A. Magoi help!

[BullTerrierChild]

My favorite fish has to be the Orinoco Dolphin Catfish (A. Magoi, https://www.planetcatfish.com/common/species.php?species_id=298), so much so that I bought 4 of them for my 75-gallon tank. They are all in the 5–6-inch range with 2 males and 2 females. I have noticed that both males, however, have become very skinny with twig-like bodies, while the females seem to look fine. I will admit that I mix fish (especially cichlids) from different areas to try and see what happens, and the dolphins sometimes take small beatings. I'm not sure that this is the underlying issue, though, as the females again look quite healthy. I love all of my fish as pets and am not looking into rehoming- I just bought a new hiding space for the more aggressive fish though it's too early to tell if it works. Please tell me if you have any suggestions for getting my male magois back in shape! Thank you (Again, this is only an issue in the MALE fish, which elongated their dorsal fin sometime around April)!

 

[GaryE]

I'll be unpopular - you need to rehome the four into a decent sized tank for them. They shouldn't be sharing with Cichlids, as the first beating will have shown.
Getting skinny like that is interesting. It could be stress., but I'd treat for parasites, just in case. It's the simplest solution, if it works, I'd look at diet, to see if that's your issue. I'd check temperature, though you know the basics on the fish. It may be too high. Then be sure the flow within the tank is extreme, for their high oxygen needs.
Feeder fish kill a lot of predatory fish, though the diseases and parasites they often carry. You could have something from that going on. You wouldn't be the first predatory fish keeper to hit that trap.

When I look at it - it's not a community fish being kept in a community, and that may be the start point. With most Cichlids, a 75 is a small aquarium.

 

[Colin_T]

Pictures of your catfish so we can check them for disease?
Do they eat normally?
What does their poop look like?
Do you see any thin red hairs sticking out of their butt?

Assuming they are eating well and getting a varied diet, the most common reason fish lose weight is due to intestinal worms. That is where I would start, by deworming all your fish. Section 3 of the following link has information on deworming fish.

What to do if your fish has Stringy White Poop.

Fish do a stringy white poop for several reasons. 1) Internal Bacterial Infections causes the fish to stop eating, swell up like a balloon, breath heavily at the surface or near a filter outlet, do stringy white poop, and die within 24-48 hours of showing these symptoms. This cannot normally be...

www.fishforums.net

 

[BullTerrierChild]

I'll be unpopular - you need to rehome the four into a decent sized tank for them. They shouldn't be sharing with Cichlids, as the first beating will have shown.
Getting skinny like that is interesting. It could be stress., but I'd treat for parasites, just in case. It's the simplest solution, if it works, I'd look at diet, to see if that's your issue. I'd check temperature, though you know the basics on the fish. It may be too high. Then be sure the flow within the tank is extreme, for their high oxygen needs.
Feeder fish kill a lot of predatory fish, though the diseases and parasites they often carry. You could have something from that going on. You wouldn't be the first predatory fish keeper to hit that trap.

When I look at it - it's not a community fish being kept in a community, and that may be the start point. With most Cichlids, a 75 is a small aquarium.

Thank you for the suggestions!

 

[BullTerrierChild]

Pictures of your catfish so we can check them for disease?
Do they eat normally?
What does their poop look like?
Do you see any thin red hairs sticking out of their butt?

Assuming they are eating well and getting a varied diet, the most common reason fish lose weight is due to intestinal worms. That is where I would start, by deworming all your fish. Section 3 of the following link has information on deworming fish.

What to do if your fish has Stringy White Poop.

Fish do a stringy white poop for several reasons. 1) Internal Bacterial Infections causes the fish to stop eating, swell up like a balloon, breath heavily at the surface or near a filter outlet, do stringy white poop, and die within 24-48 hours of showing these symptoms. This cannot normally be...

www.fishforums.net

Thank you, appreciate it a lot!!

 

[BullTerrierChild]

Thank you, appreciate it a lot!!

Let me get some pictures to you and look at them more...

They have been like this for quite some time, but I am getting increasingly worried. I have a tank (5 1/2 gallons) that I can use as a hospital tank so I may try to "treat" the one in the worst condition of the 2 first. I know that they eat a lot less than they used to, and the females again seem perfectly fine.