This fish needs your help! Beaten up

[Obliviou$]

I bought fish today, but it was a long traindrive home. I guess this poor Hongi female was beaten up pretty badly in the bag. Think she can make it? She looks a bit weak.
Tips to speed up the healing prossess? She's in the community tank for now, only tank with Malawi water values.

Thanks...

 

[Ibn]

A good combo of pima- and melafix should do the job. Doesn't really look that serious though and you can probably get by without either.

BTW, you sure that's a female there? Looks like a male from here.

 

[phishphorphun]

You could do the medication that was mentioned. Or, you can take care of it by starting two a week 30% water changes with three tablespoons of aquaquruim salt per gallon. Actually, the salt treatment can help all your mbuna rid themselves of parasites or other illnesses. Then when you think your fish are healthy again, you can ween the salt out of the water changes.

 

[Obliviou$]

Thanks, I don't have any melafix, nor do I know where to get it. But I'll do a waterchange with salt.

Though it doesn't look THAT bad, it's having some difficulties swimming. She only uses here tail, with small rapid moves. She mannages to float correctly though.

I'm not 100% positive it's a male, the guy who sold it to me checked the genitals. He said it was a female. I was a little thrown of by the eggspots though. But I've seen pictures of females with eggspots.

Thanks.

 

[Ibn]

Try the salt, as Bobby suggested. Really helps, especially if the fish is having problems swimming.

Checked the genitals? I've seen females with eggspots before also, but their coloration is different from the one that you have there.

 

[Obliviou$]

Hm.. I thought these where pretty similiar, females a little more dull. And that's the case here.
Think they're SRT.

Anyways, did a 30-40% waterchange, and the fish is allready statrting to swim more normal. Using all fins, but still a little slack of course. Will normal table salt cut it?

 

[hir0]

NO!

 

[squidfish]

Oblivious

Don't worry mbuna are very robust.

That fish is in prime condition compared a couple of mine when my Acei has gone on the ramage. Picture a fish with near zero fins and a scrape similar to that over most of the body. When a mbuna goes crazy it will target a fish and 'hunt' it down and will try and kill it. Plenty of hiding places for refuge are a good choice.

Looking at this female hongi. Well first it looks like a male due to the pointed dorsal fin and generally female hongi are more of a brown colour most of the time unless. Secondly although it has some of the colouring features of a hongi. The shape doesn't seem quite right with the head for a labidochromis.

I searched through my hard drive and realise I only have one old picture of my female hongi. Here she is holding fry and looking thin having not eaten for about 3.5 weeks. The white on he snout is from fighting as she is fiesty.

Cheers

Rich

 

[phishphorphun]

hir0 is right about not using the table salt. Although noniodized table salt wouldn't be critical, it 's not recommended. The water change will help until you pick up some agquarium salt.

Rich is also right about wounds to these guys. You have to expect it iwhen you keep Africans. I have a Taiwan Reef with only one eye. He lost it the first night he was in the big tank. Beautiful fish, but looks like Popeye.

Most injuries heal. Fins grow back, dark scars go away and even busted eyes go back to normal.

This pic of my Midnight Peacock looked like another lost eye. But he recovered 100%

 

[Obliviou$]

Glad to hear He's swimming more and more normal. Having trouble moving his right ventra(?) fin still. But.

Seriously? Another unID malawi? :-D Looks exactly like a hongi in my eyes though. I'll post a picture of the other one if I can squeeze out a couple of more flashes.

I actually got a couple of Aceis today. I know one of 'em is acei at least. Thinking of putting in a couple of branches to simulate their habitat a little more. I'm drying them now, and will keep drying for at least a week, so the fluids in the branches are almost gone.

The tank has a lot of hiding places. So that shouldn't be a problem..

If your curious about which fish I bought, it's supposed to be:
2 Hongi
2 Acei white tail
2 Labidochromis caeruleus (beautiful spawning pair)