Angel Not Eating..

[dakotagirl]

Help!,

I have an angel that won't eat. Hasn't for about 2 weeks! I have tried everything. Not feeding for 3 days, then feeding her/him. It swims at the food like it really wants to eat, but seems like it can't open its mouth. It is only a baby, probably dime to nickel size. I have tried peas, bloodworms, brine shrimp, mysis, flakes, everything I can think of. There are no visible signs that something is wrong (like white mouth or sores or anything).

My 3 angels live with a few guppies and 6 cories. they are in a 20 gallon hex at the moment, but will move to the bigger tank as soon as they grow a little more. I have had them for about 2 months and everything was fine. It was eating fine when I bought it I am pretty sure. My tank parameters are 0 nitrite, 7.0 PH, 0 ammonia, maybe 5 nitrates. I do weekly water changes of about 20-25%. For decor I have 1 fake plant and some anubis? I think it is called for the baby guppies to hide in. My temp in the tank is 78 degrees. I treated my whole tank with Jungle Parasite Clear (for hexamita or HITH disease) as suggested from someone else but that didn't help unfortunately.

My tank has been up and running for like 6-8 months now. All other fish seem just fine. I haven't added anything new for 2 months or so. I do remember that I had a guppy I purchased a while back that had a white line that looked like lipstick around his mouth and was worried about him. I treated the tank, didn't have a qt tank back then, he seemed to get better, but I found him dead a week or so later. Don't know if that has anything to do with it or not, my angel has no white anywhere around it's mouth, and all the other fish are eating well, happy, and growing nicely.

My biggest problem right now is that my qt tank is full of guppies, so I have no way to qt my angel. I cannot put the guppies from the qt tank in my hex because I got them from a lady who hadn't changed the water in her guppy tank for almost 2 years, just topped it off when it got low. So I am slowly trying to change the guppies water back to normal, but that is another story lol.

Thanks,

Barb


Edit: I didn't treat with Jungle Parasite Clear.......I used Fungus Clear by accident. I just noticed when I opened the boxes to see how many tablets I had used!!!

Can I do a water change and use the parasite clear now?? I feel so stupid. Someone suggested hexamita or HITH and that is why I bought it, but I used the fungus clear one by accident. ( I had the parasite clear for the guppy with the white mouth).

 

[crazie.eddie]

Try soaking the food first in garlic extract, like Seachem's Garlic Guard. This is supposed to enhance the fishes appetite.

 

[Tolak]

I deal with hundreds of baby angels, the no eating deal is something that happens occasionally, especially if they get stressed.

That tank temp is a little cool for angels, try to get them into the mid 80's, as this will increase metabolism, which will increase appetite. Often a protizoan which is normall present in the digestive floura and harmless most of the time can start to take over if they are stressed.

Since this problem reoccurs with angels for plenty of people, I typed this once, and saved it on my computer quite a while ago, so don't think I just typed my little fingers off

Put the angel in a quar tank, I usually use a 10 gallon. Increase the temp over a day or so to 90-94F. Treat daily with 40 mg/gallon metronidazole, with 50% water changes daily. If the fish isn't eating, don't feed for the first 3 days. After 3 days, get some frozen brine shrimp. Take a portion about the size of a few match heads, and sprinkle on some metro. You have to eyeball this one, make the shrimp look kind of like a tiny powdered donut. Once it thaws, mix it in & feed. Sometimes they still don't eat for a few days, but once they start to mouth the food & spit it out, the meds seem to get in their system real good. Continue medicating the water & food for 7-10 days.

Metronidazole is sold as flagyl, het-a-mit, and a few other names I can't recall offhand, used to treat hexamita & hole in the head. They usually suggest 20mg/gallon, this often isn't enough. Metro deteriorates in 8 hours, so you could do twice daily water changes. I've done this on the weekends when I have time.

Don't let the high temp scare you, angels can handle higher than that. I've had them as high as 98 due to a broken heater. Just make sure to have only angels in the tank at that temp. Make sure to have plenty of aeration also, as warmer water holds less O2.

I've also added epsom salt while using metro, this helps with any constipation issues, cleans out the digestive tract. I start with 1 teaspoon per 10 gallons of water, increasing by 1 teaspoon daily for 2 more days to bring it up to 3 teaspoons per 10 gallon. You will have to adjust how much you use when doing water changes. You may want to give this a try.

 

[dakotagirl]

Hi Tolak,

I bought some parasite clear for the hexamita or HITH that you suggested in my post a week ago. I don't know if you read my edit I just added to my post, but I accidentally used fungus clear instead of the parasite clear!! Can I do a water change and add the parasite clear now? I hate double medicating my fish, feel bad that I used the wrong med.

Thanks,

Barb

 

[Tolak]

Do a water change, and run some carbon for a few hours. Remove the carbon before medicating.

 

[crazie.eddie]

I know with discus, one of the side effects of metro, is loss of appetite. It may occur with angels also.

 

[Tolak]

Metro on its own will cause some loss of appetite, turning up the tank temperature increases metabolisim, increasing appetite, compensating for the loss. This is a standatd treatment among angel breeders, metro + heat, once they start eating, they get back to their ravenous selves in no time.

Discus are more grazers, while angels gobble food like little pigs, so the decrease in appetite using metro with discus may be more noticable.

 

[dakotagirl]

UPDATE!


I turned up the heat to 84 and added the Jungle Parasite Clear (with metro as one of the ingredients) on Monday afternoon and Tuesday it still wasn't eating, but today I came home and my angel was out in front of the tank waiting to eat with everyone else!!!!! I was soooo happy. I ran and got some brine shrimp from the freezer and fed everyone, and to my surprise the angel just didn't chase the shrimp, but he actually ATE IT. He is out swimming around with everyone else now like nothing has been wrong the last 2 -2/12 weeks. I am now trying not to overdo the feeding until he is back to normal but am so excited to see him eating, it is hard not to keep putting food in the tank for him.

I want to say "THANK YOU" to Tolak and crazie.eddie for the great advice . I haven't had my angel all that long, but I was worried sick over losing him and now he seems just fine.

Barb

 

[Tolak]

Glad it worked out.