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another pirate perch question


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#1 Guest_nativecollector_*

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Posted 22 May 2007 - 02:03 PM

About a two to three weeks ago I got a pirate perch at my favorite gathering hole. After only two days in the tank he started acting wierd and up and died within less than a week. First I didn't think much of it, but I got two more the same week that one had died. Well two or so weeks later the largest one of the two died and the other one just hangs out about middle way up the side of his tank with his nose pointed straight up. I also have noticed that the big one would never eat so I think he might have starved to death. But the littler one also refuses to eat. I have offered live redworms, brine shrimp, and several frozen foods. I even had feeder guppies in with them. Why wont they eat, from what I have read about them they will eat just about anything that comes near enough to thier mouth that they can fit in it.

Most recently (today) read this post here on this forum
http://forum.nanfa.o...p?showtopic=891
and it basically says the same thing that I am finding anywhere else on the net.

What do I need to do to get them(him) to eat?

#2 Guest_gerald_*

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Posted 22 May 2007 - 02:34 PM

could be disease, but more likely theres a problem with your water quality;
e.g. not well cycled, rotting food, or something toxic has gotten in there.

About a two to three weeks ago I got a pirate perch at my favorite gathering hole. After only two days in the tank he started acting wierd and up and died within less than a week. First I didn't think much of it, but I got two more the same week that one had died. Well two or so weeks later the largest one of the two died and the other one just hangs out about middle way up the side of his tank with his nose pointed straight up. I also have noticed that the big one would never eat so I think he might have starved to death. But the littler one also refuses to eat. I have offered live redworms, brine shrimp, and several frozen foods. I even had feeder guppies in with them. Why wont they eat, from what I have read about them they will eat just about anything that comes near enough to thier mouth that they can fit in it.

Most recently (today) read this post here on this forum
http://forum.nanfa.o...p?showtopic=891
and it basically says the same thing that I am finding anywhere else on the net.

What do I need to do to get them(him) to eat?



#3 Guest_hmt321_*

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Posted 22 May 2007 - 02:46 PM

About a two to three weeks ago I got a pirate perch at my favorite gathering hole. After only two days in the tank he started acting wierd and up and died within less than a week. First I didn't think much of it, but I got two more the same week that one had died. Well two or so weeks later the largest one of the two died and the other one just hangs out about middle way up the side of his tank with his nose pointed straight up. I also have noticed that the big one would never eat so I think he might have starved to death. But the littler one also refuses to eat. I have offered live redworms, brine shrimp, and several frozen foods. I even had feeder guppies in with them. Why wont they eat, from what I have read about them they will eat just about anything that comes near enough to thier mouth that they can fit in it.

Most recently (today) read this post here on this forum
http://forum.nanfa.o...p?showtopic=891
and it basically says the same thing that I am finding anywhere else on the net.

What do I need to do to get them(him) to eat?


post your tank stats

ph
ammonia
nitrite
nitrate

the only time I have had a similar experience was when I had a cycle crash on my 40 gal, a 5" bluegill stopped eating all together. My ammonia was off the chart and my ph was so low i could not read it. I briefly had 2 pirate perch and they ate several of my Sailfin shiners before they became feeders. They went approx 3 days w/o eating before they started to prey on their tank mates. what else do you have in that tank? were the pirate perch the newest additions? also did you quarantine the pirate perch (i almost never quarantine, though I should).

#4 Guest_nativecollector_*

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Posted 22 May 2007 - 10:58 PM

I will test the stats in the morning, but this is in an established tank and all te other fish including the bowfin are eating and acting fine. They were in a quarantine tank for 5 days before going into the established tank. The tank contains the following and is a 20 gallon.

1 blue gill 3"
3 blue gill 1"
2 flier 1.5-2"
3 mudminnows 2"
1 bowfin 2"
1 pirate perch 2"

The two that died before were 2" and a 4". Now before you start on me about the size of the tank, let me say this is not the permanet home for many of these fish. Most are going to be sent out to people within two weeks tops. Some are going out as soon as I get the breather bags in. The tank is well established and the only fish to ever die in it are the two pirate perch. Maybe there is something that bothers them and not the other fish. I don't know, but I know everything in the tank is happy go lucky except the now lone pirate erch.

#5 Guest_nativecollector_*

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Posted 23 May 2007 - 06:35 AM

Before weekly water change (and since im off today I will do it early)
pH < 8.0
NH3 < 0.25
NO2 < 2.0 but >1.0
NO3 =/< 5

The pH seems to stay high in this tank but has never bothered fish in it that much. The location in which the Pirate Perch came from is around 7.2 and drops to around 7.0 after a good run off of rain. I will check the parameters again and edit to add them after the water change in about 15-30 mins.

edit:
After the water change

pH < 7.8 (I use 7.0 water to change it out with which is now 1 part tap water and 4 parts R/O water)
NH3 < 0
NO2 =>1.0
NO3 < 5

#6 Guest_teleost_*

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Posted 23 May 2007 - 07:04 AM

I found pirate perch can't resist a piece of thawed market shrimp (for human consumption) placed on the end of a wire. If you gently vibrate the wire, even neutral fine will strike at it. You can also use a bamboo skewer but I like to use the coated security wires that are use to attach children's toys to their packaging (somewhat invisible and bend to suit your needs). Just make sure and cut the piece of shrimp small enough for the fish to easily fit in it's mouth.

Good luck with the pirate perches.

#7 Guest_hmt321_*

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Posted 23 May 2007 - 08:28 AM

from you test results it would seem that you tank is not cycled, or experiencing a mini cycle

I would increase the frequency of your water changes





just curious, why the RO water?

#8 Guest_nativecollector_*

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Posted 23 May 2007 - 11:21 AM

My tap water is about 8.4 and up on the pH, and when I use just straight tap water and a peat filter to reduce the pH it doesn't drop very much. The tank might be going through a mini cycle due to the small increase of fish (the bowfin, pirate perch, and 1 mud minnow).
Oh water quality, I have a very high protien film that shows up even when my tanks have moving water. I am not sure what they do to the water in my county but it sure sucks. So after being fed up with the water I bought a R/O system to help clear up some of the problems and so far it has worked. I just have to mix the water to get it up to 7.0, which dont bother me much because the fish like it ten timed better.

I wouldn't think that a small increase of fish would have sent it into a mini cycle. The only thing that does not show up in the ranges listed above is the NO2, which is normally like the NH3 which is little to none. I rarely get the NO3 to show up over 5 and that is the next color to 0. It leaves a little jump there but it never seems to be as dark as the 5's color.

I will try another water change tomorrow and see if that makes it better.




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