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Severum With Bacterial
Infection -- 11/17/2009
Hi, I was wondering if you could help identify the disease my gold and green
Severum have. I have searched all over the internet but cant seem to find
anything conclusive it started as what looked like a spot and is now
spreading fast. The red spots are on both sides of the fish and I have
enclosed a picture for you to look at. My tank has been set up for a number
of years now,. I have in my tank two rams, 2 Bolivian rams, 2 keyholes, 1
kribensis a bristlenose Plec and a albino Plec. No other fish seem to be
affected just my Severums. I've tried anti-fungus treatment with no joy. My
water parameters are all normal and they haven't gone off their food or
anything Really hope you can help Thanks Alan
< It appears to be a bacterial infection. The ammonia and nitrites should be
zero and the nitrates should be under 20 ppm. I would recommend isolating
the infected fish in a hospital tank. Treat with Nitrofuranace.
It is both anti fungal and an antibiotic. Sometimes domesticated strains of
fish are more vulnerable to diseases than some wild type strains.-Chuck>
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Gold Severum labored breathing and loss of color and appetite
Tank Slowly Losing Fish – 10/20/09
Hi! I have a question. I have a 55 gallon tropical tank that used to
hold many different types of fish. They all were healthy until about 6
months ago when they all started dying slowly. It would start with them
swimming upside down or sideways and kind of thrashing occasionally in
the water.
This would last for a few days to a week. Then they would die. I am down
to one fish, a Gold Severum, who was able to make it through the worst
part of the illness in the tank. She/he (not sure) has been alone in the
tank now for about 3 months and did not show any signs of being sick
until the last week. She stopped eating a few days ago and spends most
of her time either at the top of the tank (gasping for "air") or resting
at the bottom of the tank (still gasping for "air"). I have noticed that
she has become more light in color also. I have tested the water many
times with API Ammonia test strips and API 5 in 1 test strips (measures
pH, Nitrite, Nitrate, Carbonate, and General Hardness) All tests have
came back normal (which was the same during the major death period for
the other fish). I have changed the water numerous times and use Top Fin
Water Conditioner, Top Fin Bacteria Supplement, and Prime Concentrated
Water Conditioner (as I have always done for the past 3 years). I fear
the worst for Delia (my fish) and don't want her to follow the fate of
her previous tank mates. I have attached a picture of Delia and the
tank. Please let me know what suggestions you have to get her well again
or if she is doomed at this point. :(
Thank you for any help you can give, it is much appreciated! Kelly< If
the water conditions checked out OK then you could have a disease or
dietary problem. Now that you are down to one fish it may be too late to
find out what the problem is. Start by doing a 50% water change, clean
the filters and vacuum the gravel. If things don't get better then treat
with Nitrofuranace. Follow the directions on the package. Add
Metronidazole at the same time. This shot gun approach will treat a very
wide range of diseases.-Chuck>
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Sick Severum 8/18/09
Love the site! I recently acquired a 3-4 year old Gold Severum. I set
the 40g tank up the same day I was given the fish. I used tap water
conditioned with Stress Coat. I took gravel from my Oscar tank
(established 4
years) and driftwood from my planted tank (established > 1 year).
<Good technique>
Filtration is an Emperor 400. Substrate is small gravel and aquarium
stones (bought at fish store). The fish acted fine the first 24 hours -
swimming normally and eating good. On the second day, I noticed he would
hover just below the water's surface, breathing normally. He then
started hanging more vertically below the surface and every so often
would quickly jerk from side to side. This is the third day and he is
still hanging vertically and now the "jerks" are more aggressive,
sometimes hitting the side of the tank. He still eats very good and does
"right" himself when I approach the tank and for the most part when
eating. I have also observed him lying almost on his side at the bottom
of the tank.
<Bad behavioral signs... something is amiss... with either the water
quality or this fish was severely traumatized in the process of moving>
During a worry session last night, I changed 50% of the water using half
R/O water and half tap water. I added carbon to the filter cartridges
too. Thinking it could be stress, I added more plants for hiding places
today. I also added aquarium salt (1 tbsp per ten gallons). I have
tested Amm, nitrIte and nitrAte - no readings. pH is 8.0.
<Way too high. What was the pH of the system previously?>
I thought I was helping this fish by taking him - please help me help
him.
Thanks in advance,
Michele
<Best at this point to add activated carbon in the filter/water
circulation flow path (in the Emperor filter best) and wait and see. Bob
Fenner>
Re: Sick Severum – 08/18/09
I added activated carbon to the filter Sunday night.? I do not know the
pH reading in the fish's previous tank.? I'm pretty sure the previous
owner used mostly r/o water.? My tap water is usually 7.6 - 8.0.? I
started doing very small (about 3 gallons) water changes using only r/o
water to lower the pH.? Hope this helps.? Fish is still hanging
vertically just below the surface.? He ate very well this morning.? How
fast (or slow) should pH be changed?
<... no more than about 0.1 of a point in a day... Read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwph,alk.htm
and the linked files above. BobF>
Re: Sick Severum
8/20/09
I am happy to report the Severum is doing "swimmingly" well.
<Ahh!>
When I returned from work, he was swimming normally and had a very good
appetite. I performed another 3 gallon water change this AM with r/o
water and will continue to do so every 24 hours until the pH is in
proper range.
Thanks so much for the help and support.
<Congratulations on your success. BobF>
Help!!! Sick Gold Severum
05/22/09
Gold Severum Struggles To Swim
Hello, my name is Linda and I have a Gold Severum that is not swimming
or eating. She or he, not really sure, about 4 years old with a Tiger
Oscar is sick. I have a 55 gallon tank and it is staying on the bottom
of the tank and she is not able to keep itself at the top or swim
without trouble to eat. She struggles to swim and she lays flat on the
bottom. I have changed the water and filters. Not sure what might be
wrong with it. My Oscar is just fine. It is also missing some of its side
fins. Looks like my Oscar might of attacked it. They have been together
for all 4 years, since babies. What do you think? Will the fins grow
back? Is this a water condition problem? Please help. Thank you in
advance. L
< The Severum has an internal infection that has affected the swim
bladder. The most likely cause is stress of some sort. In a
separate hospital tank treat with a combination of Metronidazole and
Nitrofuranace as per the directions on the package. Do not feed and keep
the water temp at around 82 F with lots of aeration. When you fish acts
hungry them you know it is getting better.-Chuck>
Re: Help!!!
Sick Gold Severum 05/23/09
Gold Severum Struggles To Swim II
Dear Chuck, Thank you for your quick response to the email and my sick
Severum. While I was looking at my fish tonight when she is laying on
one side completely I noticed that her under body is all red and looks
like it is a little ripped up. Not sure if this happened before she got
sick. I will in the morning start a hospital tank and get both the
medicine you recommended. I sure hope this will help. She is a very
pretty fish and
don't do much to my Oscar and the Oscar seems to like the Severum. Thank
you for your help and advise. I will wait to hear from you on the red
ripped up bottom center. Thanks again. Linda
< The trauma to the sides may have been caused by a bacterial infection.
The Nitrofuranace will treat those symptoms too.-Chuck>
Golden Severum with red
stripe and streaking 4/28/09
Hi and thank you;
<Hello,>
I wrote in about 3 weeks ago. I have a 7 inch Golden Severum and he is
the only fish in the tank. He started out with a round bump/lesion in
his head about a month ago, vertical swimming, some stringy poop and he
stopped eating.
<Sounds like an Hexamita infection; usually related to water quality,
especially nitrate, but may also be triggered by inappropriate diet and
possibly other factors like insufficient oxygen concentration. Since
Severums are herbivores, they're probably pretty sensitive to the wrong
diet, i.e., vitamin deficiency. This seems to be the case with marine
herbivores like Tangs and Angels, at least.>
Since then I have been doing consistent water changes and gave him 2
Ampicillin treatments 3 weeks ago for the open sore. This sore healed
completely and there are no others. I felt like he might of run hard
into a
rock when startled. I did a parasite clear treatment for the stringy
poop and because he was startled.
