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FAQs on Ropefish Health
Related Articles: Bichirs &
Ropefish, Family Polypteridae,
Related FAQs: Ropefish 1,
Ropefish 2, &
Ropefish ID, Ropefish Behavior,
Ropefish Compatibility,
Ropefish Selection,
Ropefish Systems,
Ropefish Feeding,
Ropefish Reproduction, & FAQs on:
Bichirs
1, & Bichir Identification,
Bichir Behavior,
Bichir Compatibility,
Bichir Selection,
Bichir Systems, Bichir Feeding,
Bichir Disease,
Bichir Reproduction,
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Rope Fish breathing hard 10/15/09
I bought two new rope fish put them in my 100 gallon tank. One was
really active right away the other one not so much. Do rope fish usually
breath hard with their mouths open and side gill flaps opening and
closing or is this a sign of distress.
<No.>
My PH is 7.8 my ammonia is zero and temp is 78-80. I do add salt to the
tank also.
<How much salt? Ropefish do come from slightly brackish water in part of
their range, but the casual addition of "tonic salt" or "aquarium salt"
-- as opposed to careful use of marine salt mix -- may cause problems.
As is now well understood, there is no reason to add tonic/aquarium salt
to a freshwater tank except to treat specific diseases.>
Thanks,
Troy
<Ropefish are generally hardy fish, but they do have some wants. They
prefer a shallow aquarium so that they can swim to the top and breathe
air easily, 30 cm water depth is ideal, 45 cm tops. They are nocturnal
burrowers, and need a quiet tank with lots of shady places to hide. A
soft substrate is highly beneficial. They cannot be kept with aggressive
fish, e.g., cichlids. Keep with quiet midwater things like Congo tetras
or
Spotted Ctenopoma. Choose catfish that aren't territorial or aggressive,
and you may want to forego catfish altogether if you're worried the
Ropefish can't feed easily. Ropefish are gregarious, and often pine when
kept in insufficient numbers. Being air-breathers, they are sensitive to
airborne pollutants, e.g., paint fumes, bug sprays, etc. Hope this
helps.
Cheers, Neale.>
Rope Fish breathing hard
I bought two new rope fish put them in my 100 gallon tank. One was
really active right away the other one not so much. Do rope fish usually
breath hard with their mouths open and side gill flaps opening and
closing or is this a sign of distress.
<It wasn't clear -- I meant no, they don't normally do this, and yes,
it's a sign of distress.>
My PH is 7.8 my ammonia is zero and temp is 78-80. I do add salt to the
tank also.
Thanks,
Troy
<NM.>
Re: Rope Fish breathing hard
10/16/09
Thanks for the information. My tank is two feet deep, but I do see them
swim up to breathe.
<A bit deep for this species. I'd install a rocky ledge about halfway
up.>
I do have fine sand substrate in my tank. I had no idea that the
aquarium salt was no longer used except for treatments.
<Is indeed the case. Constant exposure to saline conditions can cause
problems for freshwater fish. Do review "Malawi Bloat" for example.
Sodium chloride detoxifies nitrate and nitrite, and that's probably why
people used salt so much in the past. But now we can provide better
water quality with more reliable equipment, so salt shouldn't be
necessary.>
I will go buy some saltwater salt mix.
<Why?>
How much salt do you recommend for a 100 gallon tank??
<Don't need any. Ropefish are PERFECTLY HAPPY in freshwater. They DO NOT
NEED SALT. If you wanted to keep them in brackish water, SG 1.003 is
probably the tops, and that's about 6 grammes per litre of water. I'd
suggest a lower level, SG 1.001, or about 3.5 grammes per litre. But as
I say, you DO NOT need to be adding salt.>
I believe my other problem is I do have them in with some peacock
cichlids.
<Bingo.>
I watch my tank a lot even late at night and it seems as though they
completely ignore each other I wonder if mere sight is stressful for
them??
<Indeed, far too aggressive and active. Cichla spp. are active midwater
predators that will terrify gentle, swamp-dwelling Ropefish. I wouldn't
keep Ropefish with anything other than small community fish (obviously
too large to be eaten, so not Neons). Corydoras, Giant Danios, Bleeding
Heart Tetras, etc. would all be good.>
Thanks so much,
Troy
<Cheers, Neale.>
Questions Regarding Rope Fish, hlth., fdg., sys.
8/3/09
Dear Sir / Madam,
I hope all is well !
My name is Kush and I'm from India.
<Hello,>
I have 6 Rope Fishes in a 3 Feet ( 40 Gallon Tank ) with plenty of
hiding caves and pipes for them. Just wanted to request you to kindly
guide me on a few questions that I have regarding these wonderful fish.
<Fire away.>
Sir, one of the Rope Fish that I purchased recently, seems to have a eye
problem. I can't say that its eyes are cloudy, but it looks more like a
"white dot in the center" of both the eyes.
