HELP!!!!! I am scared my 6" Jurupari will not make it over night!!  5/31/07
Jurupari With Hole-In-The-Head Disease
Okay this is the deal, for about 2 years we have had a 55 gallon freshwater tank and within the first year we had acquired - 2- 1.5" black tetras, 1 - 1.5" Tiger barb, 1 - 2" Figure Eight puffer, and 1 - 3" algae eater. Every thing was fine for several months, and then about 6 months ago the Puffer died, we weren't sure why, probably because I was too busy with an new baby to tend to the tank like I should have.
< Actually as puffers get older they move to salt water from fresh water. this is not true for all FW puffers but it is true for most sold at stores.>
We observed the fish and took care of the tank, making sure there was nothing going to harm the other fish. Since the other fish seemed fine we decided two weeks ago we would like to get another puffer (they are so much fun.) Well I went to my LFS in search for a puffer and I came upon a Beautiful 6" Geophagus Jurupari at the price of $50 - I didn't buy it, but placed an order for the puffer instead. A week later I came back to pick up the puffer and the "smart" fish guy was there so I asked about the Geophagus - he said it was a great hardy fish and that it would be fine with a puffer and the fish I had at home.
< Most puffers are actually brackish fish unless you got a specific species that is found in true FW. The Satanoperca jurupari actually comes from soft, warm, acidic waters of South America.>
I said I will take it, and they loaded him up with the puffer and I brought them home to there new tank. Since this was my first time to purchase a fish that cost more than $10 - I had never even heard of putting new fish in a QT before entering them into my display tank. I have always just acclimated them then added a little of my water at a time over about an 45 min. time period - and this is what I did with the Jurupari and the Puffer. After being in our tank for 2 days I noticed tiny white specs on the puffer and immediately went to the computer to learn it was ich. I decided to go with the heat, salt and daily water changes instead of the chemical route. Since I didn't have an extra tank and heater etc. I used a large clear acrylic salad bowl and placed it into the large tank to share the 87 degree temp and air with an air stone and a little gravel. Concerned about the ich and curious to know more about the Jurupari, I again turned to the web. I began to realize my water conditions were totally wrong for the Jurupari. Now I was really concerned my water conditions were going to stress this beautiful fish. I immediately began to attempt to lower the hardness, pH, & alkalinity of my tank water with water changes, aquarium salt, and a pH buffer - I just could not get it down!! After loads of research - I realized the that the Texas Holey Rock and landscaping gravel I had in my tank were causing the high alkalinity and water hardness! I immediately removed the rocks and the next day I removed the gravel replacing it with black Tahitian Moon Sand for the Eartheater - but now my bacteria is gone and I have began to notice little tiny holes on the head of my Jurupari! I immediately searched WWM and found this was HITH! I did as suggested and ordered Metronidazole (Hole-In-The-Head Guard) from DrsFosterSmith.com, along with Marc Weiss Instant Amazon, and Vita-Chem. I
did a water change, then administered the HITH meds, now he wont eat and he has began to get blood streaks in his tail, he hangs out at the top and is kind of out of balance. Believe It Or Not! I am already in love with this fish!!! I am willing to do whatever it takes to save these fish!!! Other than not researching the South American Cichlid before I bought it - Please tell me what I did wrong, and what I can do to fix it!! Helpless in Houston, Beth
< The genus Satanoperca overall is a very touchy group of fish. They require very clean soft acidic water to thrive. Anything less that this and they break down with a long list of maladies that you have now encountered. All of the changes have created stress in your fish and he has begun to shut down. For the short term I would isolate him in a 10 gallon tank with and airstone and a heater. The water would be 50% treated tap and 50% R/O. Set the heater at 82 F. Treat the tank with a combination of Metronidazole and Nitrofuranace. The Metro with treat the bloat and the Nitro will treat the bacterial infections in the fins. Treat on day 1, 3 and 5. On days 2 and 4 just do a 50% water change while vacuuming out any waste. When the fish acts hungry then you can start to try and bet him to eat some medicated fish food with Metro in it. In the long term the big tank really needs softened water. I would recommend using an R/O unit to remove the dissolved minerals and adding a buffer to acidify the water to a mildly acidic pH. these fish are bottom feeders so make sure some food gets to the bottom. They do not like any waste in the water. The nitrates should be under 10 ppm. This is very clean water and will require lots of water changes. the other fish will like the new water with the exception of the puffer.-Chuck>