<Generic parasite treatments generally have little/no impact on the
mucous-rich faeces. Hexamita infections are complex; the parasites in
the gut irritate the lining of the gut, resulting in lots of mucous, and
that's
where you get the stringy faeces. When the parasites migrate around the
body, they can infect the lateral line pores on the head, and this is
where the hole-in-the-head starts. A part of this problem is that the
parasites
allow bacteria to infect the pores, so much of what you see as the
"holes" is more bacterial than the Hexamita directly, hence antibiotics
may reduce the symptoms. But if the Hexamita infection isn't also dealt
with, there's nothing to stop a reoccurrence of the symptoms later on.>
I have been feeding him a variety of foods; mostly mysis shrimp with
peas, spinach. For a week I included Metronidazole and used a turkey
baster to get this to his mouth. I also treated the tank with
Metronidazole 3 times, with 1 day in between, with some water changes.
He still has a red stripe from his tail down part of his spine and a
small area under his tail, some red streaking in his tail, he hides in a
corner for a lot of the day with his head hanging down, but does swim
back and forth gently at times.
<The red streaking is likely another secondary bacterial infection.>
At night I have seen him vertical. About 3 days ago I started treating
with Kanaplex from Sea Chem and stopped the Metronidazole. His swimming
is definitely improved and he resists the food with medication, but
always eats some. I have also had the carbon filters out most of this
time. There is definitely still something persisting. I thought about
combining the two medications. Someone told me he might have developed
an intolerance to the Metronidazole and to use something like ParaGuard
from Sea Chem in place.
<Hmm... no... Metronidazole is really the only thing that kills
Hexamita.>
Do you know what the read stripe and red streak indicate?
<See above.>
What do you feel would be the best treatment?
<Would use both Metronidazole and a suitable anti-Finrot medication,
ideally an antibiotic.>
How long should I keep the carbon filters out?
<For as long as you're medicating.>
Is there any better foods to ad? Your help is very appreciated; Andrea
<Cheers, Neale.>
Green Severum Ill 4/22/09
I have two 1 yr old Green Severum that have grown quickly to ~ 6-7
inches in length. From fin shape I am guessing one male and one
female. They have laid eggs once in the past year; all went to
fungus. They eat frozen blood worms, frozen krill, frozen brine
shrimp, cichlid pellets, and algae wafers. Water is kept at ~80 in a
72 gallon glass tank. They have a female Jack Dempsey, 2 Plecos, and
2 Blood Parrot Cichlids as tank mates.
<OK. Quite a busy tank here, by which I mean you have the easy
potential for poor water quality. I do hope you have a robust
filtration system, e.g., a big external canister filter rated at 6x
the volume of the aquarium in turnover per hour, and that you do
regular (weekly) water changes of 25% or more.>
A few months ago one, the suspected the female received some damage
on her crown. A quarter sized white, slimy patch developed that
sometimes "peels." None of the other tank mates suffers from the
disease. I treated for three days for fungus (commercial brand) with
no effect. The area is now much larger (2X) and the Sev is often
hovering nose up or treading at the bottom of the tank. Her
coloration is dark and dull. She eats well.
There are several pits about her head as well. From her behavior, I
believe she's going downhill and plan to get her in a 30 gallon tall
hospital tank in the coming day or two.
<Without seeing a photo, my initial assumption would be some type of
Hexamita infection, sometimes called Hole-in-the-Head disease and
related to (and sometimes causing) Head-and-Lateral-Line-Erosion
disease as well.
In the case of cichlids, it's virtually always triggered by water
quality issues, particularly high levels of nitrate (above 20 mg/l)
but diet can be a factor too. Remember, Severums are herbivorous
fish, and need lots of
green foods if they are to get the vitamins they need. Flake,
pellets, meaty foods won't keep them healthy. Instead, balance any
invertebrate foods with equal amounts of cooked peas, spinach,
filamentous algae, cheap aquarium plants, etc.>
What do you think this might be and what do you recommend for
treatment?
<Do see here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/metranidazole.htm
No other medication works, though treatment must be done alongside
environmental and dietary corrections as well. You can treat all the
fish simultaneously, or the one fish in a hospital tank, as you
prefer, so long
as either way the fish are exposed to good water quality and getting
the right diet.>
Many, Many, Many Thanks!
Trevor
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Green Severum Ill
4/24/09
Thanks Neal for the reply.
<Most welcome.>
I have two Aquaclear 70's running at full speed (300gph each) with
foam filters and carbon bags in each. 1 25% - 33% water change is
performed weekly including a sweep of the gravel and cleaning of the
filter media. I don't have a kit to test for nitrates but will get
one just to be thorough. The tank water appears clear and
clean to the eye.
<Ah, do be careful about what "appears" clean. In general, the
dangerous stuff in fish tanks is invisible; the dirt you can see is
largely silt and cellulose-rich organic detritus that has little
impact on either water quality or fish health. Indeed, some of the
aquaria I've seen maintaining big or delicate fish are, in terms of
how they look, filthy!>
The big Pleco (8in or so) keeps things pretty tidy for me.
<He really doesn't. Plecs may remove algae from the front glass, but
otherwise they significantly add ammonia to the water, and produce
copious quantities of faeces that quickly clog up the filter. A tank
*without* a Plec will always be cleaner than one *with* one!>
The little bristle nose (3-4 in) is very nocturnal, I am not sure I
have ever seen her scavenging!
<Yes, Ancistrus spp. are rather shy. Do watch what happens as the
Pterygoplichthys matures: these are bullies, and can be extremely
hard on smaller Loricariids. In extreme cases, Pterygoplichthys have
killed other Plecs. Seems hard to believe, but is true and has been
reported very many times. Oddly, they seem to be gregarious in the
wild, so it's presumably a quirk that develops under aquarium
conditions.>
I did not realize Sevs were primarily veggie eaters and will
increase the veggie amt I feed daily.
<By default, most cichlids are herbivores or at least omnivores,
with relatively few being dedicated carnivores. Fishbase is an
excellent place to get information on what cichlids actually eat, as
opposed to what aquarists think they eat.>
They eat once per day, like I said, very well, and have grown very
quickly.
<Growth rate and appetite aren't necessarily signs of good or bad
health, so you have to be careful. Problems caused by nutritional
deficiencies, such as Hexamita infections,
Head-and-lateral-line-Erosion, constipation, etc. can take months,
even years to become apparent. More prosaically, a varied diet
improves colouration, so there's short term rewards too.>
There is rarely, if ever, left over food after 5 minutes.
<Good.>
I'll clean the tank tonight and replace the carbon,
<Carbon needs to be replaced every 1-2 weeks. I don't bother with
carbon; too much expense for too little return. Leaving the carbon
in the filter for more than two weeks is pointless: it either gets
clogged up with silt (stopping it from working) or the carbon
adsorbs all the organic material it can (also stopping it from
working). Since water changes do everything carbon does, and more on
top, I'd sooner do 25-50% water changes per week on a cichlid tank
that mess about with carbon. Carbon does of course remove
medications from the water, so shouldn't be used in a hospital tank
or during medication.>
then set up a 30 gallon hospital tank tomorrow and seed it with
water and a filter from the 72 gallon. Will get some Flagyl and
anti-fungal meds to treat her with for a week and see what happens.
Guess I'll have to soak her frozen blood worms in the Flagyl??
<Indeed.>
I really appreciate the reply.
Trevor
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Green Severum Ill
4/24/09
Neal,
<Trevor,>
Thanks again. Nitrates are indeed a factor here. I have to
guestimate, but will say near 40.
