Skinny Angelfish

So of the 4 angels that I have, 2 are eating like pigs, one is doing ok but I would be happier if it ate more (it's slim, but obviously eating), and the last is really starting to become skinny now. It's a small Phillipene blue, with a body size of a 10p (maybe slightly bigger), and most of the time it just hides, or stares at plants, or swims in real close to another fish and stares at it (it's really odd to watch) and when it does try to feed, it only takes the movement of another fish to send it scooting for cover. It's the only one that I'm not seeing eating. Seems to be an odd little fellow.

I am starting to get worried about this one now though, as its definitely showing a sunken stomach. It's a beautiful fish, in really good condition and health otherwise, no rips or tares in the fins, but I just don't know why I can't get it to eat? I crush up the food small enough for it's mouth (and the other Phillipene blue does ok, and eats like a pig, and if it can't get what ever comes in from the top, he soon starts helping himself to any algae wafers on the bottom). So I'm wondering if I should separate the skinny one for a while to try and feed it up? Only problem is, I only have a spare 35 ltr, but at the size this little guy is, I think he'd be ok in it for a while.

I put vitazin in their foods 1 a week, and occasionally do the garlic thing. Any other suggestions? Anything I can do to entice him to eat? The little bugger wont even touch bloodworms and doesn't seem keen on frozen food at all!

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated, I really don't want to loose this little one- he's a stunning fish.

I think pulling him and letting him have his own space, even if just for a couple weeks to feed him up and get some strength into him would be a good idea.

They all sound young, so reintroducing him wouldn't be a problem (I would assume), i'd say its worth a go, better than leaving him as he is in my opinion.

I've just stuck some spare media sponges in the filters on the big tank to mature them, and I need to give the 35ltr a really good wash out too, but it should be read for him in a few days.

Also going to message the guy I got them from to see what he was feeding them on- might help. Could just be a really picky little bugger.

They are all young, a little bit of squabbling going on but nothing as bad as it was since I re-scaped the whole tank, so I think it should be ok to re-introduce him.

Thanks Rusty.

Thats a good idea, he may have some favourite foodsource or whathaveyou, even better if you can get him eating without moving him.

I don't think he will tbh, he's such a painfully timid fish. The other Phillipine was the same up until this last week or so, and has suddenly become really confident. I don't think the skinny one is being bullied, I just can't understand it o.O

Just talking to James now, (who I bought them from), and he fed them on a similar diet to what I do. He thinks I should move it to a different tank and try live bloodworm or white worm *cringe cringe cringe*

lol oh dear, wriggly things.

No, it's not that they're wriggly, it's the idea of feeding something live to something else >.< I'm a wuss! XD

My thoughts are that it may possibly be the lowest ranked fish in the tank and so has been pushed off the food. As the lowest ranked fish he would eventually stop eating. If you move him and then feed live foods he should perk up again.

I'd also just consider hexamita infection. This can cause fish to become skinny. Have a look at the symptoms on the net and see if he's showing any more of them.

Sam

I've lost a couple of fish to HITH before, the angel thankfully isn't showing any symptoms common with a hexamita infection. Fingers crossed it'll stay that way

Even if it's not being chased off food by anything else it just stares at it and lets it all float past. His behaviour in general is really odd- the little guy will just park himself in front of a plant and just stare at it. Hoping that moving him to his own tank for a while will help, especially if I can get him to grow a little.

I remembered that there's a shop in town that sell live bloodworm, so I'll be going to get some tomorrow. Would prefer not to buy from there (bad experiences with their heavily over stocked tanks >.<), but I'd rather not wait to see if I can get the little guy to eat.

I bought some live bloodworm and daphnia today. Just tried them with the bloodworm, and the tank went nuts for it. Apart from this bloody angelfish! It was just staring clueless as they wriggled past it, one even landed on it's head and it just did nothing. There's got to be something wrong with it, but it is showing literally no other symptoms, so it could be anything

Don't know if it would be worth de-worming the whole tank, just in case?

I still think a hexamita treatment or perhaps a de-wormer would be the answer.

I think I'd also move him to his own tank as he may not be eating through fear of being attacked by the other fish.

It's very strange for a fish to refuse food, especially live food. I had an angel do this recently and I eventually lost him but he was very old and so I just put it down to age.

Sam

God I hope it's not hexamita, I've had really bad experiences with HITH in the past D:

I'll try de-worming them first. Any particular treatment you recommend? And should I de-worm just that one angel once I move it, or do the entire community tank just as a precaution? Thinking about it, the smaller of the smokey blues doesn't eat a huge amount either, so it could be worth de-worming them all.

