Bristlenose Not Eating

[rust81]

Tank size: 72L
pH: 8.2
ammonia: 0ppm
nitrite: 0ppm
nitrate: 30 - 40 ppm
kH: unknown
gH: unknown
tank temp: 27C

Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior): My Bristlenose plec doesnt seem to be eating. I have 2 bns in my tank. The larger of the two is male and has been in the tank for 3 months and is about 2.5 - 3.0 inches long. Up until recently he has been very active but for the past week he seems to hand out on my internal filter. He looks to have long stringy white poo. I have tried using deshelled peas and cucumber but to no avail - he was definitley eating the cucumber a few days ago!

I have also noticed a red sore on my female dwarf gourami - so i have treated today with Interpet no 9 - anti internal bacterial treatment

Volume and Frequency of water changes: 10L per week (approx 15%)

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank: No chemical additives - apart from the Interpet no 9 treatment that i added this morning.

Tank inhabitants: 8 tiger barbs, 3 neon tetras, 1 dwarf gourami, 2 bns

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration): Nothing new added for over 4 weeks (this was another bn)

Exposure to chemicals: none

Can anyone help?

 

[Spooky76]

Hey - sounds bacterial. I think your doing the right thing with the medication.

 

[rust81]

Hey - sounds bacterial. I think your doing the right thing with the medication.

Well it's now 3 days later and i havent seen any improvement in my bristlenose, He is moving about but seems to keep himself to the same location whilst the other bn is busy cleaning the tank and eating. But then on the flip side he doesnt seem to be any worse. I managed to get some pics last night (which i know arent great). Would anyone have any advice?

 

[dane261]

does his belly seem sunken at all try having your lights of a bit more and give them plenty courgette to eat dont worry if its there first time they will get to know what it means


cheers dane

 

[rust81]

does his belly seem sunken at all try having your lights of a bit more and give them plenty courgette to eat dont worry if its there first time they will get to know what it means


cheers dane

hi dane - I have put cucumber in the tank again tonight - so will see if he goes for it. I put it in 2 days ago and he didnt seem to touch it! His belly doesnt seem sunken at all, if anything i would say bloated with white stringy poo. Do you think he could just be constipated?

 

[dane261]

with out a pic hard to tell well coud be constipted


cheers dane

 

[rust81]

Are the 2nd and 3rd pics not detailed enough to see? Would it be better to have a picture from underneath him?

 

[DarkEntity]

My Bristlenose doesnt like Cucumber, have you tried Courgette or other veggies?

 

[Spooky76]

How is it doing now ? Is it still in the breeding trap ?

I know internal medications take a little longer to work, because of the nature of the problem.

 

[rust81]

How is it doing now ? Is it still in the breeding trap ?

I know internal medications take a little longer to work, because of the nature of the problem.

He is pretty much the same. He is not in the breedign trap as i only caught him and put him in this so that i could take the pics that i uploaded. I have added more anti-bac med (interpet 9) this morning as it says to re-dose on day 4.

I really cant work out what is going on. As per Wilder's post, white stringy poo could indicate constipation, bacterial infection to internal parasites.... If he's isnt actively eating then does this point to anything in particular.

Do you think his stomach looks bloated in the pics?

 

[Spooky76]

Hey - doesnt look bloated to me no, but im no expert with these fish.
I would carry on with the medication, finish the dose. Whatever it is, you will still be using anti-internal bacteria medications so stick with it.

If it is constipation, peas/veggies will help...

 

[rust81]

Hey - doesnt look bloated to me no, but im no expert with these fish.
I would carry on with the medication, finish the dose. Whatever it is, you will still be using anti-internal bacteria medications so stick with it.

If it is constipation, peas/veggies will help...

Yep, will carry on with the meds and hopefully he will get better!

If it is constipation then i would expect him to be eating the veg - but he is not visibly doing this (unless it is when the light is off and i am not watching him).

Other than that, i dont think that there is much else i can do for him

 

[WILDER]

Once fish stop eating bad news.
If a fish is spitting food out it can be a sign of flukes, also fish can get flukes internally as well.

 

[rust81]

I was asking at my LFS today about by bn and the fact he is not eating. That pretty much repeated all the advice on this forum, but then one of the guys posed the question - 'you don't think it could be a female and pregnant, hence the fatter belly?'

Could this be the case from the pics that i have posted earlier in the thread. I'd always thought this was a male, but then it does look like there are only a couple of bristles on the top lip, but it is only 2.5 - 3" long. Could this be the answer?