AboutBenty Expertise GOT A QUESTION ABOUT:
Basic needs for specific fish, illnesses, best tankmates, breeding, water chemistry, tricks to safely cut corners, and/or “stupid” questions? Maybe I can help! :)
I like to explain why you do things in aquariums (like why to use spring instead of distilled, or what pH numbers mean, ect.) so you understand why and not just taking someone’s word for it. I also like giving answers where you have two choices so you can choose which is best for the time and money you can commit to your fish. I understand how tight money can be and how expensive fish related things get.
I will NEVER leave you with an “I don’t know.” Ever. I hate that. That would waste your time and that's just mean. :)
Puedo contestar tus preguntas en español también.
Experience I have had tropical fish since 1999. I currently have: a 55gal, ten 10gal, 3 five gallons, three 2gal, and a bunch of jars and bowls. At the time I'm typing this, I have: 14 angels, 13 goldfish, 73 bettas, 12 barbs, 5 catfish, too many guppies, 4 gouramis, 2 plecos, 10 loaches, bunch of swordtails, and probably a few others, lol.
I love to rescue fish. I've had everything from mutant danios, to one eyed goldfish, to my newest adoptee, a 2 year old betta with a MASSIVE tumor problem. He was brought to a pet shop and left there because the lady didn't know what to do with him. He's pretty scary looking. One of the guys at the store there I know let me have him. :D YAY! Elephant Man lives in a gallon bowl with pretty stones in my bathroom.
Plus!!!
I sell: veil, delta, halfmoon, plakat, and crowntail bettas as well as halfblack and blonde tuxedo fancy guppies. Ask me about it sometime.
Expert: Benty Date: 1/15/2008 Subject: angel fish stress virus
Question Hi Alex
Back in October I did a very stupid thing. The fishtank was looking so bad with masses of algae so I moved all the fish (angels, siamese fighters, mollies, platys, neons, swordtails and sucking loach)to another smaller tank whilst I cleaned it out. 3 hours later I returned the fish to the original tank.
Fish were fine for 3 days and then the angels started swimming at an angle and sitting in the top corners with their heads pointing upwards. They lost their appetite too.
The other fish were fine. I have since learned that the angles have stress virus. I increased the temperature from 28 to 32 and after 2 weeks they started eating but not in the normal way. Instead of swimming to the food they open their mouths at the water surface and if any food floats into their mouths that is what they eat. They are coated in a slime. All the other 15 fish have died between October and now one day fine the next they are dead. All I have remaining is the original 2 sick angels. Approx 5 days ago one of them lost the ability to swim and was lying on its side on the gravel just flapping his fins. I thought perhaps it was the end stage of the stress virus and he would be dead in the morining but he is still the same. He obviously cant eat and I dont know what to do. I cant find any literature about this at all. Please help.
The tank is 260 litres with 2 filters. All water readings are very good.
Answer This may or may not apply here but I thought I would at least tr to answer you since I've had angel problems myself. From what I've heard from several sources there is a new virus in angels and now discus that sounds like your symptoms. One guy I talked hasa fish farm with discus and angels. He was loosing 500 a day. He is freaking out, heheh. The fish kinda daze out and just stare at the corner. I am dealing with one of mine doing that right now. (I had 9 great angels and I'm down to 2 ok and one not going to make it.) This serious disease is called S.A.D., Siamese Angelfish Disease. It has no cure really, people have tried fungus stuff... parasite... bacteria... salt... water changes... all sorts of things to try to help the sick dudes but nothing I know has helped. I put a UV sterilizer in my tank and it SEEMS to help my last two angels. Now they aren't too old (about 3 inches wide) and only one started showing signs about a week ago (twitching, breathing with his mouth, and not wanting to be with other fish). He SEEMS ok now. No idea if this helped or he is just trying to fight it and just looking ok. Have you added any new fish within the last month? Plants? My tank was totally fine and then I got 3 more angels and all heck broke loose. I got 12 angels in a tank right now and are completely quarantined to see if SAD can be just dealt with if you take out the sick ones or not expose them to it (assuming they haven't been... from what two of them look like... they have. One little guy just sits behind the filter output and stares into space then joins the group maybe an hour later.) Let me know if you find anything and good luck! Sorry to hear about your little guys. :(