<Often mechanical damage. These fish are burrowers, and in tanks with
gravel can injure themselves. Smooth silica sand is better. But smooth
gravel usually works okay, too. In any case, treat as for Finrot, and
hope for the best.>
All other ropes that I have, have clear and beautiful eyes. Is this some
kind of an eye disease ? If yes, how do I treat this. Somebody suggested
to use Tetracycline in the tank water, as this could be a Bacterial
Disease - just wanted to know if this is safe and effective, and how
much dosage is recommended. Also the only Tetracycline I get here are
Capsules labeled as Oxy tetracycline - is this the same as the normal
Tetracycline ?
<An antibiotic should work safely, but observe the fish, and if
possible, treat it in its own quarantine tank.>
Another of my Rope Fish has a few White Spots on its body. They look a
little (very little) protruding (like very tiny ulcers) - I have a
feeling that its Ick (White spot disease) - I have raised the
Temperature to 31C
and added a little salt. The fish seem to be comfortable but they still
have the white spots. Kindly guide me on treating this.
<The salt/heat method should work well. Ropefish live in slightly
brackish water sometimes, and they have a good tolerance for salt. 2 to
3 teaspoons of salt per gallon (3.75 l) of water should work well. It
will take 1-2 weeks to wipe out all the parasites.>
Regarding Nutrition for my Rope Fish, I feed them Live earthworms
everyday, and they really eat them well. Just wanted to know if this is
ok for them as a standard diet.
<Yes.>
I'm not able to 'train' them to eat anything else. I fed them Chopped
prawn meat and pellets, but they don't even touch them.
<They will eat chopped prawn and other seafood eventually. They hunt by
smell, mostly at night. So offer the food in the evening, and if
necessary, starve them a couple of days before adding these foods.>
I worried that they aren't getting any vitamins in their diet and wanted
to know if there is any way, I can make them ingest some vitamins.
<Variety is the key! If you have earthworms, prawns, mussels,
bloodworms, squid, and small piece of white fish (such as tilapia) you
have a nice, varied diet. These fish will eat most fresh or wet-frozen
foods, though
they have little interest in dried foods or pellets.>
Will adding some vitamins directly to the tank water be effective ?
<No.>
Lastly, Just wanted to know if my current tank ( 3 feet - 40 Gallons )
be enough to house these 6 Ropes that I have or do they need a larger
tank.
<Should be fine. These fish rarely get above 45-50 cm in captivity. Your
main issue is escaping: these fish VERY COMMONLY escape from fish tanks.
A secure lid is essential. In the wild they move across land at night,
from one pond to another, like eels. They are very, very good at
squeezing through tiny holes. Be careful!>
Kindly guide me on the above questions, Sir - I really have nobody else
to guide me. Thanks for reading and for caring, Lots of Regards and
Wishes, Kush
<These are wonderful fish. Do see here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebindex/polypterids.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebindex/ropefishfaqs.htm
And follow the linked articles for more. Good luck with them! Neale.>
Rope Fish
(Erpetoichthys calabaricus) Tail Problem 10/22/07
Hi. This is my
first time asking a question here although I have been a regular reader of
your website. You have already been very helpful.
I recently purchased a
14" Rope/Reed Fish. In the LFS he was active and seemed healthy. Having got
him home he is still active, feeding well on bloodworm and coldwater prawns
however he seems to have something wrong with the last 1cm or so of his
tail.
This portion of his tail seems a greyish-white (the rest of him is
a lovely olive colour) this morning I have seen he has two tiny greyish
patches on his back too, about midway along his body. He is still active and
eating.
I would appreciate any advice as to what this could be. I was
hoping to get him a friend or two soon but would like to ensure he is in tip
top health first.
He is in a 350 litre 5ftx18"x18" mature tank with sand
and fine gravel substrate, bogwood and plants (plenty of hiding places) with
4 juvenile Kissing Gourami and 4 adult Gold Barbs. The water stats are all
good, water changes are done regularly (approx 10-15%) and the dechlorinator
used is Seachem Prime. Ph is between 6.5 and 6.8 (varies slightly depending
when measured) and the water here in Manchester, England is very soft. I
have attached a picture, hope it helps.
Thank you in advance for your
advice.
Jennifer
<Hi Jennifer, and thanks for the kind words. While
it's difficult to say precisely what your fish has, it would seem to be one
of the complaints generally called "slime disease". This is normally an
external bacterial infection, similar to finrot, except it works on the body
of the fish and you see dead skin and excess mucous (which is the white
stuff). What you need to use is something to treat external bacterial
infections. Maracyn (Erythromycin of some sort) would probably be a good
place to start if you were in the US, but if you're in the UK, then unless
you obtain that from a vet (which will cost you around £20) you can use
something like eSHa 2000 or Interpet #7 Anti Slime & Velvet. These are
antibacterials rather than antibiotics; while they can work, they tend to
work best with early stage infections, and may be useless once the infection
gets a firm hold of your fish. Polypterids are not especially sensitive to
medications, so you should be fine using it at full dose. I have also found
saltwater dips work well for treating slime disease. This is basically a
case of making up a mixture of 35 grammes of sea salt (from the grocery
store is fine) per litre of water (taken from the fish tank). Dip the fish
into this saltwater solution for 1-20 minutes. You pull the fish OUT as soon
as it shows signs of distress, such as rolling over. As an estimate, I'd
guess you'll be fine foe 2-3 minutes at a time. Repeat daily (using new
batches of water each time). This dehydrates the bacteria and also cleans up
the slime and dead skin. Combined with eSHa 2000, I've found this an
extremely effective approach to treating slime disease. Ropefish inhabit
brackish waters and are reasonably salt tolerant, so you aren't risking the
fish unduly. Just pull the fish out after a couple of minutes or if the fish
is clearly distressed. The "art" is to make the saltwater dip long enough it
kills the bacteria, but not so long it kills the fish. A subtle, but useful,
art to learn! Cheers, Neale> |
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Rope Eel Problem 6/30/07
Hello,
<Greetings.>
My fiancé and I bought a rope eel/fish two days ago and we're worried about him.
