Angel Acting Oddly

[confusion]

I have an angel in my QT, that I got on Thursday. I've become quite adept at acclimating them, thanks to some help from the great people on this board. One of the 2 angels in QT is flicking its head. Not flashing, just like a "twitch" - fast side to side jerk of it's head. It does it a couple of times a minute. It mostly hides, but does occaisionally go out exploring.

I've noticed that it doesn't seem to be eating much, which is pretty much par for the course with me but unlike the previous ones, this one has not died yet.

The QT is a 10G with a preggo swordtail and a preggo molly in addition to the 2 angels. I've treated them with anti-parasite meds. I'm pretty diligent with water changes - in QT I do 50% changes twice a week, typically. The tank is cycled, has a moderate amount of floating plants and the water has a faily low ph - about 6.4.

Any idea what this could be?

 

[WILDER]

Check the gill area are they pale or red and inflamed, and what his breathing like.
Any signs of him trying to rub on objects in the tank.

 

[confusion]

Nope - normal gills. no flashing.

 

[WILDER]

I would look closely with a magifying glass to see if you can see a parasite.
Whats your stats in ammonia,nitrite,nitrate,and ph.
And how long did you climatise them.
The fish with the half missing gill plate could have something then like gill flukes, abit like cats if they have ear mites they will shake there head sometimes.

http/article.dphnet.com/cat-02/flukes.shtml

If that other fish has a gill plate missing and that one shaking it head i would look into a parasite.
Gill rot can be caused by poor water quality, but don't know what caused that one to get the missing gill plate, but you know lfs there tanks are at times full of nasties.

http/article.dphnet.com/cat-02/flukes1.shtml

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

tank is way to small!!!! your angel is probly being stressed and showing agression! 2 angles in a 30 gallon tank would pretty much be good but 2 in a 10g with other fish is not good at all. you need to rehome those fish immediatly!

 

[Tolak]

tank is way to small!!!! your angel is probly being stressed and showing agression! 2 angles in a 30 gallon tank would pretty much be good but 2 in a 10g with other fish is not good at all. you need to rehome those fish immediatly!

Chill dude, it's a quar tank, not a permanent home. I've medicated full grown angels in a 10 gallon, it's fine for meds or quar. I have 15 pea size golds & blacks in a 10 right now, they are mainly there to keep the tank cycled until they get a little bigger & get sold.

 

[confusion]

I know angels are chiclids, but they typically aren't *that* aggressive. This is not a 12" oscar that I have in a 10G tank. It's a pair of 2" juvi angels.
Anyhow, I've looked at them closely, and I can't see anything like flukes. It's breathing normally. This angel and the gourami from the other thread have never been in the same tank. I have 2 QT's and 2 community tanks.

 

[WILDER]

Ok didn't know that.
they were in seperate tanks.
Keep an eye on the angel as shaking it head alot is not normal, plus when you buy fish from lfs you never know what they are fetching in.
Gill flukes if there are only a few won't bother him a while till they mulitply, so you must keep an eye on him, and especially the gill area.
Its hard to say some fish can flick just getting used to the water conditions.
Good luck.