HELP!!!!!!!!!!

[antwon]

OK SO MY SO I RECENTLY PUT A POST UP ABOUT MY BICOLOR ANGEL. HE WASN'T EATING AND WAS LETHARGIC. SO SOME PEOPLE TOLD ME TO BUY MARINE ALGAE AND MYSIS. WELL, I DID AND HE DIDN'T TOUCH A SPECK OF IT! HE ISN'T MOVING MUCH EITHER. I THOUGHT HE WAS DEAD TODAY WHEN I GOT HOME. I THINK HE IS DYING BECAUSE HE WON'T EAT. THE ONLY OTHER FISH I HAVE IN MY TANK ARE A CHROMIS AND A PIPEFISH, AND THEY ARE DOING WONDERFUL, SO I DON'T THINK IT IS MY WATER. WHAT SHOULD I DO!!!!

 

[flower]

Hi,
Angels are very sensitive to water conditions, while the other fish in there are pretty hardy..except the pipefish need allot of copepods and if you don’t have a refugium I don’t think it will last long.
What are your water tests readings?

 

[mr.clownfish]

i dont think hes gonna make it dude.. sorry to say but u might loose him today or tomorrow.

 

[btldreef]

It's not been days since he ate, it might be too late.
The capturing procedures for fish isn't always that nice and he may have been doomed from the start.
Water conditions are very important for these fish, as others have mentioned in both threads.
Try adding some garlic extract to the food to entice him to eat, if that doesn't work, you might not be able to save him at this point.
I highly recommend adding vitamins if you can still get the the LFS.

 

[vsecret]

Sorry to hear! I, as I posted in your previous thread, had the SAME problem with my bi-color. It has to do with water conditions. They need really good water quality. My problem was that my test kit was bad and I had no idea and it was giving me false results - which I found out is not that uncommon!! I would go and have you water tested t make sure that you are getting true results.
I have a feeling that your Bi-Color won't make it But don't let that discourage you from angels in the future!! Just go get your water tested.

 

[antwon]

yeah when i came home today i thought he was dead but then he moved he's been doing that all day i didn't know they needed algae so i bought some that had garlic extract but he didn't eat it. he will prob die tonight it's my first tank so it's just trial and error but what kind of vitamins do you give your fish if any?

 

[antwon]

i'm also having a tough time reading the chart on my ph because i can't tell wether its too low or too high it is a very light purple and on the chart that means 8.8 but i highly doubt that since about three day ago i brought my water to be tested at my LFS and he said it was low so he gave me buffer. has anyone had the same prob besides vsecret?

 

[btldreef]

the charts can be difficult to read at times, what brand is your test kit and do you know how old it is?
I'm not a huge fan of buffers for pH, I think their a tiny band aid to a huger problem, which is rearing it's ugly head for you with this fish.
I honestly do not believe that your tank is fully cycled or anywhere near established enough for a bi-color right now and this fish, unfortunately will probably not make it.
What salt are you using? How are you getting your RO water?

 

[ajroc31]

Garlic extract is snake oil.Don't waste money on it.

 

[btldreef]

Originally Posted by ajroc31
http:///forum/post/3275757
Garlic extract is snake oil.Don't waste money on it.
Make your own, don't buy the bottled garbage. I always thought it was a waste, but I've coaxed quite a few sick fish to eat with the addition of garlic extract. I am not a believer in the whole "it has vitamins, it makes the fish better, etc" theory, but I do think it can help get finicky fish to eat.

 

[antwon]

you guys are prob going to cring when u hear this but i didn't u RO water

the guy that i bought the setup from said that he didn't use it and he had a lion and an eel but i'm prob going to buy an RO unit because i now know that is the best water when it comes to delicated fish and i think the brand of the test kit is dr.wellfish it is pretty old this guy has had it for like 4 or more years i definately not going to buy another fish for a while since i don't want to keep wasting money and how do you make your own garlic extract,oh and BTLD reed sorry for the attitude in my other post i'm just really frustrated at this moment cuz all my fish were ok and thenBOOM about all of them died i mean i thought i have done all the research i could have possibly have done i knew the requirements of the fish i was gettin( not really the pipe i kinda just bought him on impulse oops)

 

[srfisher17]

Although there is a lot of debate on the subject; IMO & IME, RO/DI water is not always a requirement for a healthy SW tank, especially a fish-only tank. Much depends on your local water supply. You can get a report from your water company that will give you some info and you can test your water for nitrate, phosphates, silicates, whatever--then decide. I've kept fish for a long time, in 3 locations, without it. I know there many successful hobbiests on this forum who don't use it either. I would never advise anyone not to use RO/DI; nor would I say it is always necessary, because it isn't.
As to the bi-color. This was once considered an "expert only" fish and has now become a bit easier. I'm sure cyanide use and proper handling are the reasons for so many failures. In any case, I don't think it is a fish for a beginner. I also assume you've found out that pipefish are very difficult and usually need their own tank.
On the feeding: IMO, just adding garlic or changing food is not going to save a fish behaving like this. A healthy fish will almost always eat an appropriate food, it may take a while though.