Alesha Posted February 18, 2021 Share Posted February 18, 2021 Whoo...he got really ticked at you at one point...whirled around & gave you his back! He does not lack personality! 😍😍😍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H.K.Luterman Posted February 18, 2021 Author Share Posted February 18, 2021 Eugh. This morning I woke up to find my female bichir laying on her side, dead. She had some sort of deformity that affected her spine (as a female she should have been longer than the male, but she had a weird, humped, shorter body) as well as her pectoral fins (they weren't big and rounded like my males, they had a crumpled appearance). When I bought her, she looked completely normal, and these deformities developed as she grew. There is another person online I've talked to who has a bichir with a similar problem. I had wondered if her deformities would shorten her life span, and I guess they did. I checked all of my parameters; no ammonia or nitrite, nitrate between 20 and 40. I did a small water change to make myself feel better regardless. Now I'm just very worried for Dragon and Dinky, neither wanted to eat this morning. They look fine otherwise. My ctenopoma is completely normal. She ate and has been her usual self, chasing Dragon around. This is the second senegal female I've lost due to strange health issues. I had one I bought at the same time as Dragon, who developed bloat. I struggled to correct it for more than a year before she finally passed. She also had one deformed, crumpled fin. I would just feel so much better if the remaining two of them would eat. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OceanTruth Posted February 18, 2021 Share Posted February 18, 2021 That’s really terrible news! Sorry to hear she passed suddenly. I’m definitely no expert, but it does sound plausible that her deformities contributed to her short life span. It’s always sad when a fish we keep moves on. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbit Posted February 18, 2021 Share Posted February 18, 2021 Oh no! I’m so sorry. What a shock. Maybe the other two are just depressed. They seem like such smart, interactive fish, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re a little sad or scared. ❤️ I actually had a gerbil who wouldn’t eat if she was depressed. I had to hand feed her sunflower seeds until she felt better. Do you have live foods to offer them? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H.K.Luterman Posted February 18, 2021 Author Share Posted February 18, 2021 3 minutes ago, Hobbit said: Oh no! I’m so sorry. What a shock. Maybe the other two are just depressed. They seem like such smart, interactive fish, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re a little sad or scared. ❤️ I actually had a gerbil who wouldn’t eat if she was depressed. I had to hand feed her sunflower seeds until she felt better. Do you have live foods to offer them? I don't have live food (and Dragon is scared of moving food), but I do have some frozen bloodworms and brine shrimp I'm going to try tomorrow. They usually get Vita-Chem soaked frozen tilapia, which they love, so it's weird for both of them to be completely uninterested. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alesha Posted February 18, 2021 Share Posted February 18, 2021 38 minutes ago, H.K.Luterman said: Eugh. This morning I woke up to find my female bichir laying on her side, dead. I'm SO sorry, H.K.! I know how much you delight in your special wet pets, so this must be quite a blow. I'm hoping the other 2 perk up, as time moves them away from the loss, and that you're able to feel gratitude that despite her health issues, she had a wonderful, happy life in your tanks. ❤️ 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H.K.Luterman Posted February 22, 2021 Author Share Posted February 22, 2021 (edited) Igor the blood parrot has been moved to the 75. The first thing he began doing is eating every trumpet snail he could fit in his mouth (I can hear him crunching them if it's quiet enough and I'm right by the tank). The next thing he did was establish himself as the boss, by flaring at Gertrude the ctenopoma and kicking her out of her cave repeatedly. Over the next 24 hours he settled in, and now he and Gertrude hang out together, following each other around and often foraging for food side by side. I've seen him doing some cute behaviors, wiggling his belly through the sand and spitting bits of it around. He seems intrigued by the bichirs but pretty much leaves them alone. So far he wants to eat everything but the New Life Spectrum cichlid pellets. This morning he ignored them in favor of the Sinking Carnivore pellets I feed my bichirs; they were too big for his mouth but he still managed to crunch them up after they had softened. The albino bichir is doing great. She's back to eating and is actively exploring the tank. The addition of Igor seemed to liven her back up. Dragon is still not eating. I'm watching him closely for any outer signs of being unwell but so far he seems normal. He does seem to want to sit at the top with Dinky when resting, but is too big to lay on the tops of plants like the baby can. So I ordered a soap caddy on Amazon I'll be putting in for use as a platform for him; it'll be here today hopefully. I have read bichirs can sometimes go on hunger strikes (much like snakes, which I have 19 yrs experience with so I'm pretty used to that), thus I'm trying to be patient and just watch him. I'm keeping his environment healthy and offering good food, so hopefully he'll come around eventually. Edited February 22, 2021 by H.K.Luterman 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OceanTruth Posted February 22, 2021 Share Posted February 22, 2021 I had thought I wasn’t really into Parrot cichlids, but I have to admit Igor is really cute. Love the name as well. I hope Dragon comes around soon! