# skinny apisto & very low pH



## K House (Feb 2, 2006)

I have 3 apistogramma agassizi (2 female, 1 male), 1 angelfish, and 4 albino cory cats in a 29 gallon tank. The tank has been set up for about 3 weeks but I used plants and filter media from another tank when I set it up. The substrate is flourite and it was new.

One of the female apistos has always been small compared to the other two apistos. I've had them for about a year, maybe longer. But ever since I moved them from a 20 gallon long into a 29, she has been getting skinnier and she hides a lot more than usual. She still eats well. Flake food or pellets once a day and frozen food (mysis shrimp, bloodworms or krill) twice a week.

The pH in my tanks is usually pretty low, about 6.6 is normal for them. But I just tested the pH on this 29 and it is 6.0! 6.0 is the lowest my kit reads so it could actually be lower. Ammonia is 0. Nitrite is 0. Nitrate is 0. (Isn't nitrate supposed to _not_ be zero?)


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## K House (Feb 2, 2006)

After some instructions from a friend, I shook the hell out of the nitrate bottles and re-tested. nitrates are 5.

Also, tested the water out of the tap. Started at 8.2 about 4 hours ago and has dropped to 7.4 already.


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

Are you injecting CO2?


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## Guest (May 14, 2007)

if the fish is eating well...and still getting skinnier, i would start a treatment for internal parasites. thats just my opinion though. apistos do fine in a ph that low, you just need to be careful to not change too much water at a time cause you will yack the ph up again, then it will crash causeing stress to the fish and possibly death.


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## K House (Feb 2, 2006)

No, no CO2 injection in this tank.

I tested the pH of my tap water on Friday and it was 8.2! I tested it again on Sunday and it was up to 8.6! Now I'm afraid to do water changes on any of my tanks!!!


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## Guest (May 14, 2007)

small wcs, frequent in number, small in gallonage.


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## BV77 (Jan 22, 2005)

From what I can see from the pic, the fish looks pretty well emaciated. I'd start treatment for internal parasites asap


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## K House (Feb 2, 2006)

BV77 said:


> From what I can see from the pic, the fish looks pretty well emaciated. I'd start treatment for internal parasites asap


PraziPro?

I had to move her last night. The male apisto was chasing her non-stop and gave her some major jabs. Her tail is in shreds. She is now in a 5 gallon tank with 3 boraras briggitae. Will the PraziPro treatment hurt the boraras or should I move Ms. Apisto into her own hospital tank?


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## judya (Jan 23, 2005)

I assume you're long done with either the treatment or the fish, but for next time I'd treat her by herself, I'd make sure there was good aeration/water movement, and maybe increase the temp a smidgeon.


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## K House (Feb 2, 2006)

judya said:


> I assume you're long done with either the treatment or the fish, but for next time I'd treat her by herself, I'd make sure there was good aeration/water movement, and maybe increase the temp a smidgeon.


I moved her into a 5 gallon tank and she is doing just fine. I treated her with Prazi-Pro but I don't think that made her any better. I think she just needed to get away from that aggressive male. Her colors are back to normal, she's gained weight, her fins have healed. She is still incredibly shy and reatreats into her cave at the slightest motion from outside the tank.

However, now the male has started in on the other female that is still in the 29 gallon tank. Not sure what to do. Would like to join the healed female and the male back together to see if maybe one day they might breed since they are wild-caught Peruvian blues. The stronger female is a double-orange and I'm not sure I should encourage him to breed with her.

Other option that I'm considering is selling them all at next month's fish auction. I'm just afraid that the male is going to end up killing both females and maybe someone else out there with more Apisto experience could offer them a happy home.

So darn frustrating.


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