Tambi the Lungfish

[TheSwissAquarist]

I think @Dean’s Fishroom has his with some red-eyed monk tetras. Wouldn’t a geophagus and a lungfish live in the same tank zone? 

[BlueLineAquaticsSC]

On 2/18/2023 at 10:26 AM, TheSwissAquarist said:

I think @Dean’s Fishroom has his with some red-eyed monk tetras. Wouldn’t a geophagus and a lungfish live in the same tank zone? 

They would mostly, the geo actually didn’t happen anyway, but I was hoping since they are known to be fairly chill and Tambi doesn’t seem territorial at all that it would work. Pretty much everything with him will be an experiment since there is so little documented about these guys.

Not a glamorous photo, but I rarely see him sitting still and stretching out so it’s a good shot at how big he is now. He’s grown about 6” in the 2 months I’ve had him.

[BlueLineAquaticsSC]

I may have finally found a way to sex Tambi! According to a scientific journal on Lungfish I was reading they found that females have a slightly greater girth to width ratio. Now I just have to fly to Kenya, find another Gilly Tambi’s size that is gravid so I know it’s a female, let it lay its eggs to return to Norma girth, and then compare! Of course the study was on Protopterus Annectins not Amphibius so it could not apply to Tambi at all, but hey it’s a start.

[OnlyGenusCaps]

On 3/2/2023 at 2:24 PM, BlueLineAquaticsSC said:

hey it’s a start.

I applaud you, sir!  You are well on your way!  It's important to have a plan. 🤣

[BlueLineAquaticsSC]

Our first boo boo, they grow up so fast.  It looks like the tip of his fin (leg?) appendage thing somehow got injured and the tip is close to falling off. The female guppy still lives in the tank so I suppose she could have nipped it until an injury formed, but I’ve never seen the guppy do that and it is skittish around Tambi. I think it’s more likely that it was a scrape from when Tambi “walks” on the bottom of the tank. It looks like wound has began scabbing near the break and it may be the lungfish’s natural way to heal these appendages is to just drop them if injured, since the arms and external gills can supposedly be regrown. I am monitoring it but not trying to treat right now, and just letting Tambi work it out. 

[OnlyGenusCaps]

I hope she is okay!  I love watching her grow up!

[BlueLineAquaticsSC]

The little bit on Tambi’s leg broke off, looks like a similar injury on the other front leg too. More concerning is the tip of his tail is in the same condition now. I was originally thinking it was an injury but now I’m wondering if it’s some sort of lungfish fin rot. Still don’t think it’s the guppy, but she is getting taken out regardless just in case. I might add some salt, although I’m not sure about LF tolerances to salt, it’s basically an amphibian which makes me feel a little skeptical about salt being a good option. I haven’t found much info about medication, but a journal did state that water with higher salinity led to more fry deaths.

[OnlyGenusCaps]

Good luck to you, and to Tambi too! 

[BlueLineAquaticsSC]

I’m also noticing a back leg looks to have a break and there is a tear on his stomach. I’m wondering if these could be injuries or something else. Planaria has also recently appeared in the tank.

[OnlyGenusCaps]

I wish I knew, or could help.  This might even be out of @Colu's area of expertise.  I don't know.  This is the other, darker, lower-side of the coin that coesm in paired opposition to the excitement of keeping such unusual species.  The unknown trials that can be faced. 

You made the comparison to an amphibian is some ways.  Those I have experience with.  Were I to see those sort of things you are seeing now, but on an amphibian, I would first look for anything sharp in the tank, or anything that might be unstable to hopes of illuminating potential sources of injury.  In terms of treatment, I would go with a full course of treatment with a broad spectrum anti-biotic to prevent any secondary infection - or potentially primary.  But just to reiterate, I don't know if that is the best approach with this species. 

You have such a wonderful critter there, I am saddened to see the issues you've encountered with it.  Good luck! 

[Colu]

I would second @OnlyGenusCaps check for anything Sharp that could be injuring him and treat with a broad spectrum antibiotic treatment such as kanaplex or maracyn2 just in case theirs a bacterial component I think it would also be beneficial to add some Indian almond leaves as they have antibacterial and antifungal properties @BlueLineAquaticsSC

Edited March 13, 2023 by Colu
Stupid autocorrect

[BlueLineAquaticsSC]

Good suggestions, I have a hollow fake plastic log in there that he had recently started going into a lot, I wonder if the inside may be sharp.

[BlueLineAquaticsSC]

Quick update, I took out the log and did a heavy water change. The tips of the arms and tail which were injured are healing nicely. I didn’t have meds or Catawba on hand so I haven’t used them yet and I am still a little nervous to try salt. One of the back legs does look weird, like the skin has come off and the muscle and veins are visible. I know lungfish have a high level of regeneration and can regrow a leg, I don’t know if they drop limbs if they get injured though so I’ll watch and see how it heals. 
 

On a different not Tambi is about 4 months old and is still hovering around 8”, looks like the initial growth spurt has slowed down. He isn’t as voracious with food as he used to be and is less willing to swim in my hand. I also didn’t get a chance to remove the guppy because it looks like Tambi removed it himself, not sure he just had a lucky opportunity or if he is just more willing to take on bigger food. 