The "capture" was shockingly rough, I don't think the two boys knew what they
were doing - they seemed to be afraid of the rope fish. When we left we noticed
that his (our rope fish) left fin - by his head - was injured. A small piece was
missing, but he was the only one they had so we decided to take him home anyway
since he was so lively.
<Ropefish, Erpetoichthys calabaricus, are indeed fascinating animals. But there
are a few things to bear in mind. First, they are sociable, and really don't do
well kept alone. 3-4 is a much better number, and increases your chances of
seeing them swimming about. Second, they get big. Almost a metre in the wild,
though ~50-60 cm is more typical in aquaria. Finally, they are predators despite
being otherwise peaceful. Anything guppy-sized or smaller is food as far as a
Ropefish is concerned, especially if they aren't otherwise well fed on the stuff
they like, worms and insect larvae. They don't eat dry food, and certainly
aren't "scavengers".>
Last night we were watching him as he was "floating/hovering" at the top of the
tank, his tail sinking downward, causing his body to take a L shaped form. We
thought he was sleeping, since every now and then he'd move to another part of
the tank and continue to lay in this position. About two hours passed before he
began to swim around again, however, we began to notice that he was having
trouble reaching the bottom of the tank. At first we thought it was because of
his injured fin, but the longer we watched the more certain we are that its
because of his tail.
<Very odd. How deep is this tank? Ropefish are obligate air-breathers that live
in swamps: they drown if they cannot easily gulp air. They do not like deep
water. A tank around 30-45 cm is about right for a juvenile.>
When he reaches the bottom his tail will pull him back towards the top of the
tank. Were wondering if it has something to do with his "lung-like swim
bladder". If so is there any way we can fix the problem. My fiancé thinks that
he just swallowed to much air, since our last rope eel would "burp" water every
now and then.
<The swim bladder is connected to the oesophagus, and Ropefish (like their
relatives the Bichirs) breathe air in and out the mouth just like we do. So it's
unlikely there's a swim bladder problem of the type seen in other fish. I'd be
concerned about the overall health of the fish first of all. Water quality,
diet, temperature should all be checked. Like other air-breathing fish, Ropefish
can be sensitive to cold and dry air, so it's important that the humidity above
the tank is kept high. One thing I might check would be whether there are any
signs of paralysis. Sometimes these long, eel-like fish get damaged in transit,
for example by having rocks dropped on them when clumsy retailers are trying to
capture them. Look to see if the finlets on the back are moving and that the
tail swishes from side to side normally. A similar problem can happen when
eel-like fish curl up around heaters or too close to water pumps. Check also
there's nothing in the aquarium that might have bitten or otherwise molested the
fish. Otherwise, nothing springs to my mind as being an obvious case for what
you're describing.>
Thanks for your time and help,
Aurora
<Sorry can't be any more specific. Watch, check aquarium conditions. Cheers,
Neale>
Question about Ropefish and Oxolinic acid... – 5/4/07
Hi, I've bought two Ropefish from PetCo (I know, my first mistake).
The first one died of white smeary patches, mostly on his face and then
his fin.
<"Slime Disease" can be caused by any of a variety of external
parasites. It is almost always promoted by poor water conditions and
overcrowding, so fixing the husbandry issues is part of the solution.>
We had treated him by adding salt to the water, changing the water,
raising the temperature of the water, treating for ammonia, and raising
the pH. He still died.
<No surprise. Salt isn't a treatment for anything much. Improve water
conditions, and then use an anti-Slime Disease medication.>
The second one we bought (also from PetCo. When will we learn?)
started getting the same thing.
<Which should be ringing some alarm bells. Either they have poor
conditions in their aquaria, or you do, or both.>
We went to a different pet store and they told us it wasn't Ich but a
fungus.
<Can't think why. Fungus looks like little fuzzy patches; slime disease
like grey slime.>
We started treating for the fungus with Pimafix, still changing the
water, testing for pH, ammonia, nitrates, and nitrites. We still added
salt. We also used Copper safe. He just died. We really don't want to
go through this again and would like to know how much Oxolinic acid to
use to keep our Ropefish safe.
<Saying you're "testing" for things doesn't help me much. What,
specifically, are the pH, ammonia, and nitrite levels. For Ropefish
these should be pH 6.5-7.5, ZERO ammonia and nitrite. You DO NOT NEED
salt with these fish. While they sometimes occur in brackish water,
there's no real advantage to keeping them thus.>
They're great fish with awesome personalities.