There has been a slight change in behaviour for the Phillipine today though- it's been really out and about today- shoaling with the two smokey blues. It especially sticks close to the smaller of the smokeys, where as before it's just been hiding. So I don't think it being bullied is the cause.

I did some research and feeding with the lights off can help, so I'll try that too. Will also soak their next feed in garlic to see if that does anything.

Right, sort of had a small break through today. I fed live Daphnia, but left the lights off, and he was actually showing interest. He eagerly sucked some up, but spat them out, but it's more than what he has been doing, so at least I know he has an appetite.

Going to sort the 35 ltr out for him tomorrow and get him separated so that I can try and fatten him up.

Sorry for the triple post but just thought I'd update things.

After several days of feeding various live foods, food soaked in vitazin, food soaked in garlic, I managed to get the little git to eat some prawns!!!!
He definitely has worms (white stringy poo, still has a sunken stomach), so I've just dosed the tank with Wormer Plus, so fingers crossed now he'll start to improve. I've gone from being sure that I was going to loose him- the angel wasn't interested at all in food, where as now he's showing he has an appetite, so I'm optimistic that he'll start to improve once the wormer does it's thing.

great news, what ya gona do, keep him on prawn for abit or try somethink else.

I de-wormed the tank about 4 days ago, so fingers crossed the wormer should start working now.
He took frozen foods last night, not much, but it's an improvement. And he's actually swallowing food now instead of just spitting it all out.

I was going to give peas tonight, just a bit worried about feeding the tank constantly on live foods, frozen foods, prawns continuously, or would it be ok to carry on with these if I give them a break every couple of days?

Also, I've got some small wriggly worms in water outside that I presume are mosquito or midge larvae. Would these be safe to harvest and feed do you think? Yay for free live foods XD

Hey Flute, sounds like he's improving.

It's fine to keep feeding live foods. When trying to condition to spawn I almost exclusively feed live foods. It's all they'd get in wild!

As for the mosquito larvae: if the water they're in doesn't have any fish in or never has then they should be fine. in fact, they'll be great for him. Just make sure he gets some before the others eat them all.

Sam

I fed them some mosquito larvae earlier and they went absolutely nuts for it!! Much better reaction than when I fed live bloodworm and daphnia. The larvae are in a puddle on some liner we have outside in our garden, so there's no worry about them having been in contact with other fish. I didn't feed them all, so there's still some left outside. Also going to fill a plant pot with water and leave that outside in the hopes that some mosquitos will lay eggs in that too Good to know I can continue to feed live foods. I can tell the Krobia are appreciating it- they've been shimmying and dancing at each other furiously for the past couple of days, so fingers crossed they'll eventually pair up and spawn!

Aaaaaand, the skinny angel has gone from not pooing at all, to small white stringy poos, to having a proper poo earlier XD I never thought I'd be so happy to see a fish poo! lols

lmao, glad to hear hes on the mend

The wormer has definitely done it's thing! He's just wolfed down as many mosquito larvae as he could, and is now currently trying to stuff as much tetra prima and flake in his mouth as possible!

Just wish they'd stop shredding each others fins now! Lol

I suck at photos, and I suck at videos, but have one anyway XD Sorry about the quality, I have shaky hands and the camera was one of those little flip things, which don't like to focus on things very well!



The little angel that was starving himself is the first one seen (the Philippine blue with the taller dorsal), and you can see the massive size difference between the Philippines and the Smokey Blues, one of which is absolutely massive already!
I had just fed them mosquito larvae (which are obviously way more exciting), hence why none of them are particularly thrilled about the flake. But Poo Brain, as he has affectionately and temporarily been named by my OH, is even starting to wiggle, beg and follow me about for food

I got a couple of other videos that show off some of the other tanks inhabitants, mainly the krobia and the keyholes which I might post later :3

Great video. He is a skinny little guy but seems interested in food now which is good. The two larger angels look great! Really see the blue in them.

Things look great.

Sam

This is him after he's put some weight on, lol! Seriously though, he was so skinny at one point that I really thought I was going to loose him. His stomach isn't concave any more, so that's a huge improvement anyway Hopefully he'll start to do some growing and will actually grow into those massive bug eyes now! And he's a lot more out going now, and doesn't shoot off to hide any more when I come to the tank So a huge improvement already!

The smaller of the Smokey Blue's has also had a massive increase in appetite, and is putting weight on and has obviously grown, so I'm mighty happy now

Thought I'd update this:

I think the Philippine blues must have been a weak batch, as I lost both of them in exactly the same way, despite worming the tank twice and making sure they had a really varied diet.

Oh well

Its sad, sometimes angels just seem to want to give up, I lost the little ones little dotty the other day, no apparent reason the other two were fine