<On the high side. Almost every time I've tried to keep cichlids in
my local tap water (which has a nitrate level similar to this) I've
had problems with Hexamita whenever water changes have been
neglected.>
33 percent water change and 2 bags of carbon and I am around 20.
<Carbon won't affect nitrate at all. There are three
nitrate-reducing methods: dilution via water changes; removal via a
denitrification filter; and direct removal via media and/or
fast-growing plants. Denitrification is usually impractical in
freshwater tanks for a variety of reasons. Dilution can be viable,
either with deionised water or rainwater, but this of course
assumes that (for example) a 50/50 mix of that water and your tap
water has chemistry appropriate for your fish. That said, most of my
fish are in such 50/50 mixes, using rainwater rather than deionised
water.>
Will monitor this much more closely going forward. Occupants are
visibly happier this morning. I may take your carbon advice in the
future and attempt a 5 day cycle on water changes as well as reduce
the frozen meats to occasional treats. Spinach and peas were not big
hits last night.
<Often aren't if fish used to high protein food. Ever noticed how
most humans prefer the steak to the salad? Yet every nutritionist on
Earth will tell you the salad is the bit that's good for you, and
the steak largely irrelevant and indeed in excess rather bad for
you.>
Will try some cucumber. I may also sell the large Pleco. Is a fine
specimen but of little other value I thought as a cleaner/sweeper.
<Hunger makes the best sauce. Leave your fish unfed for some days,
and then offer cooked peas again. Alternatively, look at frozen
foods that include a mix of animal and plant protein: you'll see
such things often sold for Mbuna and various marine fish>
Thanks again,
Trevor
<Cheers, Neale.>
Golden Severum with head tilt, not eating
Gold Severum With Bacterial Infection
4/1/2009
I'm glad that you're here! My golden Severum is 2 and a half years old,
about 8 inches and is in a 50 gallon aquarium. 5 days ago I noticed a
bump on his nose area. The next day it turned into a white elevated
circle with some red on the skin above the bump. The bump was about half
the size of a dime, much larger than the pictures I've seen of hole in
the head. An aquarium shop owner suggested 3 Ampicillin tx with 24 hours
in between each. I have done 2. The inside of sore on his nose came out
leaving an open spot with reddening. The reddening increased and then
decreased after the 2nd Ampicillin bath.
I also noticed some white mucous feces once followed by stringiness. I
treated 1 time with a parasite cleanse.
I did 3 daily 25% and 30% to lower nitrates; 0 nitrite or ammonia,
nitrate is at 50ppm, pH is 7, water reads hard, temp is 80, there is 1
Gourami with him, who is fine. A nearby fish store employee said nitrate
levels were ok several times. I know they are still too high. Should I
do another 20% cleaning for antibiotic removal and to lower nitrates
further?
< The nitrates are still too high as you have suspected. Get the
nitrates under 20 ppm with water changes. Find the source of the
nitrates by cleaning the filter and vacuuming the gravel. The medication
may have
already affected the biological filtration so watch for ammonia spikes
too.>
I will put carbon filters back in. I've also added appropriate amounts
of aquarium salt, 1 dose of Melafix for skin and 2 new plants to help
with nitrates.
< The carbon will remove any left over medication. The salt and Melafix
will not probably help the situation. The plants only work with plenty
of good lighting and other conditions properly met.>
A major concern is his swimming pattern has gone from hanging out on
bottom corners head tilted down to a vigourous back and forth in middle
of tank to swimming at a slower downward tilt at night towards top of
tank and now middle of tank, head down. He is quite active.
His skin by his swim fins and on his spine are were very red yesterday
and now fins are normal color and back is much lighter. I have not fed
him for 3 days, trying to give him peas many times with hands and on
toothpick. He has refused, swims the other way.
He usually gets Hikari floating pellets. I am concerned about holding
his food back any longer for peas. To me it seems his priorities are to
eat and to regain perpendicular motion. Can you help with this
situation? Thank you for your help.
< The high nitrates may have caused an internal infection as well. I
would recommend getting the nitrates down to 20 ppm as per the
recommendation above. Treat with a combination of Nitrofuranace and
Metronidazole. When he starts to eat again then feed a medicated food
with Metronidazole in it.-Chuck>
Help with sick Severum
Severum Starting To get Hole-In-The-Head 9/9/08
Hi, I have a 200 litre aquarium which has 5 angels, 1 Oscar, 1
silver shark, 1 bichir, and a breeding pair of Severums.
All fish are totally fine expect for the Severum which has been
getting strange white bumps around his eyes and on his head for the
last few days. I have attached a picture, I wonder if you could
advise what is wrong with my fish and how to treat it?? Many thanks
Jason Ingold
< It looks like you Severum is showing the first signs of
Hole-In-The-Head disease. After the pus filled blisters pop a hole
is left in its place. The holes continue to grow eating away the
skull. There are some ideas to what the cause of this disease could
be but no exact pathogen has been identified. The stress of breeding
could have weakened your fish and made them vulnerable. If it was my
fish I would place it in a hospital tank with clean warm(82 F)
water. Treat the tank with Metronidazole and Nitrofuranace. If the
fish is still eating then feed a medicated food with Metronidazole
in it. Generally I would try to improve the diet with a quality
pellet food. If you fish is still eating I would try a little trick
I stumbled on a few years ago. I had an south American cichlid like
yours that just started to get the disease but was still eating. He
especially love black worms. I took the portion of black worms in a
little plastic cup with some water and medicated the worms with the
dosage of Metronidazole. The worms died right away and I quickly fed
them to my fish. The fish were unaware that the worms were dead and
ate them all up. The lesions turned black the next day. I did a
major water change, cleaned my filters and got some fresh fish food
that was high in vegetable matter. I felt that this would provide
the minerals my fish may have been missing. Hope this helps.-Chuck> |
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My new 3/4 inch golden Severums are sick!!
6/10/08
Hello, WWM
2 months ago, I bought a pair of 3/4 inch golden Severums. One is doing fine
with good feeding habits and swimming around pretty well. But the other one (the
relatively bigger one) is not ...............well...........very "lively". Its
heavily spotted, like snow.
<Almost certainly Whitespot/Ick if the grains are like sugar; otherwise Velvet
if the grains are very fine, like flour, often giving the fish are yellowy
sheen, hence the name "velvet". The former disease is the more common,
especially with newly purchased fish. So let's assume that's the problem. Do see
here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwich.htm
There are many treatments available. Use them. Soon.>
I did not observe it during the purchase. You might think its snowing
underwater!
I recently suffered the loss of a pair of discus (due to a faulty heater).
<Hmm... fish rarely die directly from the fault of a heater: if the tank got too
warm or too cold, you should see the warning signs LONG before the fish die.
Like, days before! So please, get alert to the signals, and act accordingly. If
the fish are lethargic and disinterested in food, they may be too cold. If
they're gasping at the surface, they're too warm. If you already know this (and
forgive me if you do) then do reflect on other things that may have been to
blame. Rapid swings in pH, the wrong diet, high levels of nitrate, etc. Discus
are very difficult fish at the best of times!>
So lets just say im tired of losing fish. since this is my 7th new pair in the
last 3 months.) Please help me! I really want the fish to grow up to their adult
size(8 inches right?).
<Yep, Severums can get to this sort of size.>
I've had my two fish tanks since 10 yrs. The Severum tank is a 9-inch by 18-inch
tank. (enough for the "babies" right?). No heater. 1 sponge
filter (the air driven one, which takes care of the aeration). Feeding-twice
a day (Tetrabits). the tank also has a 1.5 inch Pleco.