<Yes, they are!>
Any help you could offer would be greatly appreciated. I only hope I
gave you enough information to help.
<Need more information about your aquarium: size, water chemistry,
filtration. Also be sure and read up about Ropefish, they're demanding
in some ways. Need to be kept in groups, great escape artists,
potentially predatory on very small tankmates.>
Thank you very much,
Josh
<Cheers, Neale>
Rope Fish With Spots 4/9/07
Hello, My fiancé and I bought our first Rope Eel (or fish since that's what
they come up as under Google) and she looked fine when we were in the
store. However, the next morning I notice two small white dots on her
back, so I called a friend whose had a fish tank for over 30 years. He
assured me that Kaliah didn't have ick, although we went ahead and put
Ick away in her tank. This morning when my fiancé and I woke the two
dots turned into three large ones, one on her underside and two along
the length of her body. We are extremely worried about her since we've
grown attached so the question to you is if Kaliah is shedding at all,
since the spots do look like dead skin. Is it normal for a rope eel to
shed its skin and if not then what can we do to spot it and make her
healthy? We feed her tropical fish food and some shrimp, per the sales
lady. Thank You. Lotsa Love Aurora
< Check the WWM website for articles on general info on bichirs. To be
more specific, your bichir probably has a stubborn bacterial infection.
Do a 50% water change, vacuum the gravel and clean the filter. The first
drug of choice is Oxolinic Acid. Difficult to come by and very
expensive, it is a miracle worker on rope fish and other bichirs. If you
cannot find it then try a double dose of Nitrofuranace and
Metronidazole. Let your local pet shop know so maybe they can treat the
next batch before they sell them. Many stores don't know about this
treatment and think that rope fish die because they are fragile, but
they are actually very hardly and live for many years.-Chuck>
Ropefish - best to do research BEFORE adding fish...not to mention, QT is
always a good idea... 3/15/07
Just a quick question...
My husband and I just bought a Ropefish approximately 5 hours ago...(Wait that's
not a question! Just let me explain first..) When we put him in our 56 gallon
tank he seemed content, even happy.
<What, no quarantine tank? Not a good idea; can very easily wipe out an entire
established tank in this manner. Additionally, how did you acclimate this fish,
if at all? How large is the tank and what else is in there at the moment? What
are the current water parameters?>
Over the last 30 minutes he has stopped moving, and will lay face up, or on his
side, looking unable to move. In your opinion is he just stressed or is there a
legitimate concern?
<The latter. Sounds as though he's in shock. Test your water parameters ASAP -
check for ammonia, nitrite and nitrates. Without knowing whether you acclimated
this fish prior to its introduction, what your setup is like, and what
conditions the fish was previously kept in (at the fish store), there's really
not too much I can tell you aside from what conditions the Ropefish,
Erpetoichthys calabaricus *should* be kept in:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/polypterids.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/bichirfaqs.htm
http://badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/profile90.html
If there is a concern please share with me how to take care of him.
<See links above.>
Thanks.
<You're welcome. Jorie>
P.S. - Sorry if I messed anything up grammatically. It might be that it's 2 am,
that I just don't care, or that I'm really lazy. Take your pick.
<Wow - I sense a bit of hostility...not totally appropriate, in my opinion,
where you're asking for our help/expertise. And, just for the record, I, for
one, do try to be reasonable in my requests for proper grammar, punctuation,
etc. A small error or two will not result in my returning an e-mail; a blatant
disregard for my time, in contrast, will...><<RMF would have ret'd>>
Rope Fish Acting Weird 10/11/06
Hi, I have had my rope fish for a couple years now and it has always done
great. But for the last couple of days it has been acting weird. Sometimes it
acts normal and swims around normal but then it just kind of floats at the top
of the tank. I am worried about swim bladder disease and wanted to know what I
can do to help it. Thank you. Toni
<Do a 50% water change, vacuum the gravel and clean the filter. Try feeding him
some live washed earthworms and see if he perks up. These fish are pretty tough
but when they do get sick they get really weird diseases that are tricky to
cure.-Chuck>
Sick Rope Fish 9/19/06
Today when my rope fish came out of his den, he seemed to have
this white stuff on his skin and seems to be really weak, I don't
think it's Ick though. He seems to be really stressed and keeps
swimming around the top of the tank. If any of you know what this
might be, please send an answer ASAP
<Rope or reed fish come down with this weird bacterial infection
that is very difficult to treat. You can try Nitrofurazone but it
only seems to stop it but not control it. The only thing that really
works is Oxolinic acid. You will probably need to go online to buy
it. It is very expensive but really works very well on this
disease.-Chuck>
Sick Rope Fish II 9/19/06
Should he be moved to a hospital tank? ( I have a 10 gallon but
its not set up)
<A hospital tank would be best. The medication will probably affect
the good nitrifying bacteria.-Chuck>
Sick Calamoichthys... no info. - 08/05/06
Hi I had a question about my Ropefish, It doesn't seem its able to sink.
