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: 2/1/2008 Subject: Angel fish swollen
Question Hi Benty. I have an Angel fish that has been alone in the tank (other than a bottom feeder) for the past two months. A couple of days ago I brought home another Angel that was smaller than my first. Now My original one has a bloated stomach that makes it look pregnant. I know that Angels don't get pregnant and that they carry eggs. What could this be?
Answer Hey Michelle!
Well is he acting kinda out of it? Eating well? Starring off into space? How are his eyes? Does one or both bulge out?
Why I'm asking is that there is a VERY serious disease going around with angels and discus. It's called SAD (Siamese Angelfish Disease) but is sometimes called Angelfish AIDS though that's not the right term. It goes like one of the two:
a. You have a happy tank with some angels and you decide "Hey! I really like this! I'll get some more!" You do. Oddly, one of your fish is acting... just not right. He is constantly breathing hard. He is dazed and out of it. Stops eating and socializing. Hides. Stares at nothing. Maybe one or both of his eyes pop up. He starves to death and then it happens again to all the fish one, by one or sometimes 2 or 3 at a time.
b. You buy some angels that are acting great. You quarantine them even. Nothing wrong. You put them in. In a little bit someone starts into all the symptom above and dies.
I've as much as i can get a hold on about this. I had 9 beautiful angels a few months back. They were everything from lemons to blacks. Lovely fish. Well. I figured I would get some more. Big mistake. I got some little dudes and lo and behold, one by one they started doing this. Well needless to say I have one guy who is sick, one who is fine, and I'm starting a new tank with them to experiment.
I've found nothing works. I've seen people try fungus stuff, bacteria stuff, parasite, changing pH, temp, all sorts of stuff. They didn't have much luck. One breeder is still having 500 a day die. (YIKES!)
On my sick one I am trying a combo of meds. (I mean hey, he's going to die, at least try!) I have been using with a ten gallon @ 78 degrees:
kanamycin sulfate with potassium sulfate,
664mg sodium sulfathiazole,
168mg sodium sulfamethazine,
and
168mg sodium sulfacetamide.
(This may mean nothing to you if it is not it.)
So far he's been alive for about a month since being sick. He hasn't gotten any WORSE. The younger ones I'm experimenting on with the same thing (they have it too). So far when I stop treating them, they get worse so. I don't know.
If none of this applies at all to you... yell at me, lol.