<Ah, lots of stuff here to worry about. Lack of heat may be an issue, depending
on where you live. Here in England at least, you'd need a heater for most of the
year. The same for most of North America. The main thing for Severums is the
temperature doesn't drop below 24 C for extended periods. Do also review water
quality -- in a small tank, it's not easy to maintain good quality water. You
need ZERO nitrite and ammonia, and as low nitrate as possible (cichlids are
sensitive to nitrate).>
No matter what I do the spots are just not going! I tried Rid-All Anti-Ich (the
anti- ich solution from the local vendor) from the local store (which I've used
on the other tank successfully) I even went through all your articles for ich.
<Do review the obvious things. Carbon removes medications. Water changes dilute
medications. If the disease is Velvet, then a Whitespot medication won't work.
If the disease is something else entirely, like Fungus or Finrot (which both can
produce off-white patches on the body/fins) then you'll also need another
treatment.>
(unfortunately, we, in India, don't get all the medications you have mentioned).
So please help me out. Something that will work, using salts n anti-ich
solutions from the local vendor.
<Do try the salt/warm water option. Cheap, easy, reliable. Severums occur in
brackish water in the wild and are very salt tolerant.>
(If it helps, the one I've got is blue in color)
<Could be anything!
Thanks a Million!!
-Sharath
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: My new 3/4 inch golden Severums are
sick!! – 6/11/08
Hey, Neale,
Thanks for the information, but i should say it came just 4 hrs late. The fish
was dead by 9 PM local time. I received your mail at 1 AM. Anyway, thanks for
the pointers, will be helpful for the remaining one. And i also added a pair of
1.5 inch Oscars. Any special care to be taken, in case they get nasty with the
remaining Severum)??
-Sharath
<Oscars and Severums generally make good companions, but do remember that both
species become very territorial and aggressive once sexually mature. Should a
pair form, and that pair decide to breed, there will be trouble. Oscars are
about 50% bigger than Severums, so any fights will be rather one sided. In other
words, by all means keep them together, but be prepared to separate them, and
make sure there is no overcrowding. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: My new 3/4 inch golden Severums are
sick!! – 6/11/08
PS- the heater kind of broke during the night, so the discus could have died
due to electrocution.
<Possible, but in my experience broken glass heaters blow the fuse before they
do any other kind of damage. I've often had to deal with broken glass heaters
and have yet to see the fish (or turtle, in most of these cases) show signs of
stress or electrocution. So I'd *definitely* review other possible problems. Not
saying anything negative about your fishkeeping skills, merely suggesting you
keep an open mind. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: My new 3/4 inch golden Severums are
sick!! 6/12/08
Sure! i was a bit inattentive. So will try to do better from next time.
<We all make mistakes and have accidents. What matters is we learn! Good luck,
Neale.> |
Turquoise Severums
New Severums Just Sitting On The Bottom - 11/26/07
I just bought 5 small turquoise Severums on Saturday. They are staying at
the bottom of the tank. Is this normal? I have them in a 30 gallon tank.
< You new fish should be alert and active. The water temp should be around 80 F.
Look closely for ich.-Chuck>
Severum
disease, poor English, reading – 09/29/07
hi guys , i have a blue Severum that i rescued from a crappy pet
store where it was getting beaten up, i have had it for several months
in a large tank where it has been happy with an Oscar and some scats,
but it had developed an infection of small but few large white spots 1mm
across which break out , it only stays on the head and gills and there
are rarely more than 4-5 spots at any one time which break out heal
,sometimes leave a small pockmark and reappears somewhere else on the
head or near the gill ,
<Environmentally mediated HLLE...>
it definitely doesn't look like normal white spots disease, he still
eats but looks itchy and uncomfortable . what do you think it might be
because it doesn't look like cauliflower disease or white spots .and how
could i treat it ? many thanks Laurent Australia ps al water conditions
are Aok
hope the picture helps
<Please read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/severumdisfaq.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner> |
|
 |
Golden Severum lying on side 9/27/07
Hi Please Help.
Our male golden Severum has been lying on his side for a week or so. He will
swim normally sometimes but just go back to lying on his side. It also looks
like he is slightly paralyzed at times at his bottom fins and tail but
occasionally he swims normally. Not too interested in food. 1 and a half years
old. Could this be his swim bladder? We are novices.
We are going away for 5 days and have someone else to look after them. What do
you suggest we do please help. Also what do you suggest to feed them.
There is also a large female golden Severum in the tank.
Rob
<Hi Rob. Loss of balance when swimming can be caused by a wide range of things.
There really isn't a single "swim bladder disease". That said, there are a small
number of things that are believe to be common causes. The first is environment.
Fish often lose their balance when conditions suddenly become poor. So check the
aquarium: temperature, water quality, and water chemistry. Severums want
something around 25C, pH 6.5-7.5, and hardness around 5-20 degrees dH. Second is
diet. Severums are, as I hope you know, primarily herbivores. A lot of their
diet should be plant material. Say, 50%. Sushi Nori, algae-based flakes and
pellets, and soft vegetables such as spinach and tinned peas are all ideal. They
will of course eat soft aquarium plants like Cabomba and Elodea, and there's a
good argument for putting these in the aquarium to give them something to graze
on. The worst thing you can do to a Severum (or any other herbivorous cichlid)
is give it a diet based on animal protein, i.e., mostly standard flake, prawns,
fish, etc. Low protein meaty foods, like bloodworms, are an excellent
alternative and will be greedily accepted. Failure to give herbivores a
plant-based diet leads to constipation as well as damage to the internal organs,
and one of the classic symptoms of this is loss of balance. Finally, bacterial
infections can cause loss of balance, usually once the infection has progressed
to an advanced degree. In terms of first aid, raising the water temperature 5
degrees C can help, and some vets recommend adding aquarium salt at a dose of up
to 1 gramme per litre. If you do decide to add salt, do so in stages. While
Severum cichlids do occur in brackish water and have a high tolerance of salt,
your filter bacteria will not appreciate a sudden change in salinity! Switching
to some high-fibre foods will help clear out the gut, if constipation is a
problem. Tinned peas seem to work well for this, and most cichlids enjoy them
(especially if they're hungry!). Using an anti-internal bacteria medication,
like Erythromycin, might be helpful, but this is a scattergun approach and
shouldn't be done as your sole response, because there's no guarantee that this
is a bacterial infection at all. Hope this helps, Neale>
Re: Golden Severum lying on side – 9/27/07
That is wonderful information. Thank you so much Neale.
I will let you know how they go. He looks a tad better this morning.
<Good luck, and hope he recovers soon. Severums are simply lovely cichlids,
sadly overlooked in these days of blood parrots and the like, but still among my
very favourites. Cheers, Neale>
Desperate for advice Golden Severum with
puffy red fin. Env. 9/10/07
Hi There,
I have just found your website and wonder if you can help me please. My 6 yr old
female golden Severum has a severely red and puffy fin on her side. She is
eating and swimming ok. The tank is 80 litres
<... too small>
I have another male Severum and 2 small fish in the tank. We do half water
changes reasonably regularly and here is some more info from our local aquarium
who also doesn't know what to do as nothing has worked so far.
Water quality has always tested ok with ph, nitrate and ammonia.
<Okay?>
We have tried Aquaricycline, which is tetracycline hydrochloride. Also several
fungicide and white spot remedies of malachite and formalin. Also tea tree
solution.
<... I'd be monitoring your ammonia closely...>
I am really worried about my fish, the vets cant seem to help, the aquarium man
doesn't know what else to do and I really hope you can help.
We haven't done a gravel change
<A gravel change?>
for sometime. We did a half water change last week and her fin became redder and
worse from then but it has been like this for 2 months now.
<What is your pH, nitrate?>
Please help
Regards
Jennifer
<This fish needs more room... Likely the ambient total bacteria count here is
huge... can only practically be kept low by having more space, better
filtration... Please read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/severums.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>
Golden Severum with red
puffy fin (2) Attn Bob 9/11/07
Hello Bob thanks so much for getting back to me regarding my
female 6yr old Severum with the red puffy fin. I will follow
your advice and get back to you on the ph and nitrate level.