Re: HELP!!!!! I am scared my 6" Jurupari will not make it over night!!
Finding Nitrofurazone - 6/1/07
> Also, where can I find Nitrofuranace? I didn't see it on DrsFosterSmith.com.
< They sell it as simply Furanace or Furan-2.>
Can I use API's Triple Sulfa?
< You can try it but I don't think it will be as effective as the medications I have recommended.>
Am I treating hemorrhagic septicemia, is that what the blood streaks are, or is it some sort of bloat?
< These medications are good for bacterial and fungal infections. Your are treating both external and internal bacterial infections.>
I am going to get an extra tank right away - I guess because I will be doing a 50% water change every day I wont need a filter on the QT tank.
<When you medicate a quarantine tank , the medications are affecting the biological filtration. You remove the fish waste in the tank with the water changes.-Chuck> Thank you so much with helping me on the specifics - I am extremely grateful!!!!!
> Beth

Re: HELP!!!!! I am scared my 6" Jurupari will not make it over night!!
R/O Water - 6/1/07
> Since I don't have access to RO water right away can I use bottled distilled for the water changes? It is 0 everything?
< Distilled removes more minerals than an R/O unit so either would be fine.-Chuck.>

Re: HELP!!!!! I am scared my 6" Jurupari will not make it over night!!
> Jurupari Needs Treatment - 6/1/07
> WWM Team - THANK YOU for your quick response!!!
< We know how important information is when your fish are sick.>
OK, I bought a 10 gallon tank, wiped it out with distilled water, and filled it with distilled water.
< Pure distilled water is not needed. Next time mix 75% distilled with 25% tap water.>
I heated the water to 84 so there wouldn't be a drastic temp change for the Jurupari - I am slowly lowering it to 82. Right now the tank only has the heater and an airstone in it. I also put 1 tsp of Instant Amazon and 20 drops of Vita-Chem, since I did a Metro treatment in the big tank yesterday, I won't treat him with it again today. My main concern is the other medicine you mentioned - I was unable to locate it online or at the LFS's I have near my house. I did find API's Triple Sulfate Anti-Bacterial Fish Med that is for Hemorrhagic Septicemia - should I use this to treat the water?
< I looked in the Drsfostersmith.com catalog and found both medications I mentioned available. The tri-Sulpha is not as effective as the medications I had mentioned. If cannot find them then go ahead and try the triple Sulpha.>
The If so, should I do it today and alternate the treatments every day, or should I wait until tomorrow and do both medications at the same time?
< Treat with both medications at the same time.>
If not, please tell me were I can get the Nitrofuranace and I will have it next day aired to my house. By the way the Jurupari's fins aren't
clenched anymore now that he is in the Distilled Water - but it looks like he is also suffering from fin rot - is this also because of the water conditions, or is this something new?
< The fin rot is a bacterial infection from high nitrates in the water. This disease will respond to the antibiotics.>
Also, is there an RO unit you would suggest for my tank?
<If you have a 55 gallon tank and you probably need to change up to 30% of the water every week. This means you need to generate about 20 gallons per week for water changes. So you need to get one that generates at least 20-30 gallons per week. They are usually sold in Gallons per day. So get a unit that generates at least 5 gallons per day and you can always lower the pressure and reduce the amount needed.>
Now. about the big tank, my tiger barb wont eat and he is gasping for air - it looks like he has dark green patches on his sides and the top of his head - and maybe one single spot of ich on his back fin (if this is possible.) Also, yesterday the puffer looked like most of his ich spots were gone and this morning he was covered with twice as many.
<The ich medication has probably affected the biological filtration. Check the water for ammonia and nitrite levels. Both should be zero. Reduce levels with water changes.>
UGH! I feel like this is all my fault! Not researching before the purchase of new fish. Now I feel like I am in way over my head.
Helplessly trying to reproduce the Amazon in Houston! Beth
<This is all part of the learning process. We are here to help.-Chuck>

