Worst Fears Come True.....

[cichlid savage]

Sorry you lost your pikes. Keep your head up.

 

[MTN PIKE]

J ~ Tragic news your atabapo's gave it up, have heard that these particular pikes can be really delicate. Last Sunday our 5" + female missioneria was dead, she overfed & pigged-out a few days before - was laying low with a huge belly (didn't get bloat). She was a friendly, active fish - starting to get some orange on her belly (similar to vittata) and white dots on her dorsal, a future beauty! Was doing well in a community tank with other American cichlids....
The next day I put our female lepidota 'real' in the freezer, she had been suffering from bloat which was getting worse & worse. Just couldn't bear to see her suffering.
AHHHH ~ The trials & tribulations of pike-keeping......
Good luck finding more "fires", will let you know if we locate any - - - - -

 

[k98]

i think he locate some but it will be hard for him to get pict from the seller

 

[Hadrian]

My C. Atabapo has had some pitting despite excellent filtration and frwquent large water changes. It seemed to help when I added some Vitachem to the water. I was wondering what anyone here thinks about adding human grade liquid multivitamins like <<http://www.vitamins-nutrition.org/vitamins/products-reference.html>> seems like human grade would be better. However I am slightly concerned it may contain things not applicable or harmfull to fish-please give feedback. Thanks. Greg.

 

[Carg R]

Sorry for the dead fish.

When did you pick these two crenicichla up? How old, how large etc, are and were they when you got them?

 

[andregurov]

If it is any consolation, I picked up 1 from TUIC several months ago. Despite eating, growing, and looking generally very good, it succumbed to what I assume is elevated nitrogenous wastes. Not ammonia or nitrite, as neither of these were at detectable levels. Nitrate was only 30 ppm. Evidently, these pikes need colossal water changes as any increase in metabolic byproducts does them in. Mine was getting 50% water changes twice a week, but evidently the fishes metabolism and digestion outstripped my schedule.
I've only run across a few fish - ever - that took that kind of attention. IMO, these fish were more trouble than WC discus!

That really sucks about losing 2. Do try them again. The bright side: more room. Any idea of the exact water conditions these Crenicichla are collected in?

J

 

[k98]

black water,this supose a verry low ph

 

[Hadrian]

andregurov-well that certainly makes me more concerned for mine. Interestingly when I first got him in July (about 6") I had just re-entered fish keeping after an 18 year layoff. I committed many sins of good fishkeeping in my enthusiasm and the water conditions in the first few eeeks were downright pathetic (wont burden you all with the details). It got so bad that I lost a nother specias of pike and an electric blue dempsey...but the atabapo survuved and with little negative effect. now that he's about 8" he seems more sensitive-even though he's water condiitons are very good now. Hope he makes it and well. Yes I'd love to know what conditions these guys come from. What size tank was yours in?

 

[andregurov]

55 g, alone. I think it wasn't the nitrogen cycle that got him, but rather a combination of a large meal digested and moderately hard water. I've had other lugubris-type pikes that were susceptible to HLLE in my water, but never any that just up and died. The sp. atabapo breathed very rapidly and heavily and then kicked the bucket. I don't know if there were other pollutants that entered the tank - all my other tanks were fine - and if he was simply more sensitive to that. I guess what kills me, and PP too probably, is not knowing why. Can't fix something I don't know about ...

J

 

[Hadrian]

interesting. my other pike that died had alsso had a large meal and started gasping right befoe I went to bed-then dead the next morning. One reason I want to get vatamin loaded foodmade is so I can get the pike lots of nutrition without huge feedings.

the joke is that when i was a kid i did everything wrong-mediocre filtration, no gravel vac (didn't have them then), -I even washed the aquarium lids with...windex! never lost a fish. now i try and do everything right and am having "ok" results. sigh.