<Good>
Would it be the best idea to move all the fish to another tank
(at the local aquarium) while we do a full clean and gravel
change
<No on the gravel changes...>
on them or do you think that would be more upsetting for them to
change environments?
<In a manner of speaking, yes>
Thanks again I really appreciate your advice.
Kind Regards
Jennifer Edwards
<Read where you were referred
to...http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/severums.htm
this animal's troubles are very likely environmental... Fix its
world and you'll fix its health. Bob Fenner>
Re: Golden Severum with
red puffy fin (3)... not READING 9/12/07
Thanks Again Bob, I have read all the info you directed me
to and it was excellent.
Obviously it is not a good idea to move the fish while we clean
the tank 100%, too stressful.
<Yes... it is just too stressful to do this period...>
I just wanted to get one thing straight. Should we do a gravel
change or not??
<What? No>
I think the whole underground filter needs a clean or
replacement which means we would have to take the gravel out as
well (I think?).
<... please, don't write... Read>
As you can gather I am a total novice and inherited the fish 6
years ago when I bought the house.
I just want to give them a good home and will do my best to fix
their environment. Have done another half water change this
morning, but the tank needs a lot more attention.
Thank you for your replies Bob.
--
Jennifer Edwards
<... The indices, search tool:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/WWMAdminSubWebIndex/question_page.htm...
Get a larger system, do regular partial water changes... RMF...>
Severum With Damaged Mouth 9/10/07
Hi - Thanks for much for any help you're able to give.
My 75 gallon tank is nearing the end of its cycling - yeah, I made the beginner
mistake (besides the LFS knowledgeable help) and overloaded the tank early on -
had a few losses, but most of the fish are coming through fine. All cichlids and
one Pleco.
I was sold a Snook (supposed to have a very cool jaw) that opened so much it ate
one of my small midas cichlids, and I believe half of the other (which I found
alive but missing half it's body) - I did ultimately find the pieces inside of
my Ario Hydor light/aeration spiny thingy. It's possible the Snook was not to
blame.
Still, around the same time, one of my Severum had it's mouth ripped off and
dangling - we're talking lips, etc. - I was able to catch it (by some miracle)
and put it in an isolation box, along with a little Melafix which predominately
concentrated within that little floating hospital. I also put a tiny flake of
food in there in case the fish had an appetite - losing one's mouth would I
suppose curb it for at least a day or 10.
Anyway, some 2 weeks later, the mouth is healed - there's a small opening - no
lips, etc.
I had seen it try to eat tiny bits of food - it would try, and then back off
(pain?) during the healing phase. Now it seems like it doesn't even try to eat.
I've had the fish for about 3 1/2 weeks - they are all substantially larger
except for this little guy who I suppose is living off his reserves. Now he's
hanging out by the heater in the corner and not doing much - each day I expect
to see it floating when I get into my office.
I tried to catch it a few times with the net but don't want to rip up he tank
(like I did catching the Snook and returning to the LFS) - I would like to put
in the floating hospital tank (breeder) along with a bit of food and just leave
it to rest for a while - it probably is seriously stressed if not outright
starving.
Any suggestions or advise would be greatly appreciated - I do 5 gallon changes
roughly 3 times/day as time permits, ammonia has been zero for about 2 weeks,
nitrites were toxic and off the chart as were nitrates, now the latter two are
starting to drop (yippee)
All the other fish seem fine and I see what appears to be evidence of mating so
things can't be too bad in the tank.
Water is 80 degrees, pH has gradually dropped over the past few weeks from
roughly 7.4 to 6.6 though I don't want to fool with the pH - I'm hoping the
water changes are making things go alright.
I have tons of plants, and tons of aeration - and as mentioned I run the Hydor
(during the day) to super aerate along with the other 4 water effects going on
-- thanks again!
Have a great day! Gary
<Many cichlids damage their mouths when they fight. Sometimes fungus sets in on
the damaged parts and the mouth does not heal properly. I would get the
nitrogenous wastes under control. The ammonia and nitrite should be zero and the
nitrates should be under 25 ppm. Isolating the recovered Severum from the other
fish is not a bad idea. As it tries to eat it will help break up the scar tissue
and try to get the mouth tissues back to being more flexible. Offer something
like worms to get him eating again.-Chuck>
Green Severum sick for a
month ! 8/13/07
Hi,
<Hello there>
Hope you can help with a sick 5 year old Green Severum. ( 5-7 years about )
He's about the size of a man's hand, beautiful fish. About a month ago he
abruptly stopped eating and was swimming in an odd manor.
<Heeee! Manner>
( kind of jerky )
Shortly after that he was on the bottom, very dark, almost black color. It
happened so fast that I figured it must be "his time ". He was really looking
bad, yet all the other fish in the tank looked fine, water was fine etc. It's a
150 gallon tank with some parrot fish, another Severum, Iridescent shark, some
Red hooks, all pretty docile. No fighting at all ) So rather than treat the
whole tank I decided to just add some additional aquarium salt, some stress
coat, and do the 1/3 water change and see what happens.
<Mmm, good moves, with the exception of your statement "more" salt... Not good
to add this continuously>
I fully expected he'd die overnight. It's a month now, he still looks the same,
stays in one spot, 1/2 on his side on the bottom. Sometimes swims to the other
side of the bottom, but never fully swims. ) He appears to be somewhat alert,
fins deteriorating a bit. Very dark black. I feel so bad for him. I can't
believe he has a disease or he'd be dead by now. I did have one fish get a piece
of a plastic plant stuck in his mouth recently. I caught the fish, removed it
and he's fine. Got rid of that plant. I caught " Seve ", but he's much bigger
and could have swallowed it. I know it's a long shot but that would explain why
" the disease" has killed him already. What do you think?
<Mmm, as you say, perhaps something internal... likely not pathogenic>
No fungus, no parasites, I don't think he looks bloated and I don't see any hole
in the head. Is there any broad spectrum meds I could treat the whole tank with?
<I would NOT>
Have you ever heard of a fish being X-rayed?
<Yes... have done some of this myself... for taxonomy use...>
( I know that sounds silly, but I feel so bad for this poor thing. I was going
to let him just pass, but he's struggling for so long I have to try. I'm pretty
sure it's not old age like I thought at first. Background, these fish have been
together for many years, no fights, all other fish a fine. No new additions.
Water test normal. Tank clear. If they could X-Ray him I don't think they could
get it out even if it was there, could they?
Thanks so much,
Ken
<I would try catching this one fish, moving it to another cycled system and
treating it with Epsom Salt... this may "move" whatever may be blocking its G.I.
tract... Please read here re:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/saltusefaqs.htm
and here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/neotropcichdisfaqs.htm
Bob Fenner>
Re: Green Severum sick for a
month ! 8/14/07
Hi Bob,
<Ken>
Thanks for getting back to me.
Can you give me an idea of how much Epson's Salt to add per gallon? I read much
of the link you gave me, but still not sure, is Aquarium Salt the "same" or just
as good as Epson Salt ?
<... Epsom, Magnesium Sulfate... is posted...>
If this fish did swallow a plastic plant top about the size of an erasure, do
you think there is any chance he might pass it? Especially after a month?
<Always hope... with caring, action>
I've never had a fish recover from looking this bad before, unless it was
because of an injury. However I've also never had a fish "sick" this long and
not get better, worse, or die. It's very odd.
Thanks so much for you advice.
ken
<Read on. BobF>
|
Is this Lymphocystis?
7/28/07
Hi again Crew,
<Ave!>
I could use some help identifying a growth on my Severum. I first
noticed it this Sunday when I got back home from a 4-day trip. At that
time, it was a vague puffy spot (first picture). Over the last few days,
it's turned from that broad puffy spot into one smaller rounder white...
thing (second picture). It's opaque at the base but clear at the top.
