Urgent Aimara Help

[Oxydoras]

This aimara is going to be the death of me! She seemed to have calmed down quite a bit, healed up nicely, and started feeding. Today was her first water change, and during refill with my python system she had another episode, jumping furiously at the top and turning the underside of her jaw into bloody hamburger. As I type this she is on the bottom of the tank panting hysterically.

I'm trying to coordinate getting the 240 up and running next Saturday (the 27th), to get her out of the 75 in short order. However now I'm absolutely mortified about doing anything in and around the 75.

I am not even remotely new to the hobby (quite the opposite), and through my years as a hobbyist and independent LFS manager, I have never happened across such an absolutely spastic, bipolar specimen.

There has to be someone out there with aimara experience that can guide me through this before any irreparable damage is caused...

 

[rodger]

Darn, I hate to read this. I was hoping it was calming down. As I read a couple posts ago about waterchanges I wondered how that was working. Good luck. You might want to try purigen instead of waterchanges for the next week. Maybe feed with a tong so it gets used to something going in the tank.

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[gangster]

Darn, I hate to read this. I was hoping it was calming down. As I read a couple posts ago about waterchanges I wondered how that was working. Good luck. You might want to try purigen instead of waterchanges for the next week. Maybe feed with a tong so it gets used to something going in the tank.

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There is no substitute for wc's. Maybe lower the water level so it can't hit the top.


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[DB junkie]

Thanks for all the advice DB!

She does have a large hide in the form of half a 14" terracotta pot, but she seems more content hiding behind one of the large sponges. I'll be contacting a fellow hobbyist who specializes in planted tanks for a grocery bag full of water lettuce and frogbit. I want the 240 to have about 75% of the waters surface covered in floating plants, both to discourage jumping, and to reduce the amount of light.

Any suggestions on moving her from the 75 to the 240, with the least possible amount of stress?

All the Wolves here aside from my big Lac really enjoy driftwood hides. I just zip tie big pieces together. It's like they enjoy the security of something over them, while still allowing them to watch everything. Always on patrol. I've got one that just sits on a driftwood shelf right below the surface. Like a chameleon he blends right in with the driftwood. Most prefer the kind they can hide under yet see out though.

Moving them is easiest with a big rubber net. This will minimize scale/slime loss, won't get stuck on fins. Only problem is they can bite through them, so you gotta be quick like a bunny.

They are definitely incredible fish. An easy favorite...

Guess I didn't read its still being flighty. IF it was me here are some things I'd try-

Add fish. In my opinion this would give him something to focus on aside from escaping your glass box. Even if its killing and or eating it's something.

I'd think current would help. Most of mine avoid it - maybe a korilia or 2 at the surface mite keep him down on the bottom.

Do something with the lid so he doesn't keep hurting himself. Pad it somehow like bubble wrap.

There is substitute for WCs- a drip system. Mine all get nuts when I clean algae but huge wcs do make them all crazy. A drip could at least get you away from the water level ups and downs.

 

[Oxydoras]

Darn, I hate to read this. I was hoping it was calming down. As I read a couple posts ago about waterchanges I wondered how that was working. Good luck. You might want to try purigen instead of waterchanges for the next week. Maybe feed with a tong so it gets used to something going in the tank.

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Do you think Purigen could really help lessen the need for a water change for a weeks time? I am familiar with the product, and am aware of its organic scavenging properties, though I've never thought of it being able to replace water changes.

Do you have experience doing just that? It'd be great to not have to change water and risk another meltdown!

 

[Oxydoras]

There is no substitute for wc's. Maybe lower the water level so it can't hit the top.


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I've lowered the water level by about 6-7", unfortunately it doesn't seem to have helped

 

[Oxydoras]

All the Wolves here aside from my big Lac really enjoy driftwood hides. I just zip tie big pieces together. It's like they enjoy the security of something over them, while still allowing them to watch everything. Always on patrol. I've got one that just sits on a driftwood shelf right below the surface. Like a chameleon he blends right in with the driftwood. Most prefer the kind they can hide under yet see out though.

Moving them is easiest with a big rubber net. This will minimize scale/slime loss, won't get stuck on fins. Only problem is they can bite through them, so you gotta be quick like a bunny.

They are definitely incredible fish. An easy favorite...

Guess I didn't read its still being flighty. IF it was me here are some things I'd try-

Add fish. In my opinion this would give him something to focus on aside from escaping your glass box. Even if its killing and or eating it's something.

I'd think current would help. Most of mine avoid it - maybe a korilia or 2 at the surface mite keep him down on the bottom.

Do something with the lid so he doesn't keep hurting himself. Pad it somehow like bubble wrap.

There is substitute for WCs- a drip system. Mine all get nuts when I clean algae but huge wcs do make them all crazy. A drip could at least get you away from the water level ups and downs.

Thanks again for all the advice DB! I'll look into the drip system for the 240, but for now I'm going to feed very lightly and keep an eye on the nitrates hoping that I can get away with not changing out any water for at least a few days!

As for her damaging herself from banging the top, she seems to be hitting the sharp edge of the rim rather than the glass itself. I'm not sure what to do about the 75, but on the 240 I'm thinking I'll put a thin bead of expanding foam insulation just under the lip to remove any sharp/abrasive edges.

I'll be heading to my preferred LFS tomorrow before I head off to work to see if I can pick up a cheap group of kribs is something similar to act as dithers. I'll also speak with my father about the Korallia's. He's a die hard reefer, and as such, I'm sure he has a menagerie of powerheads lying around.

I had no idea this fish was going to cause me so much stress! She woke me up 6 times last night with her spazz attacks. I got virtually no sleep, and don't see anything about to change for the better until I get this 240 up and running. I'll probably have to sleep at the folks place until I get it set up, I can't go with another sleepless night followed by unholy amounts of stress upon waking up.

This damn fish is going to give me heart disease faster than cigarettes!

 

[HarleyK]

I once had a mala kill itself by hitting the canopy. One hit. Knocked out. Never woke up again. Dead within 15 minutes.
Needless to say, the water level where I keep my black wolf now is lowered by 6''.

Forget about tank volume and nitrates right now. These guys live in drying-up puddles of worst water quality and zero oxygen during the dry season. You need to stop it from doing self-harm first and foremost.

Lower the water level 6''

HarleyK


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[Hydrocyanide]

That is upsetting to hear about the water changing. Have you tried doing it in the complete dark with only the tank light on. I dressed myself in black when my Curipira (black wolf) was acting like this. He is fine with me coming to the tank now but he is still skittish. I sneak up on my tank to view my fish mainly in low light; usually when they are turned around I make my way closer to the tank.

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[Oxydoras]

I once had a mala kill itself by hitting the canopy. One hit. Knocked out. Never woke up again. Dead within 15 minutes.
Needless to say, the water level where I keep my black wolf now is lowered by 6''.

Forget about tank volume and nitrates right now. These guys live in drying-up puddles of worst water quality and zero oxygen during the dry season. You need to stop it from doing self-harm first and foremost.

Lower the water level 6''

HarleyK


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The power they have when launching themselves is truly awe inspiring! I'm not surprised (though am saddened) that one could kill itself with one well placed smack to a solid surface.

I know mala's are found in drainage ditches and other less than ideal conditions, however, I was always under the impression that aimara's come from relatively clean, well oxygenated waters. Have I been mislead?!

As for dropping the water level, I dipped it down 6" on day one. It doesn't seem to have discouraged her much...