Help!! My new flame angel is fading fast..

[adam6883]

I bought a flame angel last night and he seemed perfectly healthy at the fish store. No signs of disease and swimming freely through the tank. I brought him home and acclimated him to the tank. Last night he seemed thrilled, going in and out of the rocks and swimming all about. I bought Pygmy Angel frozen food for him as recomended. Through his first 5 feedings I have not seen him even go near the food. He is however picking off the rocks some. Today, (nearly 24 hours later) he seems scared of me. When I come near the tank he jets into a rock and hides out there. He appears to be swimming in the rocks but has lost some of his coloring. He looks faded. He is the only fish in the tank with 50 pounds of rock and a bunch of inverts. The tank has been up for over 3 monthes. He has no scratches or signs of ich or any other disease but he doesnt appear to be eating and is loosing his beautiful coloration. SOMEONE PLEASE HELP FAST.

 

[lionfish]

LionFish says.......
You have fed him 5 times since you got him? And you've only had him for 24 hours. Don't take this the wrong way, but you don't need to feed him like he is a St. Bernard. I recommend that Flames need at least a 6 month old tank with perfect water conditions to do well. They pale in poor water conditions. It's normal for the fish to be a bit skiddish. I've had mine for 2 weeks now and mine was frightened of me at first but he lost his frightened nature after a week. Check your conditions and stop stuffing the poor fish. Turn off the lights for a while and let him relax. Do a partial water change and keep an eye out for disease. Keep us posted on the situation.

 

[adam6883]

hes still fading...
I just got back from my LFS who did a test on my water. The cycle I assumed was complete was obviously not. My test kit for nitrie is faulty and my nitrites are at lethal levels. I dont know what to do. The store I bought him from wont take him back and hes just moving less and less and not eating. I dont have a cycled Quarentine tank to put him in. Should I just put him in a 10 gallon and do daily water changes? I really need help fast as his condition is getting worse. Should I perform a huge water change on the main tank or will that just slow down my cycle? WHAT SHOULD I DO? HELP
-adam

 

[uel]

Adam, my experience with Flame Angels is that they are delicate fish. Every time you move a fish you stress him and he is more likely to die. With that said, I would recommend a 25% water change on the tank he is in immediately. A high nitrite level depletes the amount of oxygen in the water. He is in effect suffocating to death. I hope he makes it. Good Luck.

 

[adam6883]

he came out and swam very impressively for a little. His coloration is not THAT bad. but the nitrites are still off the charts and I know hes fading... The guy at the LFS said NOWAY do a water change as it will just screwup my cycle? What should I do? Please help?
-adam

 

[broomer5]

If your nitrites are at lethal levels - then you have little time.
Choices are:
Leave the Flame in the tank - hope for the best - NOT a good choice.
Water change - may mess up your cycle but save the fish.
Set up your 10 gallon and move the Flame to it. Get a powerhead, and do some partial water changes in the 10 until your 45 finishes cycling.
Call another lfs in town to see if they might take the fish until you can get your tank stablized.
I would not deal with the lfs you bought the Flame from anymore. Not taking back a beautiful Flame - knowing you are in a pinch with nitrites is just plain BS.
Hope you can find a successful solution.
Brian

 

[adam6883]

I called around, noone will accept another stores fish but were quick to take shots at that other store for not taking it back. All the stores are already closed so I have to wait till tomorrow. Hopefully he can wait another 24 hours till I can get a 10 gallon up and running? Do I want a filter on that tank? What should the salinity be? lighting? what else should I do? is this the best choice? should I just make a water change to the main tank and how much will this help then fish and how far back will my cycle be set? please help im frantic.

 

[adam6883]

Now its Tuesday. And while I'm rather confident that today was the start of WWIII my fish is doing slightly better. Because of todays events I decided not to buy a new tank as I was glued to my TV all day. I left the lights off in the tank for 25 horus to calm the fish down. I turned them back on about an hour ago and while the nitrites remain a lethal blood red color on the test kit the fish looks better. Its coloration has improved and he is swimming all about the tank. Im not trying to get him to eat the pygmy angel frozen food. What esle should I be doing I really want this fish to make it and could use lots of help. With the events of today it really helps one realize how important life is and helps put things into perspective. When people loose their lives and those of their families it helps one realize that the loss of a $50 fish while upsetting does not mean the end of the world. Hopefully, neither do the events of the day. God bless you all and hopefully all is well.

 

[flydan]

Hey,
I would still suggest you do a water change. This will get your nitrates down the quickest. Then you need to make sure you don't elevate the readings again by over feeding. Fish can go a few days without eating, and if he is grazing that will help too.
BTW, check your quote. I think you mean "sand".
Dan'l

 

[jacrmill]

i also would recommend doing a water change. its not going to "screw up" your cycle. all it will do is prolong it. and who cares how long the cycle takes if it saves your fish. also an angel fish will eat algae off your LR, so dont worry about that as much. if i were you i would cut feedings down to once a day. all that decomposing food in the water is just going to make things worse. when he starts to eat good then go to 2 feedings, but make sure they are small feedings. and just so you know many people keep perfectly healthy fish only feeding them 1 time a day. 5 times is just way way way to many.