It's not fuzzy at all so I don't think it's fungus. Nothing seems to be
moving so I guess it's not a parasite. My best guess, from the FAQ's
here, is that it's Lymphocystis. If that's the case, all I can do is
work on keeping the tank cleaner so my fish can heal on his own, right?
<Does indeed look a lot like Lympho. Not uncommon among cichlids, though
generally much less often reported from freshwater fish than marine
fish. Typically, Lympho has an off-white colour (varies though, almost
to coffee brown) and has a dry, rough texture very different to, say,
Fish Pox, which looks slimy or waxy. Anyway, the good news is that
Lympho is a cosmetic issue like warts on humans rather than one that
puts a fish's life at risk. And as you seem to be aware, there's no real
treatment, and yes, water chemistry/quality is generally considered
(from studies on wild fish) to be the triggering factor though exactly
how isn't known.>
Thanks for all your help. The site's always a great read... even when
Bob goes a little... overboard... with the ellipses... <<Heee..... RMF>>
-Michael
<Yes, Bob is certainly a friend of the ellipse! I don't mind them so
much provided they have the right number of dots. A friend of mine (also
a marine fishkeeper funnily enough) loves to use them but she insists on
using the dots by the bucket-load. I think the more dots, the more
emphatically she means the statement. Anyway, good luck, Neale.>
|
|
 |
Severum With Seizure 3/21/07
I acquired a 5 year old female Severum over a month ago who was fed only
flakes and water quality was poor. The male had just died. I did a water change
and started feeding her peas and bloodworms plus pellets. She loved them.
About 4 days ago, she quit eating. I noticed she would twitch sometimes. This
morning she went into a seizure, swam up and hit the glass, sunk to the bottom
and died. I am devastated! What caused her to have a seizure?
< Usually parasites attacking the internal organs and nervous system cause these
violent bouts of the fish jumping all over the tank.-Chuck>
Need help!!! Severum sick with large sore
that won't heal... 12/10/06
Hi.
<<Hello. Tom with you.>>
I acquired an 8-inch green Severum from a pet store where he was
suffering from ick.
<<A healthy, stress-free fish is highly unlikely to come down with Ich.
The purchase was an act of mercy on your part, perhaps?>>
The ick has cleared up but he has since developed a large sore on his
side.
<<May have been the root cause leading to the Ich infestation, or a
result of it, even if the sore wasn’t clearly visible at the time.>>
It is increasingly getting worse (red is showing thru now) even after I
was advised to use tetracycline along with MelaFix and PimaFix.
<<This is too much medication at one time, in my opinion. It’s likely to
be keeping your new pet stressed even more. Also, Tetracycline has a
couple of shortcomings that, as a Cichlid owner, you need to be aware
of. First, Tetracycline's are light sensitive and turn brown as they
decompose. Second, they bind with calcium and magnesium, found in harder
water conditions that Cichlids are frequently kept in, rendering them
useless medicinally.>>
I have salt in the water and the temp is at around 90 degrees to keep
the ick in check.
<<Okay.>>
I do water changes everyday to keep the tank clean.
<<How large? On the surface this may seem appropriate but daily water
changes without an overwhelmingly compelling reason such as high ammonia
or nitrite levels can be counterproductive to the health/well-being of
the beneficial bacteria and, ultimately, your fish. Are more medications
being added with these changes? If so, we’re back to potential
stress-related issues.>>
He is currently being medicated in a 20g tank.
<<Very good.>>
He hasn't eaten anything since I brought him home.
<<Almost certainly stress-related here.>>
I am attaching a picture of the sore. Sorry for the quality of the
picture but the medication in the water conceals the true image. Thank
you so much for anything you can advise.
<<My recommendation would be to stop medicating your Severum. I’m
suspicious that the coloration of the water is the Tetracycline
decomposing. By way of explanation, medications, in and of themselves,
don’t cure. They merely “control” until the fish’s own immune system
kicks into gear and facilitates the actual healing process. This isn’t
going to take place until the fish is free of stress, whatever the
cause. Stick with the salt and higher temperatures for now and keep the
light levels low in the tank. Also, make sure the tank is well-aerated.
Warm water holds less oxygen than cooler water and it’s imperative that
the fish isn’t struggling for oxygen right now. With good care and a
spot of luck, this will turn itself around and your fish will return to
good health. Best of luck to you and your pet. Tom>> |
Re: Need help!!! Severum sick with large sore that wont heal...
12/11/06
Thank you for the advice Tom. It is much appreciated.
<<You’re quite welcome, April.>>
After doing a water change to get the deteriorating tetracycline out, and adding
a filter with some charcoal to get out the remnants, this morning he ate for the
very first time. I was so ecstatic!!
<<Who wouldn’t be? I’m happy for both of you!>>
I shouldn't get my hopes up quite yet, but that certainly is a sign his stress
factor went down a lot.
<<Certainly heading in the right direction, April.>>
I am doing what you suggested and just keep salt in there and temp up. He has
two filters for circulation and two airstones for oxygen. He is acting normal
again and taking quite an interest in his reflection (flaring) unlike before
with all the meds, he would sit in the corner and sulk.
<<All sounds great.>>
I will keep you updated on his progress.
<<I’d appreciate it very much if you would.>>
Thank you again so much.
April
<<Once again, you’re welcome. Best regards, April. Tom>> |
Re: Need help!!! Severum sick with large sore that wont heal...(Happy
follow-up) 2/18/07
Hi Tom!!
<<Hi, April. Good to hear from you!>>
I promised you an update on my Severum, since named Ichybod :), and here it
is...he didn’t seem to be doing well in the smaller tank I had him in so I
moved him to my 55g planted tank where I had lots of plants (not expensive
ones) he could chew on from time to time and have more room.
<<I like the move you made here, April.>>
I must say, he has totally healed. The open sore has since closed and now
his tissue has regenerated so that it matches the rest of his body. You can
also see bars forming when he gets angry at a plant or something lol.
<<Wonderful news!>>
I am sorry I no longer have a camera to take a photo of him but your advice
to me was a godsend. You saved his life. I will forever be grateful to you
and WetWeb media for helping me save him with the proper advice I needed.
<<Thank you most kindly, April. Don’t forget to give yourself a lot of
credit, though. I merely offered advice. You did the “hard” part. :) >>
The story behind acquiring the fish was that I found him suffering in a
"drop off tank" at my local fish store where he was housed with a largemouth
bass and a Tilapia butikoferi who was beating him relentless. he was covered
in ick and suffering.
<<The store might have put him in with an even worse tank mate, April, but
not a lot worse! Ichybod couldn’t have lasted much longer without your kind
intervention.>>
I know it was a huge decision on my part to try and rescue him and I am glad
that I did (with your help). He is a beautiful fish and sadly must have
been someone’s beloved pet at one time or another. Thank you again for all
your help. You are the best!!
<<It’s posts like yours that brighten my day, April. Thanks a million for
the follow-up. My best to you and Ichybod! Tom>>
|
|
 |
Old Severum Bloating Up 11/27/06
Hello, I have a 12 year old banded Severum that has recently begun to show
signs of deterioration. His dorsal fins are breaking. He is breathing hard (we
think) - he constantly opens and closes his mouth as if hungry. I say this
because I believe that he isn't eating enough- we feed him but he doesn't eat,
and I believe it is because he can't see the food- it floats past him. He must
be eating something or I think he would have passed away by now. Can fish go
blind? He is now also swollen on his underside and we have no idea what is
causing this. Is there anything we can do for him- he's been a part of the
family for so many years?- Thank you!