Tambi has also learned how to stare straight into your soul

[The endler guy]

On 3/12/2023 at 4:33 AM, BlueLineAquaticsSC said:

The little bit on Tambi’s leg broke off, looks like a similar injury on the other front leg too. More concerning is the tip of his tail is in the same condition now. I was originally thinking it was an injury but now I’m wondering if it’s some sort of lungfish fin rot. Still don’t think it’s the guppy, but she is getting taken out regardless just in case. I might add some salt, although I’m not sure about LF tolerances to salt, it’s basically an amphibian which makes me feel a little skeptical about salt being a good option. I haven’t found much info about medication, but a journal did state that water with higher salinity led to more fry deaths.

Medication should be fine (don’t get me started on how medicating scaleless fish is fine and if anyone says otherwise they are blatantly wrong) I’m not sure how finrot would work on a lung fish (normally fin rot is only destruction of the thin membranes of skin that connect the fin rays, but seeing lungfish are a lobed fin fish and don’t have fin rays idk)

[BlueLineAquaticsSC]

Most of Tambi’s injuries are completely healed, however he is now sporting a new boo boo slightly more concerning than the others, are large circular chunk missing out of his side. Does it look like a scrape injury? I recently put a bristlenose in with him, could it be a bite (suck?) wound. I’ve never had bristles go after slime coat before but I don’t know.

[katesmith1304]

Nature sure has some incredible tricks up it’s sleeve. Image humans could do some of the stuff some creatures are able to do in addition to what we are already able to do.

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 4/2/2023 at 3:57 AM, BlueLineAquaticsSC said:

Most of Tambi’s injuries are completely healed, however he is now sporting a new boo boo slightly more concerning than the others, are large circular chunk missing out of his side. Does it look like a scrape injury? I recently put a bristlenose in with him, could it be a bite (suck?) wound. I’ve never had bristles go after slime coat before but I don’t know.

It does look suspiciously like that…I have been told that large plecos (Liposarcus) can go for the slime coating on flat fish such as angels and discus. 

[BlueLineAquaticsSC]

Just a quick update, Tambi did drop that the injured leg, I’ll try and track how long it takes to grow back. That injury on his side still doesn’t look good. The area around it is a little swollen “donuting” around it, not sure if that is how it heals or sign of infection. Right now only treating with heavy water changes and salt. Behavior wise Tambi hasn’t changed, still eating, swimming, etc like normal. When he walks on the bottom it’s a little awkward with that half leg but it doesn’t seem to phase him much.

[OnlyGenusCaps]

As always, I'm following your adventure with this very rare and absolutely amazing creature, but I can't offer much beyond that.  I'm hopeful though baed on the photo that the hole heals.  And heals soon. Good luck to you, and to Tambi.  I'm pulling for you!

[BlueLineAquaticsSC]

Well Tambi is not looking good, he has been laying on the bottom a lot, usually orienting the injured side upwards. His external gills are curled forward, naturally I could not find any information about this in P. Amphibius, but it does indicate stress in axolotls. When I first saw the injury I thought it was a Pleco bite because  of how round it is, however I’ve noticed it is actually a very deep puncture, I’m guessing one of my kids startled him and he swam into a pointing piece of driftwood.

[BlueLineAquaticsSC]

[Colu]

On 4/14/2023 at 12:54 AM, BlueLineAquaticsSC said:

With behaviour your describing and the severity of the wound   I think it would be worthwhile doing a course of kanaplex just in case theirs a bacterial component 

[BlueLineAquaticsSC]

@Colu Regretfully Tambi is now dead. I do believe it was a bacterial infection, and I regret not starting Maracyn sooner. I was over confident in the lungfishes natural regenerative abilities. Tambi had been acting completely normal despite the wound up until 24 hours before he died, when he was acting lethargic and the gills were coiling forward.

Some things I’ve noticed which hopefully may help someone else one day. I had noticed he was struggling to get to the surface to breath as well and I did lower the water level so he could reach it without swimming, and saw him being able to stand and gulp air. Also I found a LF group online which I joined (it’s almost all people in Singapore, I guess LF are more popular there) almost everyone keeps there LF in bare bottom tanks with no hard scape except a hide, Tambi’s first round of injuries came from a plastic log with sharp edges and the second came from, I’m assuming, running into a pointed piece on the driftwood. He also spent a lot of time waking on the bottom so any rough substrate may be uncomfortable. 
 

I haven’t found anything written about Protopterus Amphibius from the hobby, however there is a little bit out there from scientific journals and documentation from fish farms. The West African LF is a common food fish and there is some discussion about its viability for a farm raised food source. An article from one of these farms I found this morning after Tambi died did state that despite them being able to tolerate poor water conditions and being able to rejuvenate most wounds, they are very susceptible to bacterial infection. In nature they deal with this through their mucus cocoons, which are made from antibacterial mucus.

[Colu]

Sorry to hear he didn't make 

[OnlyGenusCaps]

No!  I am so sorry to hear of your loss!  I have followed this thread with interest and care.  I do not think I have been so heartbroken over the loss of another's fish as I have so yours.  I am so very sorry!  I feel your loss deeply and am inspired by your adventurous spirit.  We risk much when we sally forth into the unknown - but it is this spirit that make us human - the same esprit de corps that allowed Columbus to cross the Atlantic or humanity to land on the moon.  Thank you for taking us on a venture into the unknown!  I am sorry it ended this way.  This time at least...