He's always at the top and when he tries to go down his tail wont let him, so he
just stays up floating. Is there a way to fix this?
<Can't say with the lack of information presented>
Thank you for your time.
<Please read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/polypterids.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>
Poor English <NNS?>, killing a Ropefish 8/3/06
I
<I>
had a question regarding my Ropefish.
<What happened to it?>
I bought a couple of weeks ago, I've
been feeding it feeder fish either guppies or minnows.
<Not a good idea...>
I think one of the feeder fish probably had ich or something
<Bingo>
cuz my Ropefish got it. I've
<I've>
been medicating with Maracide
<Products are proper nouns, capitalized...>
for the recommended time and then used Maracyn 2 also as recommended. but he
still broke out again so this time I but him in a
separate tank and rededicating with CopperSafe. I've also noticed that he always
at the top of the tank,
is there any reason for that?
<Yes, being poisoned by the Copper>
I've seen other Ropefish and the always at the bottom. and when I bought him he
was at the top. is he sick or something can it be fixed? Thank you for your
time.
<Please fix your English before sending it to us... And read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwsubwebindex.htm
search out the articles, FAQs files on Ropefish, Ich, Copper use in FW... Bob
Fenner>
Improved English, poor behavior <Ropefish rant> - 02/27/06
So, I see that you have more than enough time to read your e-mails and
respond to them...God forbid that you can actually help someone with a problem
with their fish!
<<Countless people are helped here everyday.>>
I did not realize that your site is here to make you look good and have the
ability to look down on someone for their grammar and refuse to give an honest
answer that may actually help people better care for their fish based upon their
e-mail not being suitable to your liking.
<<It is not that your email wasn't to the first responder's liking, but that it
gets frustrating having to re-write emails with proper capitalization and
spelling. All that was asked of you, was that you re-write it and re-send it,
as there are many people who need advice.>>
By the way, I used my Yahoo spell checker before I sent my e-mail to you and it
still was not good enough for you!
<<Again, it was not a matter of quality of your email. I do not think it is too
much to ask that when writing to us (all of whom are volunteers) that your
letters are written properly, so that they need-not be re-typed. Many people,
from all over the world, read this site, and language is very important for ease
of understanding.>>
I thought your site was awesome! Until I actually needed some information on a
rope fish that I need help with which, by the way, I read all of your posting's
before I e-mailed you and exhausted all means of information available to me
before asking this of you.
<<Appreciated>>
You say you do not have enough time to read all e-mails sent to you and respond
to them but yet, You have the time to send all the criticism in the world if I
AM NOT AN ENGLISH MAJOR!
<<I'm sure it wasn't meant that there is no time to send out all emails, but
that it is time consuming, which is fine, but any help we can get from those
writing in, makes it easier to reply in a speedy manner to all.>>
I am American born and raised and anyone, and I do mean ANYONE that speaks
English could read my e-mail that I sent to you AND understand EVERY word that
it contained!
<<Not all that read here are American born, but again, it's not that your email
was unreadable, but not suitable for posting as it was at that time.>>
My eight year old even read it and understood every word of it! But yet, you
have no time to help but rather criticize what you feel to be proper grammar.
EXCUSE ME! I refuse to ever visit your web site EVER again and intend to tell
this to every person that I come across as well as my local pet stores which,
couldn't tell me what is wrong with my rope and wanted to know your response to
help them with their knowledge in the future.
<<That's too bad. I am sure if you had sent it back corrected, you would have
been quite please with whomever responded to you.>>
I originally planed on making a donation to your site because it seemed to be
extremely help full when people actually needed help with their fishes health.
<<It is quite helpful, yes.>>
Well, no help here!!! As far as my rope fishes health it has gotten no better
but a little worse since I e-mailed you initially. But, Obviously you don't give
a sXXX.
<<Of course we do, that is why we take the time to do this.>>
So long. I will not bother you or your uppity, uppity class of loser any
more! Dan
<<I am very sorry to hear this. I do hope to help in the future, should you
change your mind. Lisa.>>
Dissatisfied Ropefish Response ... Chuck's go - 02/27/06
Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing about concerns with our previous
correspondence. It has come to my attention that it was difficult for your staff
to understand my question. Hopefully this can be resolved, but yet again my
question remains unanswered.
Dan.
So, I see that you have more than enough time to read your e-mails and respond
to them. God forbid that you can actually help someone with a problem with their
fish!
I did not realize that your site is here to make you look good and have the
ability to look down on someone for their grammar and refuse to give an honest
answer that may actually help people better care for their fish based upon their
e-mail not being suitable to your liking. By the way, I used my Yahoo spell
checker before I sent my e-mail to you and it still was not good enough for you!