Re: HELP!!!!! I am scared my 6" Jurupari will not make it over night!! - 6/1/07
> Treating A Jurupari
> Well after I put the Jurupari in the 10 gallon QT tank he immediately perked up his fins and biting at the glass as if he was hungry...so I tried mixing some vita-chem and Metro in with some flakes and letting them dry, but he seemed to just make a mess with them through his gills. So I thawed some bloodworms and added vita-chem and Metro to them in a little bowl, let them soak and got him to eat two servings yesterday. This morning when I woke up he as floating at the top again with his fins clenched - I tested the ammonia and it was .5 ppm (How is that possible?)
< All fish waste and uneaten food turn into ammonia. You have no biological filtration. If he is eating then feed once a day. Feed only enough food so that all of it is gone in two minutes. Remove all uneaten food while doing the water change.>
Immediately, I did a 50% water change, tested again and it seemed like it was between 0 and .25. So administered the Metro and Triple sulfa. After being in the meds for an hour or se he began shedding some serious slime and his tail was kind of floating up - I waited a while and there was no change so I did another 50% water change diluting some of the meds. His fins are clenched and he seems unbalanced -
and he keeps floating up - and he wont eat again. Do you think he can make it or does it seem unlikely? I am heart broken and completely consumed by the issues at hand. Thanks for your help! Beth
<When a fish is stressed it develops a heavy slime so the parasites cannot get to its skin. Now the medications are diluted and you fed him three times yesterday. Your fish has gone through a lot. Currently he is not being treated and just sitting in z 10 gallon tank. If he is strong he may come back.-Chuck>

Re: HELP!!!!! I am scared my 6" Jurupari will not make it over night!!  6/3/07
Jurupari Worn Out
This morning my Jurupari was upside down in the QT tank - I looked closer and he was still breathing - I stirred the water up and he swam up top, but quickly floated back down to the bottom. He is still at the bottom, although he is upright now - What should I do? Do you think he is suffering?
< You fish has gone through alot. I would recommend that you keep up with the daily 50% water changes until he dies or gets better. He is probably too weak for any medications. Let him rest and build up his strength and see if he has anything left to fight back.-Chuck>

Earth Eater Eating It   1/11/07
I have an adult jupari that I acquired in an adopted 150 tank.
The pH is 7 with 0 Nitrites and very slightly elevated Ammonia .
< Should be zero.>
The tank has just recently stabilized after many weeks of spiking ammonia and nitrites. The tank has a sand substrate and temp is 78.9.
There are 4 adult Severums and 2 adult jupari and a 3 foot fire eel. One of the adult jupari started showing eroding spots on the right side of head. I moved the fish to a 10 gallon tank, added salt and Metrozol per LFS advice.
< One of the treatments for hole-in-the-head.>
In two days the fish developed a very cloudy lens on his left eye and other areas appear to be eroding on his head and right side.
Very small  but noticeable. Per LFS I have added Tetracycline.
All other fish in the tank appear fine so far. Any thoughts?
< These fish come from the soft acidic waters of South America. They do not tolerate much waste in their water at all. The store's treatment is sound advice. Add some high quality food with lots of vitamins and minerals to build up the immune system. If you fish is still eating I would try the following. Take an ounce of live blackworms and place them in a plastic cup with some water. Add the Metronidazole to the blackworms. This will kill the blackworms. Feed immediately to the fish. This will get the medication into the fish where it can do the most good.>
NOTE: I have found and been corrected MANY times on the name of my fish - some like Jupari, Some like JuRAPi, Some Geophagus preceded by some Satana....name.  It is an earth eater and was sold to me by LFS as a Jupari. What should it be called? I would be glad to send pic if your interested. Tim Self
< This fish has historically been sold as Geophagus jurupari. A few years ago the genus was changed to Satanaperca (Devil Fish). There are actually a hand full of cichlids in this genus. Two fish that look very similar are the jurupari and the leucosticta. Care is the same for both.-Chuck>