# Angelfish trouble



## Innes (Jan 13, 2003)

I have 3 angelfish which have always been in great condition, but last night I saw them all hanging right under the waters surface, they were all bunched in a corner, and had their mouths pointing upwards.

The only thing that I can think it could be is that I added some salt the other day as I have a ruby shark which has lost its tail to my piranhas and I put it in this tank to recover and added salt, I am not too sure if I have just added a little too much for the angels as their was already a small salt level in the tank so I had to guess on how much more to add as I wasnt sure how much was already in the tank.

as soon as I added the salt I saw the angelfish acting a little strangely, they were grouped together and in one spot, but twitching a lillte, I just thought they would be OK, but now that they are hanging at the top I am starting to worry, they have been eating, and still look in good form apart from their being at the top.

I have already done 2 seperate 30% water changes, and plan to do another in a little bit removing the salt level and also improving the water quality, I am not medicating.

They dont seem to have improved much since I did the waterchanges, but they dont look worse either.

my plan so far is to continue doing water changes and to see if the problem inproves - any ideas???


----------



## marcc420 (Jun 14, 2003)

i dont know what to tell you i saw some at the lfs doing the same thing.


----------



## Lahot (May 20, 2003)

did they possibly eat the salt? The angels I had would eat almost anything that hit the surface, hope they're doing better


----------



## Innes (Jan 13, 2003)

I disolved the salt in a jug of water before adding it - they are pretty much the same, I have been doing 2X 30% waterchanges daily


----------



## DonH (Jan 25, 2003)

Do they look like they are wary of their new tankmate? They might be doing some defensive posturing... Freshwater angelfish often align themselves side by side and "shimmy" as a defense mechanism. Does it look like the ruby shark is bothering them?

The only other thing I can think of might be low dissolved oxygen. Dissolved oxygen is inversely proportionate to salt levels. The more salt you add, the less dissolved oxygen is available in the water. Which _might_ explain their head up position under the water surface.


----------



## Innes (Jan 13, 2003)

the shark is not bothering them at all, I do not believe this is the problem, as for the oxygen level, I have done 4X 30% waterchanges to reduce the salt level, so I cant see it being that anymore as I would expect the new water to be oxygenated and salt free.

any other ideas - I am flummixed with this one


----------



## Innes (Jan 13, 2003)

right now the black one seems to have no strenghth I had to turn down the filters and it is still unbalanced, I think it is a goner.

the others seem slightly better, I medicated thisafternoon with Myaxzin which is a broud spectrum medicine, but now I am suspecting finrot although the symptems are just new, it seems pretty bad on the black angelfish which is nearly dead so I want to medicate for fin rot, I think I may do a 50% water change and medicate for finrot.

opinions?


----------



## Lahot (May 20, 2003)

best to do it, if you lose them and don't do anything you'll feel bad. If you do it and they still don't make it you'll at least know that you tried something.

50% might be a little too drastic, I'd do 40% and then maybe another 40% in 2 days.


----------



## Innes (Jan 13, 2003)

I say so much as I have added meds today


----------



## Innes (Jan 13, 2003)

the black one died, the others seem a little better than they were


----------



## Innes (Jan 13, 2003)

another one died, I now do not have good hopes for the last one as it is still ill and the others have both died - I guess I'll be buying new angelfish in a month or two


----------