I thought your site was awesome! Until I actually needed some information on a
rope fish that I need help with which, by the way, I read all of your posting's
before I e-mailed you and exhausted all means of information available to me
before asking this of you. You say you do not have enough time to read all
e-mails sent to you and respond to them but yet, You have the time to send all
the criticism in the world if I AM NOT AN ENGLISH MAJOR! I am American born and
raised and anyone, and I do mean ANYONE that speaks English could read my e-mail
that I sent to you AND understand EVERY word that it contained! My eight year
old even read it and understood every word of it! But yet, you have no time to
help but rather criticize what you feel to be proper grammar. EXCUSE ME! I
refuse to ever visit your web site EVER again and intend to tell this to every
person that I come across as well as my local pet stores which, couldn't tell me
what is wrong with my rope and wanted to know your response to help them with
their knowledge in the future. I originally planed on making a donation to your
site because it seemed to be extremely help full when people actually needed
help with their fishes health.
Well, no help here!!! As far as my rope fishes health it has gotten no better
but a little worse since I e-mailed you initially. But, Obviously you don't give
a sh*t. So long. I will not bother you or your uppity, uppity class of loser any
more! Dan
<All questions go to a general inbox. From there they are sorted out in
categories like Marine, Freshwater and Brackish. Once they are in these
categories crew members from around the country check in a any given time and
respond to these questions. Generally the questions should be checked for
grammar and spelling before they are sent. This is fairly easy request because
all computers have these functions. It is up to the individual crew member to
decide if the grammar is too poor to respond. We may get up to 100 questions a
day. Sometimes the question is not very clear. Occasionally we don't even know
what the question is. Crew members are all volunteers and we try to answer as
many questions as we have time for. The more time we spend correcting grammar
and spelling, the less time we have to answer questions and help to keep
organisms alive. Questions that are properly written almost always get answered
first. I personally answered your question about a Ropefish and the response was
posted on the website yesterday. You may have written another question that I am
not aware of, and it was answered by another crew member. Have your local fish
store start treating their Ropefish with Oxolinic Acid as per my previous
response. Hope things go better next time.-Chuck>
Dying Ropefish - 02/25/06
Hello, I just bought two Ropefish a couple of days ago. I got their tank all
set up and then went to work, when I got home about 12 hours later I noticed
that one of my Ropefish was lying on its back on the bottom of my tank. It was
in fact dead. I fished it out and noticed that it's anus was bright red
as if it had been bleeding. My other Ropefish was still fine. I thought the
problem might have been with the water, the temp was about 78, ph was 7.0, I
had hard water, low alkalinity, and no nitrites or nitrates. I have never had
any fish die like this and I'm a bit troubled that this one died. So
anyway, The day after my first Ropefish died I checked my tank and the second
one hadn't moved, so I poked it and it started swimming around, but
it only turned to the right and it was doing these barrel rolls as well,
something just didn't look right. Then I noticed that it's eyes were clouded
(they weren't like this when I bought it). Now it pretty much only moves if its
prodded by me or the other fish. Would have any suggestions as to what
might be the problem?-Thanks, Elliot
< This is a stubborn bacterial infection that has killed many Ropefish. Oxolinic
Acid works great on this disease. Unfortunately it is difficult to obtain for
the average aquarist and is expensive too. Try Kanamycin or Nitrofuranace. Do a
50% water change, vacuum the gravel and clean the filter. Treat as per
recommended on the package. After treatment you need to add carbon to the filter
to remove any excess medication. When the medication is gone to need to get the
biological filtration going again so I would add Bio-Spira.-Chuck>
My Ropefish lost his nostrils!! 2/3/06
I have had my Ropefish for about 4 years now. He/she has been great. A couple of
weeks ago his tank mates (an Oscar and large Pleco) died of I'm not sure what.
He seemed fine until his nose got very red and raw. It went from red, to white,
and then to normal. The only thing is his nostrils are gone!! will they ever
grow back?
Thanks for any help.
>> Likely you had high ammonia, which killed your other fish, and burned the
nostrils off your rope fish. They will grow back.
HELP! My rope fish is ill and I don't know what to do! 8/9/05
Hi Bob,
<Terry... your msg. was sent in HTML, your spelling... is this an intentional
insult?>
I was wondering if you would be able to help me (I took you email from WetWeb
media).
I have a rope fish who up to a couple of days ago was fine.
About 2 days after I did a water change on my tank (1/3 of the total water
volume)
<Too much... please read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwh2ochgs.htm
and the FAQs linked at top>
the rope fish began to swim around the tank quite aggressively in loops, after
which it began to float up side down. It is still alive and if it does swim it
rights itself, but it seems to be struggling to keep at the bottom of the tank,
so now just floats.
I wasn't sure if there was a link to me cleaning the tank, so I repeated the
water tests (nitrate, nitrite, total hardness, Ph, temp) and all seemed fine.
<Toxified.... likely with the sanitizer (chloramine) in your source water>
Any help would be most appreciated, I don't know what to do.
Thanks for your time
Terry
<At this point, not much to do... perhaps add a bit of aquarium salt. Also
discussed on WWM. Bob Fenner>
Ropefish scale loss 7/29/05
Hi, we had 2 ropes in our tank now we have 1. We have had them both for
about 1 year they have been a pleasant part of our 55 gallon tank.
<Neat animals>
We also house 1 fig.8 puffer, 2 lace catfish, 2 yoyo loaches, 2 clown loaches, 3
skunk loaches, 3 gold killies, (black skirt, serpae, lemon and black neon
tetras), (gold, rosy and tiger barbs), 2 pair Kribensis, 1 pair Apistogramma
verstrefen, and a couple small Plecos.
