When do you worry?

[Keeper of the Ropes]

This past spring I bought a new Endli Con. I think she was 9 or 10'' when I got her. Anyway, she was kind of skinny when she came home and we put her in a 29g quarantine tank. She had a huge appetite - ate things she probably shouldn't have and put on a ton of weight. Nice and chunky - almost like a fat P. Polli. We upgraded her to a 55, and her appetite stayed. About a month after we moved her up, I went on vacation. While I was gone, she killed my last pleco (I'd mentioned before that it was her chew toy). She didn't eat it really... we found half the body. That was August. She hasn't eaten since. I know our bichirs fast and like to make us worry, but seriously... it's been almost 3 months now. She's very scrawny, but besides that she looks fine. Clear eyes, finnage intact, no redness anywhere on her stomach that would make me think she has a blockage. I've done everything I can EXCEPT force feed her - even dropped food so close to her mouth that when she took in water thru her mouth she got little pieces of food on accident. Would anyone else start to worry about her or just chalk it up to being another bichir on a fast and let it be?

Jessie*
KOTR

Here's the pic I showed during the summer of her and her "chew toy"

 

[beblondie]

All you can do is keep offering it food and hope it eats eventually sorry theres no better answer-Anne

 

[killerfish]

yeah you just have to wait

 

[B.K.]

looking at how ur congicus killed the pleco, i think she will feed readily on feeders

 

[lymiq]

maybe in the wild they gorge themselves as much as possible to store fat in preparation for the period of drought and food scarce ... and for however long that might be while their body do not need food ... this is just my theory, i have nothing to back it up

 

[Hapdude]

Jessie--You didn't mention if her activity level is the same as before, or if she now just lays around? If she's unusually quiet and lethargic I would indeed tend to think she very well may have a blockage! With that said however, I would agree with Anne. There's not much you can do. You might think about re-isolating her, make sure the tank is well aerated, with crystal clear water, and offer her numerous small meals (removing anything not eaten). The waiting is the hard part! Good luck! Keep us posted!

 

[Cohazard]

You're positive she hasn't eaten at all since august?

I have a lap that is very fickle and only eats when conditions are just right for her. She prefers to be fed after dusk with tank lights off, and even then, she has a preference for night crawlers over shrimp. She's my diva I guess

Anyways, I only see her grab a bite to eat every couple days and she's thin albeit not too thin, so I don't worry about emaciation.

I do plan on secluding her to allow her to feed in the conditions she prefers to get her beefed up, and hopefully then she'll adjust better to feeding with lights on with the rest of the polys in the main tank.

You might want to try that as well.

Wish you and your congi the best.

 

[beblondie]

If you can isolate her try this its gonig to sound strange but it worked with my lap when he went on hunger strikes.
Isolate her and in the tank add a tallish fake plant. in the plant put a couple of defrosted silversides with their tails out.I think it triggered my laps hunting instinct-Anne

 

[Cohazard]

If you can isolate her try this its gonig to sound strange but it worked with my lap when he went on hunger strikes.
Isolate her and in the tank add a tallish fake plant. in the plant put a couple of defrosted silversides with their tails out.I think it triggered my laps hunting instinct-Anne

Cool, I am going to try that as well.

Thank you Anne!

 

[Keeper of the Ropes]

As far as activity, it's more or less the same. I haven't noticed a difference at least. And yes, quite sure she hasn't eaten. We're very careful about overfeeding, and we may throw in multiple chunks of food when we start feeding but as soon as they slow down with their eating, we only throw one piece at a time. If it's eaten, then we'll throw another. She has ALWAYS been the first fish to eat (well... correction... first BICHIR to eat. The aros always call dibs first, and we have a 10'' channel cat at the bottom that eats next).

I would offer her feeders, except last time we fed them, they passed on a wonderful disease to our centerpiece (some may remember... big Koliba named Dusty who didn't survive after she became septicemic). Ever since then, I haven't even so much as looked at feeder fish at the store.

Hopefully, once I start making my own food, something in it will trigger her to eat. And about that tall plant... how in the world did you get a plant to stay in one spot with bichirs around? I gave up already... all my tanks are plant free.

Jessie*