< Your old Severum is sick with an internal infection. Because of his age and
advanced stages of the disease he may not make it. Do a 50% water change, vacuum
the gravel and clean the filter. Treat with a combination of Metronidazole and
Nitrofurazone. Good luck.-Chuck>
Please Help...Gold Severum is sick! 11/24/06
Good Afternoon
<<Hi, Geri. Tom here.>>
OK, I am new to this site and so far have found it very helpful.
<<Welcome and I’m glad to hear we’ve been of some assistance.>>
I have a fish that I thought was a goldfish (won it at a carnival about 5 yrs
ago). He was in my tank with another fish. There was never a heater in there and
I just fed it tropical flakes. Well, the other fish started turning black and
then died.
<<What kind of “other” fish? Other than normal changes in coloration, the most
common cause of “blackening” is exposure to ammonia and/or nitrites which causes
burns. As the healing process takes over, the burned flesh turns black. It’s
also possible that low pH and high nitrate levels can cause the same problem.>>
I took the dead fish to a store along with pictures of the fish I have now. They
informed me it was a Gold Severum, not a goldfish.
<<Hello? That’s the most upscale "carnival" fish I’ve heard of yet. :) >>
I asked what is compatible with them and she told me parrot fish.
<<Among others…>>
I bought 2 parrot fish and then put them with this Gold Severum. She told me I
needed to get a heater in there and slowly up it every few days to get to about
a 78 degree temperature...OK, so my problem is this...My Gold Severum looks very
sick. It has (I think from reading your sight) Ick...It also looks like his fins
are chewed up.
<<The advice you got on adding the heater is sound enough on the surface. It
doesn’t take into account, however, that your Severum had been acclimated for
five years to an unheated environment. Extra aeration via an air stone or two is
needed since warmer water holds less oxygen. The Parrots were added, I assume
without quarantine. You don’t say whether, or not, any acclimation procedures
were followed prior to placing these in with the Severum. I can only surmise
that water that the Parrots were transported in might have been introduced into
the tank. Last, an adult Severum is a good-sized fish but you don’t mention how
large the tank is. Any, or all, of these factors can contribute to stress which
your pet is certainly suffering from. For now, it would be best to begin a
regimen of treatment with aquarium salt to handle the Ich problem and likely the
fin rot as well. Two to three tablespoons of salt per five gallons of tank water
is recommended. Raise the tank temperature to 80 degrees but no higher at this
point. The mid-80’s would be more appropriate for fighting Ich as it speeds up
the parasite’s life cycle but higher temperatures may contribute to even more
stress right now.>>
The two parrot fish hide so I never see them...
<<Not all that unusual. These are typically shy animals.>>
The Gold Severum used to be very active and now stays at bottom of tank right
near the heater and seems to gasp for air.
<<Again, due to stress and, probably, lower oxygen levels.>>
The fish don’t seem to be eating the food anymore either. The parrot fish seems
to be turning a little black.
<<Lack of appetite can be expected. The coloration changes in the Parrots is
probably somewhat normal provided it doesn’t go to an extreme. All things being
equal, this will likely fade away in a fairly short time. It may repeat this
process from time to time, too.>>
I took the water to go get tested and they said it is fine.
<<”Fine” isn’t very descriptive for you or for us, unfortunately. As I mentioned
earlier, low pH coupled with high nitrates (over 20 ppm) can be problematic in
some cases. Might appear “fine” if other factors aren’t taken into consideration
but could provide a clue as to what’s going on in your tank.>>
I think something was wrong with the food. It is the same thing the Gold Severum
has always eaten. I just got a new container about a week before the original
fish died.....So please if you have any advise I would appreciate it...THANKS a
MILLION !!
<<The food issue might simply be coincidental but I’d replace it nonetheless.
Let’s eliminate as many possibilities as we can. Also, you need to change up on
the diet to provide variety. Fish need a variety of foods in order to thrive. A
monotonous diet of even high quality food can lead to problems in the long run.
Make sure that you keep up with regular water changes to optimize the conditions
your fish live in. I really can’t over-emphasize this. Under ideal conditions,
fish are FAR less likely to become subject to disease/infestation. By far, it’s
the best thing you can do for your guys.>>
Geri
<<Don’t be shy about following up with us, Geri, even if the information doesn’t
seem overly significant. The more detail you provide, the easier it is for us to
help. Best regards. Tom>>
Please Help...Gold Severum is sick! Follow up... 11/26/07
Thanks, Tom, for all your information...
<<More than happy help, Geri.>>
I did the Ick treatment and things started looking better on my Gold Severum. He
died today and I am heartbroken....
<<I understand and I'm most sorry to hear this.>>
Who would have thought I would be upset about a fish? He was part of our life
for 5 years.
<<Like losing a little part of yourself, I think. All of us here know the
feeling.>>
Anyway...Thanks for the help and I will spread the word about your site and how
wonderful and quick your team responds !!
<<Again, Geri, I'm sorry we couldn't save your pet but I thank you, for all us,
for your kind words. My best to you. Tom>>
Gold Severum.........is this hole in the head? Asymmetrical? No
8/14/06
hey guys, first off, great site as always.
I have had a 150 gallon(6 foot tank)) setup for quite some time. Currently
housing
6 inch gold Severum
7 inch Jack Dempsey
3 inch Oscar
4 inch Red jewel
3 1/2" Green terror
(2) 5 inch banded Leporinus
4 inch Gibbiceps Pleco
8 Buenos Aires tetras
<Must be fast!>
I have 2 Emperor 400's for filtration
<And lots of big regular water changes I hope>
Recently I had a aggression problem that caused me to have to give away my 6
inch Green Severum, as he was attacking the Gold Severum often, and when he
wasn't, he was extremely aggressive going for food. Since then I noticed
that what I originally thought was a bite wound on the side of the Gold
Severums face has not healed. As I look at it now I am thinking that either the
wound is not healing or they may just have been open sores from the beginning.
Both are on the left side if the head, behind the eyes, and before the gills.
There is no "pitting" as I have seen HITH described, however it does look like
the larger sores I have seen in HITH pictures online.
<Mmm...>
Would treatment of non-healing wounds be much different than a treatment for
HITH (if that's what this is?).
<Are identical... improved nutrition, and water quality... sometimes coupled
with the use of a protozoacide>
I will add that I had been lax with maintenance these last 2 months the last 2
months of my wife's pregnancy), however, It had always been top-notch until now.
<Oh>
Hopefully I can solve with increased maintenance, and frequent water changes for
a few weeks. Since I prefer not to have to set up a hospital tank if I can avoid
it.
<I would not here>
Also, one last question. Regarding stocking. Will this tank be able to handle
another Oscar without having to displace the current inhabitants?
<Not a good gamble, no>
I realize that having two fish that will be 12 inches long each may tax even
this tank.
Thanks in advance for any help you can throw my way!
<If the pitting is not "symmetrical... bilaterally", that is, about the same on
both sides of the fish, this is not likely HLLE, HITH... but "just" sores or
pitting from poor water quality. Bob Fenner>
Lumps On a Gold Severum 6/20/06
I've had a gold Severum for about 3 years in a 60 gallon tank with
a Boesemanni rainbow, some golden barbs, Synodontis eupterus, clown Pleco, 2
Siamese flying fox, Bolivian ram, albino red sword, golden wonder killifish, and
(until recently deceased) a large Geophagus haeckeli. The Severum has had a
recurring area of pinkish lumps near one of its side fins. I treated with a
medication on the advice of an experienced aquarist, and that seemed to clear it
up the last 2 times. I'm sorry I don't remember the name of the medication,
and they've since discontinued it. Now, the fish has the lumps again, and I'm
not sure what to do. The aquarist suggested earthworms for now, and is also
researching a solution. Any ideas? Thanks for your help.