<... these fishes have very different water chemistry preferences...>
The ropes have done very well for just over a year. Then suddenly they
started losing scales in patches. I do regular water changes (every 2 weeks
about 25%) the first one died 2 days after scale loss started, the second hadn’t
lost as many scales, but he is approaching the point that the first was at when
he passed. Neither rope showed any signs of appetite loss and the remaining
rope is still eating well.
<What is it eating? My first, best guess of the base "cause" of your problem is
nutritional>
The first one only started showing signs of distress as loss
progressed. Stayed at bottom and so forth but during last 12 hrs he swam
erratically like he wanted out of the tank. Ph is at about 7.0, I use easy
balance once or twice a month to keep balanced. Nitrate levels are below 40,
<Better below ten>
and nitrites are at .1,
<Should be zero>
total hardness is at 75, and total alkalinity is at about 160. Any possible
answers or suggestions?
<Mmm, well, from what you've stated...>
My husband and I both love these lil guys and it is rough watching them go
down so fast. I have treated with Melaleuca,
<Worthless>
and quick cure (Formalin, Malachite green).
<Too toxic>
No signs of a fungus. Help please. Thanks, Dee
Catch ya later. TTFN D.C.
<Please read re these medications utility, danger... on WWM, do look into
more/better filtration, more frequent water changes, and make it known what
you're feeding this Ropefish. Bob Fenner>
Re: rope fish scale loss 7/31/05
Just found out that our water dept is having a food grade oil leakage into
the water that is being sent to houses and are making repairs to water system
next week.
<Interesting>
Figure this is what caused the problems with our ropes.
Wish I had known earlier would have used distilled water in changes. We feed
everything from Frozen blood worms, frozen krill and beef heart, to live ghost
shrimp and red wiggler worms.
<Very nice>
List the other rope today though and they were soo cool. no one else seems to
be affected by any problems, but I have done a 40% change with distilled water
and will do another tomorrow to prevent any more problems till after the water
wells are fixed and the towers are purged.
Thanks for the speed of your reply. just wish I'd known about the water problem
3 days ago.
<I want to share a "similar" instance with you... once coming back from the
Interzoo tradeshow, on a train to Frankfurt, I got into a conversation with a
freshwater fish exporter from Nigeria... and one of his principal "products" was
Ropefish... he shared with me a difficulty they had in capturing same (with
native labor, plant extracts)... in that the fish would develop "loose scales"
and perish in great numbers, from over-exposure... On arrival, outfits I have
worked with, did something irregularly with this Polypterids, and poured/saved
their shipping water in with the standing systems... to prevent chemical
shock... a tough species nonetheless. Bob Fenner>
Sick Rope fish
Hello, We have set up a tank in one of our classrooms here with three
rope fish.
The third day we had the fish I noticed that one had a thin red line on its
head. Progressively, the line has turned into a nasty patch with white edges
that has covered the fish's eyes and is moving to the body. We have been trying
to find out what this is and how to treat it. We are not having much luck. You
are the only place I found any reference to the red marks and patches. We would
appreciate any reply, good or bad news. Thank you!
Kristen Self Program Development Education Department Birmingham Zoo
<Your rope fish probably has a bacterial infection brought on from a bite or
scrape with one of the other fish. The red is a bacterial infection and the
white fuzzy stuff is a fungal attack. Do a 30% water change and vacuum the
gravel and clean the filter. Treat with Nitrofuranace or Erythromycin.-Chuck>
Ropefish
I live at college and all we're allowed to have is fish, so I decided to
bring my tank with my Ropefish and a few others. Recently, my Ropefish escaped
during the middle of the night.
<Very common... aquatic Houdini's...>
I'm not entirely sure how, because I felt that I had covered the tank very well,
but needless to say, I've now closed practically every square centimeter of the
tank.
Anyway, when I awoke in the morning, the janitor came by and said "Hey, did
anyone lose a lizard?" I followed him to a closet where he had it sitting
inside an empty Gatorade bottle (Poor thing). He was sitting in a circle, so I
had to cut open the bottle to let him out. I immediately put him back in the
tank, where he struggled for a while to remove some
whitish residue that had been building up around his head and part of his
body. Now though, he just sits at the top of the tank in a half circle, with
his head and tail end pointing downward, and his midsection partially out of the
water. Though it has only been a little under a day since I found out about
this, it would like to err on the side of caution, particularly because I can't
stand to see an animal die, especially on what it most likely my error. If you
have any recommendations that you could give me, I would greatly appreciate it.
<I have seen many Ropefish incidents as you cite... among them my own. I would
leave the animal as it is for now, and hope that it recovers (many do). If yours
develops red sores and/or obvious fungal (white, mycelious) patches, I would
elevate the system temperature (to about mid 80's F.) and prescribe an
anti-microbial (likely a Furan compound). Bob Fenner>
Ropefish troubles
Hi
<Hi, Pufferpunk here>
I have a Ropefish which seems to be having a problem with buoyancy. He always
used to lie at the bottom of the tank and swim around the rocks, but for the
last 4 days he has trouble submerging, and seems to float around the surface. He
wraps himself around the heater and filtration unit to stay down. I haven't
noticed any bloating, but he had been suffering with flukes and is now at the
end of the "Sterazin" treatment period. Could the treatment have caused the
buoyancy problem? Will he recover properly?
