Hi everyone, I am new in this forum, but I really need your help. I have 6 red-bellied piranhas in a 720-liter freshwater tank. Four of them I got "second-hand" when they were already a few years old, they are now about 25 cm long. I added two smaller piranhas less than a year ago, those are now 15 cm. They all got on well together.
A few weeks ago, though, one of the smaller ones injured himself on his head. Even though the scratches healed quite well, he started to behave different, excluding himself from the shoal. His left eye also protruded a bit.
Now the shoal has attacked him and bit a part out of his belly (picture). We isolated him and got the vet to examine him. The vet found Plesiomonas shigelloides. We don't know what to do now. Placing him back into the tank is not possible (we tried that before, he instantly got attacked again). Could the bacteria be the reason for the attack? What would you do?
Here is more information:
720Liter tank
JBL Test Lab: nitrate 40 mg/L; pH 7.0-7.1; nitrite 0.05 mg/L; phosphate 40 mg/L; total hardness 4-7°; ammonia <0.05 mg/L;
aquarium is running for about 10 months
6 red-bellied piranhas, 17 Crossocheilus oblongus, 2 red bruno, shrimps, snails (Planorbarius corneus)
quarantine for all new fish
temperature 25 degree Celsius
live plants: Vallisneria, anubia barteri
Filter: Fluval FX6
some natural sunlight, mostly neon tube T5 (one), lights on for 2 pm-10 pm
changing water every week (about 1/4th to 1/3rd)
food: defrozen smelts, shrimps, conch meat, once to twice a week.
Thank you so much for your help in advance!
Brigitte (I am from Germany)
A few weeks ago, though, one of the smaller ones injured himself on his head. Even though the scratches healed quite well, he started to behave different, excluding himself from the shoal. His left eye also protruded a bit.
Now the shoal has attacked him and bit a part out of his belly (picture). We isolated him and got the vet to examine him. The vet found Plesiomonas shigelloides. We don't know what to do now. Placing him back into the tank is not possible (we tried that before, he instantly got attacked again). Could the bacteria be the reason for the attack? What would you do?
Here is more information:
720Liter tank
JBL Test Lab: nitrate 40 mg/L; pH 7.0-7.1; nitrite 0.05 mg/L; phosphate 40 mg/L; total hardness 4-7°; ammonia <0.05 mg/L;
aquarium is running for about 10 months
6 red-bellied piranhas, 17 Crossocheilus oblongus, 2 red bruno, shrimps, snails (Planorbarius corneus)
quarantine for all new fish
temperature 25 degree Celsius
live plants: Vallisneria, anubia barteri
Filter: Fluval FX6
some natural sunlight, mostly neon tube T5 (one), lights on for 2 pm-10 pm
changing water every week (about 1/4th to 1/3rd)
food: defrozen smelts, shrimps, conch meat, once to twice a week.
Thank you so much for your help in advance!
Brigitte (I am from Germany)