Retic Stopped eating

[clugsy]

I've had a Retic since September, that was doing great. He was getting fat and healthy. He is about 4 inches wide. He was eating a mix of mysis shrimp, blood worms, krill and black worms. Over the last 2 months he has totally changed. I had eye surgery and during that time we ran out of a few of his favorite foods. I was not able to see or drive for We bought different brands of the shrimp, and krill, and at first he was ok with them, but over the last couple of weeks he has no interest in food at all. With my eye problems I did not notice it at first, but it has just been getting worse. In the last two days he has developed a "hole" on his face in between his eyes, and I can see his pelvic bones. Over the last two weeks I have tried everything I can think of to get him to eat: blood worms, nightcrawlers, ghost shrimp, mysis shrimp, hikari pellets, shrimp. I'm waiting on my LFS to get a shipment of black worms in, but they won't be in till later this week.
I should mention that my water always checks out the same. 0 Nitrates, 0 amonia and 0 Nitrites. He is in with two juvenile Motoro's of the same age that are fat and healthy. While they don't like the nightcrawlers, or pellets: they will eat most anything else. They are not bossing the retic off of the food, he is just not interested in eating.
I really don't want to lose this Retic, and have been on the forums a lot doing a lot of research, but can't get this little guy to eat.
Any advice would be much appreciated.

Edit: I have been trying to soak the other foods in the mysis shrimp that the retic used to love, but am still having no luck. I'm only soaking it for 5 mins or so. Should I be doing it longer? I don't know if it would make that much of a difference as the retic has turned up his nose to the brand that used to be his favorite.

 

[Warrensmentor]

Respectfully, when you say your tests read 0 nitrates, do you just mean they are negligible, like 5 to 10 ppm or are you actually reading 0?

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[haynchinook334]

I personally would treat it for internal parasites. Prazipro pro worked on my flower ray that refused to eat. I hope it isn't to late to treat him.

 

[Warrensmentor]

Is it possible that after your surgery that maintenance was not kept up? Dr. Ross wrote about silent death (starts with no appetite) that seems to come without reason, but he suggests may be the result of ammonia poisoning months before death.

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[clugsy]

Warrensmentor: Nitrates are in the yellow, the lowest setting on the liquid test kit that I have.
Maintenance was kept up pretty well. I went for a just over a week for one water change, but since then at least once a week 20-30% water change. Every time I have checked it there has been no reading on the ammonia levels.

haynchinook334: How would he get a parisite? I'll look tomorrow at a LFS for some of that stuff.
Thanks for the replies.

 

[Raymann88]

Can you post a picture of him? It is rare that everything would test at 0. Usually there are nitrates present in small amounts. How often do you do water changes and when was the last time you cleaned the filter? You mentioned in an email that the Motoros were breathing heavy as well - sounds like water conditions to me. In the email you didn't mention the retic wasn't eating. How old is the test kit you are using?

The Motoros are a lot bigger than he is. Do they pick on him or is he off by himself?

I know some guys wouldn't agree with me, but when my rays stop eating like that and my water is good, I treat them with Prazipro and their appetite comes back. Could have picked something up in the live food (blackworms).

 

[haynchinook334]

You would always run a risk of parasites when you are feeding live food.

 

[Raymann88]

Warrensmentor: Nitrates are in the yellow, the lowest setting on the liquid test kit that I have.

Usually yellow is the test for amonia and blue / purple are for nitrites. Depending on the brand of kit you are using, your amonia should be clear or a very faint yellow.

 

[Raymann88]

[QUOTE haynchinook334: How would he get a parisite? I'll look tomorrow at a LFS for some of that stuff.
Thanks for the replies.[/QUOTE]

Pisces and Big Al's carry it.

 

[clugsy]

Raymann88. I do water chanes once a week, but have done 3 in the last week and a half. Just cleaned the filter during that time as well. I didn't mention the not eating because I didn't think it was that bad. I thought he was being grumpy. Then I saw a hole in his head.
Motoro's don't pick on him. They all seem to get along.

Test kits were bought in the fall.

I did a water check now and am posting pics.
Will look for prazipro tomorrow.

Thanks.


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