<Sterazin appears to be toxic to several species of fish. I would do a 50%
water change & filter w/fresh carbon, to remove all traces of meds. Try feeding
w/live black/Tubifex worms (well rinsed). That will clean out any intestinal
blockage it may have. Nutritious too!>
Thank you for your help,
Kerri
<You're welcome--Pufferpunk>
Ropefish
Hi my name is Crystal and I hope you can answer my question. My brother has 2
Ropefish, 1 is a couple of months old the other he just got about a week or 2
ago. The one that he just recently got is lying on his back... he/she is still
breathing but just lying there. could you possibly be able to tell us what is
going on??
<These fish can have difficulties resulting from their capture, shipping... Best
to leave them at the store for a good week or two before buying...>
The store he had got him/her from told me to get him to put aquarium salt in the
tank because he/she might be having digestive problems. But this person said
they knew quite a bit about Ropefish but doesn't know to much about their
anatomy's because according to him the only time a fish would be on their backs
and still alive is if they have a bladder infection and he doesn't know if that
could be a possibility for Ropefish or not because he doesn't know if they have
a bladder.
<They and their relatives, the Bichirs do... it is connected to the throat, and
ventral to the esophagus... Please see here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/polypterids.htm>
so I thought you could help me on this problem and I really really hope so.
<Do check on continuing water quality... the behavior of lying on their back is
not good. Bob Fenner>
Thank you for your time.
Ropefish Problems
<Hello, JasonC here filling in for Bob while he's away diving.>
My Ropefish got out of its tank a couple days ago. <they are very good at
this...> It was only out for a little over an hour before I discovered it. <ok>
when I did I rinsed it and put it back in. Now the Ropefish is very inactive and
seems shy. Is this normal? <probably a little traumatized, after being stuck to
the carpet.> I thought at first that it might need some time to adjust back but
it has been over two days! Also there seems to be a long tear on its bottom
extending from near the head to its tail. <ouch!> I think this might be damage
incurred when it escaped. <perhaps...> Any suggestions curing it and do you
think that this is the reason for its immobility? <will have to "cure" on its
own if it's going to.> It is also not eating when I feed it. <Bob's advice on
huger strikes with these is to offer a live earthworm or mealworm -
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bichirs.htm
> Before it escaped it used to respond to feedings (I feed it bloodworms), now
even when I put the food in front of its nose it won't take it in. Just lays
there still. <again, your assessment that it is taking it easy due to the injury
sounds correct here.> How should I get it to eat and is that a normal behaviour
after they escape the tank? <try those live worms.> I really don't want this
fish to die so any help is greatly appreciated! Thx.
<No problem - do check through that link. I do hope your Ropefish makes a speedy
recovery. Cheers, J -- >
Ropes and Dragons
Robert,
I have a 45 gallon freshwater live plant setup. PH7.6 Hardness apx10 Ammonia and
nitrite at zero. I recently purchased two new rope fish and a Pleco (I think
that's what it's called).
<Mmm, maybe a member of the family of mainly South American Sucker Mouth
Catfishes, Loricariidae: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/loricariids.htm>
The two rope fish died within two days and a day later the rope that I've had
for 6 months died.
<Not unusual to have new Ropes bring in disease, stress... Our coverage of this
and the related Bichirs: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bichirs.htm>
Then last night my small dragon Goby died. The ropes got the "glassy" eyes and
discoloration before they died and the Dragon lost a lot of weight and showed a
large white section on it's tail before it died. So far the other inhabitants
haven't shown any problems; they are: a larger Dragon Goby (about 6"), two Bala
Sharks, 1 Clown Loach, 1 Pleco (algae eater), and several neon tetras. I did a
20% water change and filter maintenance after the first two died and I've been
running my Diatom XL (normally for polishing only) a couple hours a day. Any
possibilities you can offer will be greatly appreciated.
<I would do what you have done... and add some activated carbon/powder to the
diatom>
As a side note. I have already purchased a cheapy 10 gallon setup to use as a
quarantine tank in the future.
<Good idea>
You might also be interested to know that the fish came from Pet (not so) Smart.
<Yikes...>
Thanks Again
Tom Peterson
Kissimmee, Fl
<Sorry to hear of your trials and tribulations. Steady on my friend. You're
moving in more positive directions. Bob Fenner>
Re: Ropes and Dragons
Robert,
One more thing I just remembered. The day after the two rope fish died the water
became cloudy, that was my initial reason for setting up the Diatom filter.
Also, I use a Fluval 204 with just the foam and bio pellets. (No carbon)
I hope you're able to help. I'm really not enjoying the kids reaction and the
mortality lessons it forces me to give.
<I might also add a "unit" (bag) of Boyd's Chemipure to the Fluval. Bob Fenner>
Tom Peterson
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