Tiny delhezi ate danio!

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E

elbereth

Plecostomus
MFK Member
Feb 22, 2018
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Toronto, Canada
A week ago I bought three tiny delhezi juveniles, each about 5cm long and skinnier than a pencil, and put them in a QT tank with a few leopard danios. The danios are bigger in girth so I thought the bichirs couldn't possibly fit one in their mouth. (And I'd kept a bigger polli juvenile with some tetras in the same QT before with no issues.) This morning, lo and behold, I see one of them with a horribly bulging stomach. Thought he'd swallowed a stone at first but then I realized one of the danios is missing.

Will he live? I realize I'll have to separate bichirs from danios but should I put him in a separate shallower tank so it's easier for him to surface for air? (Though I've never seen him have to do so before. Judging by the regrowth of their external gills, the water is oxygenated enough.)

Any advice would be most appreciated.
 
Should survive. Just don’t feed and make the belly shrinks. Should go down in about 2days Keep the danios separated.
 
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Picture? I'm rather curious as to what the bichir looks like now.
 
Thanks Ron. I'll have to move him to a separate tank to make sure he doesn't eat when I feed the other bichirs.

He also had popeye. It's improving but now that he'll be in a separate tank I'd like to treat it. None of my local fish stores sell any of the antibiotics listed in the sticky thread on bichir diseases. Could salt be used to treat popeye? And is salt safe in combination with PraziPro?
 
elbereth said:
Thanks Ron. I'll have to move him to a separate tank to make sure he doesn't eat when I feed the other bichirs.

He also had popeye. It's improving but now that he'll be in a separate tank I'd like to treat it. None of my local fish stores sell any of the antibiotics listed in the sticky thread on bichir diseases. Could salt be used to treat popeye? And is salt safe in combination with PraziPro?
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Popeye can be due to ur water quality. So would check that first and make sure ur parameters are in order. Even if not the clean water helps. Salt can help, 1 tsp per g. One time dose on the salt. Maracyn2 works well for popeye. Salt is also fine with prazipro.
 
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Sarahmander said:
Epsom salt will help him pass the danio faster. Really helped my Sen when he was bloated.
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This is a good option if after several days of not feeding and no improvement on the del’s belly being swollen.
 
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Thank you both. I don't think water quality is the issue. I've been doing 50% water changes twice a week and all the other fish in the tank were fine.

His belly seems to be shrinking already but I'll remember the epsom salt tip. I'll add regular salt to treat the popeye for now. Unfortunately Maracyn 2 is not available at any of the brick-and-mortar store I know of in the city.
 
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No prob. Try to find a medication that has some broad coverage.
 
kno4te said:
No prob. Try to find a medication that has some broad coverage.
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My LFS carries these. But I think I remember reading somewhere that not all meds are safe for bichirs and none of these list specific ingredients. Have you ever used any of them?

Hikari BiFuran+
HIkari Metro+
Seachem SulfaPlex
Seachem NeoPlex
Seachem KanaPlex
Seachem Polyguard
 
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