# Tore to pieces overnight? Disease or bite wounds?



## riddler (Feb 28, 2002)

Hello everyone,

I have a blood parrot I've had for 6 years now who went from being fine yesterday to clamped fins and looks like he's been eaten up overnight. He's lost a lot of his color too. He's been living with his current tankmates for the past 6 months and there has been no aggression, so I'm not sure if it's a disease or if he's got bite wounds. He's got a couple places on his side fins that have chunks taken out like it was bite marks. The fish I've got in there with him are:
3 Severums (2 greens 1 green is 6" and the other is 5" the [/img]gold is 7.5")
1 other Blood Parrot (both are about 6" long)
1 black and white fish (about 6" long. not sure what species, see pic below)

I do 20% water changes each week and haven't had any problems with disease in years. It's a 70 gallon with 1 Penguin biowheel 330 and 1 Whisper 60. Temp is 75, Ph 7.0, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites.

Here are some pictures:

















I think this guy might be biting him. I don't know why it would be so sudden as they've been living together so long. I've noticed him chasing the blood parrot around some yesterday. I didn't think this was an aggressive fish. If someone could give me an id on him it would help. Here's a pic of that one.









I've got some Melafix I could start. I just want to rule out disease first. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!!

Thanks!

riddler80


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## riddler (Feb 28, 2002)

Well, I caught ALL the fish picking on him. I didn't see any evidence all day until about an hour ago. I moved him to my 55 gal community tank. He was with those fish about a year ago and did fine. I'm not sure why they suddenly started picking on him! It looked like they were trying to eat him! I think maybe he hurt himself and had the tissue hanging, and it looked tasty to them?? Who knows. I just couldn't sit there and watch it.

This actually brings me to my next issue. I checked the parameters in the 55 before I put him in there, and everything was fine except the PH. It was at 6! I'm not sure why it's so low. I do weekly water changes on it to. My PH is 7.0 out of the tap. I've got plastic decorations and standard aquarium gravel in there as substrate. I had to put him in there as those other fish were tearing him up. Will the low ph hurt him? What's the best way to raise it? I'm going to do another small water change in there tonight and see if it brings it up at all. I'm going to have to wait until he gets acclimated. He's had a rough day! I'll keep updated as to what happens. If anyone has any idea why the ph would be so low and the best way to raise it that would be great.

The 55 has Whisper 60 and 1 hot magnum. His new tankmates are 2 fantail goldfish, 3 black skirt tetras, and 2 silver dollars.

Thanks!


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

I hope you haven't exposed the fish in the 55G to something!

You don't have a hospital tank for this guy?

From your stocklist alone, I believe it may be aggression related. (I would remove the other BP from that tank, as well...) BPs just aren't equipped to deal with aggression from other cichlids. They are too slow moving and they just don't have the stamina to go up against more aggressive species.

The problem is, the wounds may be infected - they look pretty bad, and his weakened condition is allowing the other fish to pick on him more. He may need antibiotics and daily water changes in order to heal.

At the very least, I would add Melafix to the tank if you can't isolate him, and do some frequent water changes on it.

If it's turned into a bacterial infection, you'll know when the other fish start showing symptoms, and will need to treat the main tanks.

As for your ph, I can't tell you why it's so low, but if the ph in your other tank was truly higher, I'm surprised the BP didn't go into shock as soon as you moved him. There is a buffer recipe in the chemistry section of the library, but I would double check those results before adding it.


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## riddler (Feb 28, 2002)

Thanks for your reply. No, I don't have a hospital tank. I'm almost positive it's aggression related. I found that black and white fish trying to tear up the other blood parrot after I'd moved the other one to the 55. He was really going after it!!! I haven't had a single problem with that fish yet, so I don't know what the deal is. Does anyone know what kind of fish that is? It's not a cichlid, I know that much. I've moved him to my 2nd 55 gal with a large (way bigger than he is) goldfish so I don't have any more casualties. He seems to like it in there. I'm going to take him to my lfs later on this week. I'm medicating the hurt Blood Parrot with Melafix and did a water change to the 55 gal before I started. He seems to be doing ok now. I know he's relieved not to be picked on anymore. At least now he can relax and hopefully heal up without other fish picking on him. I don't think he would of made it through the night in the 70. As for the PH, I floated him for about 20 min before I put him in there, but I think he did go into a bit of shock after I did. He perked up pretty quickly as the gold fantail came over to see him. They were best buds before when they were in the same tank. They wouldn't leave eachothers sides! They both seem happy to be together.

Well, I'm going to do another water change and try to get the PH up. I'll keep you updated.


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

I am sorry...I know what the striped fish is but I cannot bring the name to mind right now!


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## Smoochy (Dec 8, 2008)

I too have those striped fish, and just posted pictures in my thread....










I have 2 of them... hmm I wonder if they are to blame for my problems... although I have NEVER seen them chase anyone or eachother. They seem like docile fish.

And sorry, I too have NO clue what they are and asked the same question


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## maddyfish (Jul 23, 2004)

Your fish is a Leporinus, a noted fin nipper.

http://badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/profile1.html

And in my personal experience, not agressive, but a bit of a bully, they seemed to pick on weaker, defenseless fish, but would not go up against truly agressive fish. Sort of the terrorists of the fish world, to weak to actually fight a straight up fight, so they go after the weak.


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## riddler (Feb 28, 2002)

Now I'm thinking something else must of happened. I don't know how or where, but maybe he was stuck somewhere and hurt himself and the fish were picking on him because he was weak. I think he's got some internal injuries. He seemed to be doing ok until yesterday. He was behaving as if he had a swim bladder disorder (floating near the top and struggling to swim downward). Now he's got labored breathing and is upside down in the corner with his fins moving like he's trying to swim but he isn't going anywhere. I'm thinking there was some sort of internal injury. He doesn't look like he'll make it through the night. Unless it's only a minor swim bladder problem (which judging by the circumstances and the heavy breathing I think it's more than that). The parameters in that tank are great except the PH. I've managed to raise it slowly to 6.6 by doing daily water changes. I'm still treating with Melafix. Again, I'm not sure what happened that night, but it's not looking good for my poor BP now . 
Does this sound like an internal injury to you? His wounds shown above are healing quite nicely, and he's showing no other obvious signs of disease externally. His color even came back. I fed them today and he didn't eat. He is obviously distressed. I've been keeping the tank light off 90% of the time so as not to stress him more. I feel like the damage has been done and there's nothing else I can do now. Any suggestions?


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

Well, if the severums are trying to pair off, then internal injuries are certainly a possibility. I find BPs ill equipped to deal with the aggression most cichlids can dole out. I really wouldn't have had them in that tank at all.

It does sound as if what you are dealing with is either internal injury to the swim bladder, or organ failure. (Organ failure can stem from injury, or poor water quality. The body cavity fills with fluid.)

Whatever you're up against, it's sounding very serious. If the BP is still alive this morning, you're going to need to isolate and hit hard with some antibiotics. I would go with a combo of Maracyn and Maracyn II, and do daily water changes before adding the meds.


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