2 very different flagfish, is one sick?

[KittenFishMom]

I got 2 very small flagfish. One is doing very well and growing. The other is litter in color and was hanging out up in the Amazon Sword plant most of the time. I was able to net it out today and put it in the breeder box with the yoyo loach to feed it bbs without competition. (The yoyo seems to spend most of its time in the same corner under or near its IAL. I'm hoping it comes out to eat  in the dark or when no one is lifting the lid. )

I didn't quarantine the flagfish because they had been in the store for awhile. I had been checking them every time I went. Now I am wondering if flagfish are apt to have problems and made this one needs quarantining. I could set up mini tank and try to split the quarantines doses into 1/4 for the smaller tank for this fish. I don't have a good spot for another 10 gallon tank right now.

The active flagfish is actively hunting sinking pellets and eating them bits at a time with gosto. The inactive flagfish hangs out in the plant, is paler and is not growing nearly as fast as the active flagfish. It did seem interested in the bbs for awhile.

I know using the quarantine trio can put stress on fish. I have all 3, but not room for a 10 gallon tank, so I would have to divide the doses. What do you think would be the best way to treat this little flagfish?

[Fish Folk]

Sorry to hear this. Do you happen to have any photos? The more photos, the better.

Female flagfish sometimes turn light if they are being harassed, or are being courted by an aggressive male.

Edited October 2, 2022 by Fish Folk

[KittenFishMom]

@Fish FolkThanks for the quick reply.

I'll get some photos.

When I first got them home, I put them in the male guppy tanks, and the boys went wild. I quickly (like 10 minutes later) moved them to the female guppy tank. No males in there besides the betta.  None of the fish seem to be noticing the flagfish. The active one sometimes spends time with the less active one. I don't see the less active one hunting.

I'll get some photos and post them shortly.

[Fish Folk]

What was the temperature difference between store vs. home aquaria? Fish suffer significantly when they move from cool water to warm water without careful, staged acclimation.

How about change in water chemistry? Some fish struggle to adjust to divergent water chemistry — most notably water GH & KH variations, though PH is a major factor as well.

How long have you had them at home?

[KittenFishMom]

@Fish FolkThanks for the quick reply.

I'll get some photos.

When I first got them home, I put them in the male guppy tanks, and the boys went wild. I quickly (like 10 minutes later) moved them to the female guppy tank. No males in there besides the betta.  None of the fish seem to be noticing the flagfish. The active one sometimes spends time with the less active one. I don't see the less active one hunting.

I'll get some photos and post them shortly:

near the surface, side view

top view

blurry

 

[KittenFishMom]

@Fish Folk I brought them home Sep 24th, so I have had them 6 days. Everything was the some for both fish. I brought them home in an insulated minnow bucket with a bubbler, in my water. I had dropped off guppies and didn't think to ask the stop keeper to replace my water with the shops water. I don't know how much my water differed from the shop's water.

[KittenFishMom]

@Fish Folk The fish looks bad in these photos that are much bigger than the fish. She has been in the breeder box with lots of freshly hatched baby brine shrimp. She doesn't looked like she has been eating much lately.  

[Fish Folk]

That does appear to be a female. The spot at the back side of the dorsal fin gives that away. Is your other Flaggie a male? Can you share a photo of your other fish too? Just looking for something to compare.

Does this girl eat anything at all from you?

What was her behavior and appearance like at the Pet Store when you observed her there?

[KittenFishMom]

@Fish Folk they are both female, with the spot at the back end of the top fin. I will try to photo the active female, but she is going to be hard to catch. She looks very healthy and active. I may wait until morning to try to photo the active one. All the lights are out on the fish tanks now.

It is hard to tell if she or the yoyo loach are eating. The breeder box in hanging on the back of the half cylinder tank. I have to stand on a stool, and then take the lighted the main tank's cover off, then the breeder box cover off then shine a flashlight into the box to see what is going on. That is a lot of warming to the fish that I am going to be pestering them. By the time I get a good look at the fish, they are running and trying to hide, they are not interested in eating. The breeder box has the small sluggish yoyo loach that I think got trapped under something and I am trying to get to eat. I added a tiny guppie I found in a bowl I had been growing java moss  in. It has doubled in size. and I added the flagfish today. I was hoping the guppy might give the yoyo a bit of company. I put the flagfish in there because I caught her close to the surface and wanted to monitor her. I'm hoping the breeder box will keep her from spreading parasites to the tank, if that is what she has. I will set up a small tank for the flagfish tomorrow with more plants and see if anyone recommends that I remove her from the breeder box. It will be easier to observe her in a tank at eye level.

At the fish store, they were swimming around with a male flagfish that I did not buy. They were very similar in size and activity. I didn't notice any differences between them at the store. Once they got settled in the female guppy tank, the active one started eating and has grown a lot and filled out.

I will try to get more photos in the morning. It should show if she ate in the night. Will also try to get photos on the active female flagfish. I hope the yoyo loach is doing better too.

Thanks for your help.

 

Edited October 2, 2022 by KittenFishMom

[KittenFishMom]

@Fish Folk and everyone. The less active flagfish seems to be looking better. I know I promised Fish Folk some new photos. but I just felt it was best if I didn't stress her any more than I had to right now.  The HOB breeder box in on the back of the half cylinder tank. I have to stand on a stool and take the lid off the tank and the breeder box and reach over the tank and hold a built in bookcase  and look over the main fish tank to look down on her. I can't get a look at the side on the box because of the wall and the angle the half cylinder is at. (It is a small cottage). She seems to be swimming a bit more and eating the bbs I have been putting in. I am also adding a bit of easy fry food, first bits, a sinking mini pellet,  and Xtreme nano. In the morning, I ladle about 80% of the water out of the breeder box to get as much of the old food out as I can, and let the uplift from the tank (which runs non-stop) refill the box and I add bbs. Then later I add a second food and later a third food, and so on. This seems to be about all the pestering she and the little yoyo loach needs right now. If the yoyo loach is on its side out in the open for more than an hour, I use the bbs dropper to get a bit of current to move him. everytime, he moves into hiding. He doesn't look much better, but he doesn't look worse. 

It is really hard to judge how they are acting when there is so much commotion involved in getting a look at them. I am testing the tanks' water once or twice a day.  We are still using bottled spring water. Hopefully the well water will work better in the tanks, when we get there. 

We have shocked the well and are waiting for the chlorine to work its way out of the hot water system. Given that we have a limited amount of room in the septic holding tank, we don't want to run the hot water down the drain until it is cold a few times. (The lake is 25 feet from our door, and we conserve water in the cottage like mad.) Everyday, we are getting closer to transitioning the tanks back to well water.   I have SeaChem Equilibrium and SeaChem Alkaline Buffer on hand if we need it to make the transition easier. I'll replace the last gallon on spring water with well water for a few changes, then the last 2 gallons, and so on.  

Edited October 4, 2022 by KittenFishMom
typo

[KittenFishMom]

The flagfish is doing better. She is eating some and swimming more. I put her in the container to photo. I am just waiting to see if I can catch the active flagfish in a baited net.

Unfortunately my "fish control" super power is not working. (It never works.) 

I will clean up the breeder box now that the 3 fish are in the container.

I would like to see how the flagfish interact in the container. and maybe put them in the half cylinder tank. It could use their help.

[KittenFishMom]

Victory is ours! I watched the flagfish eat for a while and decided to let her loose in the tank she came from with the other flagfish. They were so happy to see other ! 

They keep checking on each other and the one I was worried about is much rounder and was eating algae wafers on the bottom of the tank.

[Colu]

Good to hear it's improving