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H.K.Luterman Posted February 22, 2021 Author Share Posted February 22, 2021 18 minutes ago, OceanTruth said: I had thought I wasn’t really into Parrot cichlids, but I have to admit Igor is really cute. Love the name as well. I hope Dragon comes around soon! Yeah I've really gone back and forth about getting one for so long because they are so stigmatized. But so far I'm very happy I decided to try one out; he really is quite the little character. The whole mouth thing is what gave me pause for so long, but ... I mean... he stuffed down a pellet more than twice the size of what should have fit, so I think there's no problem there! XD 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbit Posted February 22, 2021 Share Posted February 22, 2021 I’m so glad Igor’s introduction to the big tank went well! Keep us updated on Dragon. ❤️ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H.K.Luterman Posted February 24, 2021 Author Share Posted February 24, 2021 I have happy news! Dragon is back to eating, and is acting more like his usual derpy self. He's had three meals, and is back to swimming around. Here he is getting chased by Igor. He's still trying to sit up in the plants with Dinky, but is too heavy. I put my old King betta's hammock in there to see what he would do, and he did try to utilize it before accidentally knocking it off the glass. I have a suction cup plastic soap caddy coming in the mail to act as a platform for him, but it's delayed being delivered. I hope it arrives today. I'm just so relieved he's acting more normal. My poor, sensitive sea monster. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alesha Posted February 24, 2021 Share Posted February 24, 2021 13 minutes ago, H.K.Luterman said: I have happy news! Dragon is back to eating, and is acting more like his usual derpy self. He's had three meals, and is back to swimming around. I have a suction cup plastic soap caddy coming in the mail to act as a platform for him, but it's delayed being delivered. I hope it arrives today. Oh Yaaaaaay!!! I'm so glad to hear it! Can't wait to see if he enjoys the soap caddy. 👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OceanTruth Posted February 24, 2021 Share Posted February 24, 2021 That’s great news to hear Dragon is getting back to normal! It’s so funny to picture a bichir trying to use a betta hammock. Lol. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maggie Posted February 24, 2021 Share Posted February 24, 2021 Yay - Dragon is eating! I hope your soap caddy arrives today. The pic of him on the betta leaf is impossibly adorable. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbit Posted February 24, 2021 Share Posted February 24, 2021 So happy to hear this!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H.K.Luterman Posted February 26, 2021 Author Share Posted February 26, 2021 My tanks go such long periods of time (years!) where absolutely nothing new happens, that all this drama currently going on in the 75 feels like a soap opera or something. Last night Gertrude gave herself the equivalent of a fishy black eye. I fed Dinky and gave Igor a treat (he loves crushed snails), and accidentally dripped water on the front of the glass; I feed my bichirs with long tweezers so I can just deposit the food by their faces, and I usually get some drips when I pull my arm out of the tank. SO, I got a paper towel and wiped down the glass to dry it. Gertrude HATES that, and apparently last night it caught her by surprise, and she completely spazzed out all over the place. I go to look at her a little while later and she had what looked like a large, opaque, fluid filled blister on her right eye. She must have bashed her face against the rock cave while spazzing out over the paper towel. EUUUGGGHHH. I should have gotten a pic of it just so people can see what that kind of injury looks like, but I didn't want to stress her out more; she hates the camera. But anyways, today it looks a million times better. The swelling is down and her eye just looks a bit foggy. As usual I'll continue to monitor it, but I'm sure she'll be fine. IN OTHER NEWS, I got the soap caddy for Dragon. I put it in and he's afraid to touch it. Like he's going out of his way to not touch it. Though I think last night he made some progress; he had one fin propped against it. He's so sensitive. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H.K.Luterman Posted February 27, 2021 Author Share Posted February 27, 2021 Houston, we have touchdown. I'm leaving a 5 star review on Amazon for this soap caddy with this picture. LOL. Also here is a cute pic of Dragon squishing himself on top of the heater so he can be with Dinky. 5 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OceanTruth Posted February 27, 2021 Share Posted February 27, 2021 Oh my gosh, that is so cute and hilarious at the same time! Lol. With the picture you should write, “Works as product was made for.” 😛 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H.K.Luterman Posted February 27, 2021 Author Share Posted February 27, 2021 12 minutes ago, OceanTruth said: Oh my gosh, that is so cute and hilarious at the same time! Lol. With the picture you should write, “Works as product was made for.” 😛 ROFL! I ran out of reactions, I wanted to give you a like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H.K.Luterman Posted February 27, 2021 Author Share Posted February 27, 2021 Pooka loves this one anubias leaf today. She's been mouthing all over it and sitting with it on her nose. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OceanTruth Posted February 27, 2021 Share Posted February 27, 2021 Pooka is so amazingly beautiful! Her dorsal fin is stunning. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H.K.Luterman Posted February 28, 2021 Author Share Posted February 28, 2021 This makes me so incredibly happy. Also the nose leaf is still a thing. And Gertrude's eye is 100% better. 9 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OceanTruth Posted February 28, 2021 Share Posted February 28, 2021 I feel as if you pick your fish by cuteness level. Lol. They are all so gosh darn adorable! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alesha Posted February 28, 2021 Share Posted February 28, 2021 Awwwww...on pic #1. And maybe Pookah has a headache & is hiding his eyes? 🤔😉☺ 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbit Posted February 28, 2021 Share Posted February 28, 2021 Dragon looks sooooo happy he found a way to sit up there with Dinky! And I’m so happy for him! Your fish are such characters. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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