What's wrong with my Convict pair?

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JustinDavis

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Feb 26, 2011
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West Palm Beach
Hey MFKers, well a few weeks ago by Convicts spawned once I moved out the fry the pair was fine for a few days but all the sudden they have become extremely high tense and panicky. They used to great me when I walked by the tank and flared at me all day but now they just lay low in the corners darting back and forth as if something was watching them. They still eat but not when I'm watching them even though I used to be able too. This all did start after a water change but none of my other fish were affected. They are alone in a 25G so if anyone can give me an idea of what's wrong with them I'd appreciate it.

[video=youtube;5CkdjRI9yzw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CkdjRI9yzw&feature=youtu.be[/video]

Thanks,
Justin
 
It does look pretty stressed but I have no idea what it could be. Convicts are not usually shy at all, I used to transfer mine from tank to tank and he would greet me an hour later or try to bite the siphon lol.

Is there aggression between them? Removing all of the fry at once might make them turn against each other. Other than that I don't know, did you dose the correct amount of dechlorinator during the water change? Even a small amount of chlorine in the water might make them sick. Is there any chance you spilled any chemical accidentally while doing maintenance? Have you tried to do another water change after that?

Check your water parameters too. If your filter stopped working properly for whatever reason there might be some ammonia/nitrites in your water and that would be responsible for the high levels of stress they're showing. Remember your parameters can go from good to very bad in no time, especially when dealing with smaller volumes of water.

Good luck, hopefully you find your answer soon.
 
this happened to my breeding convicts and jags once when i removed the fry. It freaked them or something but they came around after a week or so. An experienced breeder can help ya more
 
No I didn't try another water change but I will do that tonight. I'm fairly certain I didn't spill any chemicals and I'm sure I used the right dechlorinator. When I removed the fry there was no aggression at all nor have I seen any, in fact when I removed the fry I added a divider but they were attacking each other through the divider so much I had to remove it to calm them down. I only saw the male eat some bloodworms tonight but I'm not sure about the female. From what you can tell from the video is it life threatening? I would hate to loose these guys.




cacichlids said:
It does look pretty stressed but I have no idea what it could be. Convicts are not usually shy at all, I used to transfer mine from tank to tank and he would greet me an hour later or try to bite the siphon lol.

Is there aggression between them? Removing all of the fry at once might make them turn against each other. Other than that I don't know, did you dose the correct amount of dechlorinator during the water change? Even a small amount of chlorine in the water might make them sick. Is there any chance you spilled any chemical accidentally while doing maintenance? Have you tried to do another water change after that?

Check your water parameters too. If your filter stopped working properly for whatever reason there might be some ammonia/nitrites in your water and that would be responsible for the high levels of stress they're showing.

Good luck, hopefully you find your answer soon.
Click to expand...
 
That's what confuses me, when I removed the fry the first day they were perfectly fine but after the water change they seem so "depressed".

AQUAMONSTER said:
this happened to my breeding convicts and jags once when i removed the fry. It freaked them or something but they came around after a week or so. An experienced breeder can help ya more
Click to expand...
 
Well I've experienced aggression from removing the fry (to the point where I had to take the female out of the tank badly beaten) and every time it started almost immediately after they realized the fry was gone. If you say they were fine until the water change, it must be something else.

I noticed you have no caves in that tank... you should add one or two at least for now until you figure what's wrong. Even a coconut shell or a pvc pipe will do, or a clay pot. It looks uncomfortable just laying there in the open with the lights on.
 
Well the water change is done and it seems to have some affect on them. They're both still in the same spot as before but their fast rapid breathing has slow down a little, I don't know if that is a good thing or not. I did make their tank look exactly how it did before the fry left to add some comfort (a cave and PVC) I'm still wondering is what your seeing life threatening?

Here's a video of the day before the water change.
[video=youtube;T0lUo6Kpfrc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0lUo6Kpfrc[/video]
 
Well no, heavy breathing is not exactly life-threatening but it's a sign that something might be wrong, could be serious but it also could be just stress from an aggressive tankmate, a spooked fish or many other things. I'd add a double dose of Prime just to be safe, add some caves, make sure the water is warm and well aerated and let them rest til tomorrow. Let us know if you see any improvement in the morning.

Btw you didn't comment anything on the water parameters, do you have a liquid test kit?
 
Alright well I guess that's kinda good to hear. I did add the only cave I had and a piece of PVC, do you think I should put the divider back in the tank? And no I don't have a test kit probably the foolish choice I've made, I'm going to pick one up tomorrow when I have my water tested.
 
If there's no aggression between them you don't need to add a divider. You absolutely need a test kit, and a good quality one at that. They might seem expensive for some people but will save you countless headaches and last forever, don't get the strips, get the liquid ones. API Master Freshwater Test Kit would be ideal.

Even a very small spike in Ammonia might be disastrous for some fish, and when you are dealing with 25 gallons even stirring up the sand/gravel can mess with your parameters.
 
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