My Sole Don't Look So Well?

[simonas]

I have had 3 sole for a month or so, they have seemed to have been doing fine for that time spending their time buried under the sand and have gradually become a little more avctive. Since I have had them as soon as the lights go out they have become active and I have seen them eat brine shrimp.

They share their tank with two waspfish, a knicght goby and tiny puffer

Yesterday I notuced one of the was upside down and on its back, he was still alive, again this morning it was on its back but still breathing, the other two seemed to have spent their time not hidden in the sand also so something has tobe wrong with them

The only things that I can think have changed last couple of days is their weekly water change now the water has always been 0.004-5 sg, this last change has took it to 0.008-9.... is that the glaring problem? brackish fish I've had in the past have never shown adverse responses to a change in salinity before

The other is I fed frozen mussel I have in freezer left overs from previous fish, I fed that for the puffer and none is left in the tank overnigt but could that have upset the sole?

I really want these fish to do well but is there a glaring answer

Thanks simon

 

[nmonks]

Do you have a photo of this sole? There are a few freshwater species, and keeping them in saline conditions would be stressful once you got above, say, SG 1.005. Do look over my FAQ or the illustrations in the Aqualog brackish book. Admittedly, the true freshwater species aren't often traded, but they do turn up every once in a while.

Usually the reason soles die is starvation: towards the end of the process they become very bony, particularly when viewed from above, and may also become more active by day as they seek some way out of the aquarium into a more favourable (in their minds, anyway) habitat.

Cheers, Neale

 

[simonas]

cheers Neale Ihave taken two they are on my phone and will try and get them up, I added some frsh as the level was down and thats brought it down to bout 0.005 so I'llsee if theres an improvement, the tank is very understocked and they have weekly 25% water change.

I'll get pic up

I checked your faq when I first got them and it seemed to check out well with a brackish one, when I sort pics I'll see what you think

cheers Neale

 

[simonas]

I had to net them to take a pic Neale. The one that looked ill died last night, it didn't look bony

These pics are of them alive

 

[nmonks]

Hello,

That specimen looks like one of the Brachirus species from Asia. The problem here (I fear) is that the trade handles these rather indiscriminately. Some species, like B. orientalis, likely only spend short periods in freshwater, and are basically mid-range brackish to saltwater fish. Others, like B. panoides, migrates in and out of freshwater all the time, and probably does well across a range of brackish salinities. Then you have B. harmandi, which appears to be a true freshwater fish.

Most species look extremely similar. Yours is, I suspect, Brachirus panoides. Do offer them bloodworms; these seem to be very popular, and in Japan oddly enough they are known as "mosquito rays" because they look like stingrays but eat mosquito larvae.

Quite why one of your fish has died, I cannot say. Provided the others remain chunky and are feeding normally, I'd put that one down to bad luck for now.

Cheers, Neale

 

[simonas]

Hello,

That specimen looks like one of the Brachirus species from Asia. The problem here (I fear) is that the trade handles these rather indiscriminately. Some species, like B. orientalis, likely only spend short periods in freshwater, and are basically mid-range brackish to saltwater fish. Others, like B. panoides, migrates in and out of freshwater all the time, and probably does well across a range of brackish salinities. Then you have B. harmandi, which appears to be a true freshwater fish.

Most species look extremely similar. Yours is, I suspect, Brachirus panoides. Do offer them bloodworms; these seem to be very popular, and in Japan oddly enough they are known as "mosquito rays" because they look like stingrays but eat mosquito larvae.

Quite why one of your fish has died, I cannot say. Provided the others remain chunky and are feeding normally, I'd put that one down to bad luck for now.

Cheers, Neale

Thanks Neale

I appreciate that

I've even been putting all tank lights out a little earlier in the garage so I can feed these in complete darkness to give them the best chance of eating , trouble is I don;t get to see if they eat!!
We shall see

thanks Simon

 

[nmonks]

Hence my advice not to mix these fish with other nighttime feeders such as catfish or loaches. If they're the only nocturnal fish in the tank, or better yet, the only bottom feeders, then if you put food in and its gone by morning, then hopefully it's inside the flatfish!

When I kept a juvenile plaice as a student, the fish actually become very tame and greedily ate catfish pellets. For some reason these tropical ones are much more fussy.

Cheers, Neale

trouble is I don;t get to see if they eat!!

 

[simonas]

just found another dead and by the looks of it it as been for a couple o days or so. I'm cheesed off now I really hoped I could provide a good tank for them

 

[eviljackspicer]

just found another dead and by the looks of it it as been for a couple o days or so. I'm cheesed off now I really hoped I could provide a good tank for them

Hi there,

What size tank do you have for your soles? I had trouble at first trying to find a tank for them. They like a large wide area to swim and hide in the sand and the the only ones I could find that have a wide large bottom are the very big tanks. I solved this problem by getting one of those critter boxs that house reptiles. Its 17X12X6 inches and its working wonders with me. Granted it is only 2 gallons, but its a nice tank that sits comfortably on my desk and my sole is living pretty well so far (knocks on wood)

 

[simonas]

just found another dead and by the looks of it it as been for a couple o days or so. I'm cheesed off now I really hoped I could provide a good tank for them

Hi there,

What size tank do you have for your soles? I had trouble at first trying to find a tank for them. They like a large wide area to swim and hide in the sand and the the only ones I could find that have a wide large bottom are the very big tanks. I solved this problem by getting one of those critter boxs that house reptiles. Its 17X12X6 inches and its working wonders with me. Granted it is only 2 gallons, but its a nice tank that sits comfortably on my desk and my sole is living pretty well so far (knocks on wood)

they didn;t make it pal thought I had them feeding as well but I may have boobed by putting knight gobys in there which love fppd

 

[eviljackspicer]

I'm sorry they didn't make it. But hey, don't give up. These happen to be one of my favorite fish, despite the fact that they are slightly more work then other fish. I have two bumblebee gobies with my sole.