What can I do with my JD?

[essy]

She was in my 100gal with the Jaguar, but it erupted into chaos between them (he's fine with everything else, just her!)

I seperated her about a month back into a 20gal as she was bit pretty heavily on her head. Last night I saw the same coloring on her head, as if she was bleeding.

She hasn't eaten for easily over six months, even the six months before that she only ate three or four times a day. I've asked a few people, but I've never really got a good answer.

She's VERY pale and doesn't look anything like a normal JD. I'm buying a 90gal for her and a few other things (Kirin Parrot Fish, and some other small cichlids and plecos.)

She's in the 20gal now and the 90gal won't be setup for at least a month. What can I do so that she gets her beautiful coloring back, and she starts growing again? She's been at six inches for 5-6 months.

halp.

 

[vaine111]

She sounds really stressed out.

I'd keep the water nice and clean, and add some salt and melafix to prevent infections and keep a good eye on her.
See if she will eat some bloodworms cause dempseys can hardlly resist them.

 

[flowerpower]

The fact that she is not recovering in a tank by herself suggests that she's got a secondary infection resulting from the wounds inflicted by the Jag or a disease or infection that she's had all along. I have seen sick fish targeted by their tankmates so it's possible that the jag was engaging in this behavior. I would not add her to another tank until she's made a full recovery. You should include more details about water parameters etc so that some of the experienced members can diagnose her illness but her not eating leads me to believe that she's got internal parasites or heximitia(sp.). I've seen fish develop lesions around the head, eyes and mouth with white cottage cheese looking stuff protruding out of them. Whether the wound on her head is an example of this or not, who can tell without more details and PICTURES.

 

[essy]

This was about a month ago when I initially pulled her off.

Six or seven months ago, still the same size but a bit more color.

Two months ago when she was 'healthy', look at the pale skin.

About a week ago I thought I saw a white 'cottage cheese' around her lips. I was going to treat it, but by the morning when I saw her again it was gone.

Water parameters are fine. 0 Nitrate / Nitrites. I don't remember the number for ammonia, but it wasn't much. I have a Fluval 405 and a AC110 running off the tank. I do weekly water changes at least 30%, sometimes I'll do 2x a week 20-40%, depending on the debris in the tank.

I only just put her into the 20gal. It's barebottom and will remain as clean as I possibly can. I have no light for it, so it's nice and dim for her to recover.

 

[Sab_Fan]

a 20G for about a month is not ideal, but won't do her any harm, and being isolated for a period will do her a lot of good . . . I wouldn't do anything other than keep the water clean and well-filtered, and check for signs of problems.

I wouldn't medicate - - not even Melafix - - unless I saw actual signs of a problem

what she needs is time . . .

FWIW, not a fan of bloodworms either; I've seen too many unexplained parasite problems . . . I feed my cichlids only pellets and various kinds of shrimps

hope that helps

 

[essy]

While it is not ideal, I have no choice. If she possibly has a parasite, I can't give her to a LFS. I'm already buying her a 90g tank so that she has a new home with less aggressive fish. (Pictus, Kirin Parrot Fish, a few plecos, and a school of bleeding hearts.)

I won't medicate, I'll bump the temp to 81-83 and give her lots of aquarium salt. What can I do to get her to eat? She's totally uninterested in shrimp pellets, floating cichlid gold, sinking cichlid gold, krill. I'll try brine and blood worms later tonight when she's more adjusted to the tank.

Oh, also, if it helps. My jaguar might of had a small case of fin rot a little more than a month ago. I thought it was just a case of the salvini thrashing him, but if the JD has a parasite it might explain it.

 

[Pyramid_Party]

Throw a cricket in to see if that gets her to eat.

 

[essy]

I won't be able to get into the pet store for a few days, but I took this picture.

 

[essy]

Whoever mentioned the blood worms; thank you. I gave her some blood worms, she ate a few as they floated but have been annihilating them on the bottom of the tank.

It's a bare bottom tank (it's my hospital), so she's going to have a hay day of food (six months to catch up on.) I'll give her a varied diet two to three times a day, I'm hoping I can get her appetite back and then switch her to back to pellets before I have the 90g established for her.

 

[Alexxxxsv14]

hope she gets better