it, it will probably just get worse cuz pet stores generally don't care. :(
 
We stopped by the LFS that I bought my largest quetzal cichlid from. Looks like her LFS tank mate was back (it wasn't there on my previous attempt to buy her at a later time). There was 2 good size salvini in with her (sharp looking fish) but the quetzal was beaten all to hell. Her back was all chewed up and her fins were a wreck. I felt so bad for her. Since we just got a 40 gal breeder to be a hospital tank and had a new bottle of melafix, I was just short of begging the boyfriend to let me get her for free or super cheap to nurse her back to health. :( he said no. He doesn't like the viejas like I do.
Geez, it's like seeing a sad dog at a pound and knowing you can't save them all.
i stopped going to lfs to just browse a long time ago because i hate seeing all the fish beaten to hell.
 
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i stopped going to lfs to just browse a long time ago because i hate seeing all the fish beaten to hell.
yea some of my LFSs don't take kindly to constructive criticism.....they never seem to stop making the customer feel like everything is their fault. Pisses me off cuz they act like they are the best LPS ever but they really are only about as good as Petco or Petsmart. I've tried seeing things their way, but IDK how they keep from bumping into things with their heads that far up their arses ;)
 
The Green Terror I just bought had been messed up from whatever it was shipped with. Had a ripped up tail and shredded fins. I'm giving it some TLC in my cichlid growout and it's looking better after just a week. So owner friendly. I'm sorry you couldn't get the fish, I pitty the ones stuck in those little tanks, and the ones that leave just to go to a bad owner.
 
all fish heal pretty quickly, ......


......IF they are removed and the picking stops. That's a shame he wouldn't let her get it, it will probably just get worse cuz pet stores generally don't care. :(

Not exactly true. Some fish are not as resilient as others. Some will heal faster than others.
 
but in comparison to animals that are NOT fish.......from what I have seen, fish heal faster than ANY other animal I have ever owned or worked with.

Compared to other animals, yes. Example is HITH. Some cichlids are easy to cure and some are harder. Some don't seem to get it at all.
I've seen convicts heal faster than firemouths.
 
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