< Try treating with Fluke-Tabs if they are caused from parasitic worms. If that
doesn't work then try Nitrofurazone for bacterial infections. As a last resort
you could try Metronidazole for internal protozoa infections.-Chuck>
Severum With Possible Internal Infection 4/09/06
My gold Severum had red streaks on his caudal fin a couple months ago. He
was treated a couple times for septicemia. He developed a quarter size
bump, mid body, more towards hid caudal, in the middle of treatments.
I've noticed him trying to straighten him self up at times, which leads
me to think he has a build up of gas in his swim bladder. The fish
anatomy picture shows the swim bladder below the lateral line at the
same location as on the Severum. Another reason I believe it may be the
swim bladder is during this time some thing went wrong with the
thermostat on the heater and the temp. rose 10 to 12 degrees in a short
time and it was brought back to the original temp. 80 degrees in a short
period of time again. My question is, could this rapid temp. change have
caused this, and if this is the case is there any thing I can do
to help release this gas?
< Rapid changes in temperature may not cause any direct damage but it
does weaken the fish and it becomes more susceptible to diseases.>
I was concerned about bacterial infections still so I've kept the temp.
up to 85, and I've added aquarium salt to the tank. He seems ok but does
not have a great appetite, he does eat some every day, and his gills are
not laboring like they were.
< Do a 50% water change, vacuum the gravel and clean the filter. Try
treating with Metronidazole for an internal bacterial infection. It may
take awhile for the swelling to go down.-Chuck>
Ich?
I had a problem with my heater in my small 29 gal tank. The water dropped from
82-84o to 70o. It has a Severum and some angel fish.
<Both will need a larger tank. Severums may also get too aggressive for the
angels.>
I noticed my Severum scratching on things and making sores on himself. I did a
50% water change and he seemed better the very next day and the angels were more
lively. A few days later I noticed some small white spots on the fins of my
angels. The Severum shows no signs and his wounds are healing. I have been
treating for two day for ich. I understand from what I have read that it could
take up to two weeks or more of treating. I am still not positive that ich is
what I am dealing with. ADVICE PLEASE!!! Carrie
<Sure sounds like Ich. Ich can be brought on by sudden temperature swings. I
would continue to medicate, following the instructions on the bottle, and check
out the link below for more information on Ich. Best of luck, Gage
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/AqBizSubWebIndex/fishdisho.htm
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fw3setsdisfaqs.htm
Patchy Severum
I have a green Severum that has loss of color on his underside and fins in a
patchy pattern. I thought that it might be leeches so I treated them for that
but the patches are still there and their not fuzzy or like cotton.
<Though it is possible that these patches were caused by leeches, leeches are
pretty uncommon in aquaria. Marks that they would leave would be reddish and
inflamed, and pretty uniform in size. What did you try treating with?>
The patches seem to be in different places at different times. I would
appreciate some advice if you have some.
<The first thing to do is test your water for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH;
loss of color is often a sign of stress, which usually comes back to water
quality issues. There are also quite a number of illnesses that cause a loss of
coloration or a patchy appearance, including some protozoan parasites and many
bacterial infections; more information is needed to help with a diagnosis. Are
the fish's fins clamped? Breathing hard? Any other visible signs of
illness? Are the patchy spots sort of "flaky" or "peeling" in appearance? Are
the marks uniform in size/shape? How long has the fish been sick? What other
fish are in the tank with it? How big is the tank? And again, test your water
for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH, let us know those values. I know it's an
awful lot of questions, but it'll help us figure out what is wrong with your
fish and help you decide on a treatment.>
I have been working on water changes for the past 2 weeks.
<Good to hear - water changes never hurt, and almost always help. Hope we can
help you get this figured out. -Sabrina>
Thanks DEE
Severums with HLLE?
I have a gold and green Severum and I notice they are slowly developing more
holes (pit-like) around their head regions.
<Sounds like hole-in-the-head/HLLE (Head and Lateral Line Erosion).>
I treated them with fungus and parasite tablets as well as Maracyn-two but no
improvement.
<This condition is usually brought on by either poor water quality or improper
nutrition; can you tell us more about your tank? What are your ammonia,
nitrite, nitrate, and pH levels? What other fish are in there? How large is
the tank? How often/how much do you change water? Do you vacuum the
gravel? What do you feed? Lots of questions, I know, but it'll help us help
you if we know more about your system.>
However, the other fish in the tank appear fine. Is there something I can do to
treat the Severums?
<Not treat, really, but improving the water quality will hopefully halt the
pitting. Maintain excellent water quality and feed with a good, varied diet,
and you might possibly see some improvement. Wishing you well, -Sabrina>
Gold Severum- Clear Bubble near Anus
I would very much appreciate your feed back on the problem I'm having with one
of my Gold Severums. Severum is about 7-8 years old, avg size, think its a male
but not sure and I just noticed the last couple of days that there is some kind
of clear/cloudy bubble growth, size of a dime in diameter near his anus or it
might be coming from his anus. It is bloody looking inside looking like a
embryo kinda I guess. I'm really not sure if its some kind of cyst, tumor,
etc.....
< Your fish have developed an internal bacterial infection. An ulcer may have
developed in the fishes intestine an allowed the bacteria normally found in the
gut to escape outside the gut and start to feed on the fish itself. As the
bacteria grow and multiply they begin to produce gas and cause the intestines of
the fish to expand beyond the fishes body cavity.>
Usually I've tried calling a few places here in town (KS) and nobody really
knows.
< This condition is fairly rare so it is not unusual that the stores have not
encountered this before, but it does happen occasionally in older fish.>
This is really upsetting to me since I've had my fish quite some time. (2-Gold
Severums, 2-Convicts). I have transferred him to another tank for which the
other Severum was bothering, chasing, swimming next to him, not really attacking
in a way but I thought it would help him with his problem, not being bothered...
PLEASE HELP ME!!!! I APPRECIATE YOUR PROMPT RESPONSE AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
< Isolating the fish is a good idea. Treat for fungal infections. The extended
intestine is damaged and begin to look fuzzy . This is a fungal infection and
needs to be treated or it will never heal. Treat the internal problem with a
medicated food with Metronidazole. Follow the directions as recommended. If the
fish is not eating the you could try a Furanace type of antibiotic. Change the
water often. If the antibiotics work then the bacteria will die off and the
intestine may go back inside if it has not been damaged by the fungus. Saving
this fish is a long shot, but I can tell by your writing that you have developed
a attachment to your fish and really want to save it. Good luck -Chuck>
TODD (KS)
Gold Severum Health
My golden Severum is about 3 years old and has been very healthy and
active. The last few day he has been on the bottom of the tank and will
not eat.
<Have you changed anything recently on the tank, or even in his diet? Some fish
become a bit "moody" when there are changes in their environment.>
He looks fine but very weak.
<If there is no physical damage, noticeable skin discoloration or bacteria
infection, then I wouldn't be getting extremely worried yet. Check you
parameters of your tank, also check the temperature. Our Severum would become
less active during the cooler months, when the rest of the tank seemed to not
even notice. I would think about setting up a quarantine tank in case it does
get worse you can separate it and medicate accordingly. Rather than medicating
your larger display tank. This is a good practice to hold to, not to mention the
smaller the tank the less medication needed.>
There are also 2 blood parrots in the tank that are fine. Any suggestions would
be appreciated. Don
<Monitor him carefully in the next 2 days, if there it does get worse I would
definitely separate him and think about adding a broad based medicine like
Maracide (Mardel Inc.) Good luck and hope the fish gets better. -Magnus>
Gold Severums & German Red Peacock
I am so glad I finally found a web-site that really has answers and detailed
stuff about breeding, good job. I have a pair of 3 yr old Gold Severums (6-8
inches long) that are developing black lines across their bodies and black
marks like fin rot on their dorsal and abdominal fins and tail. I have them in a
29 gal. tank sharing with a 7 inch Bala Shark and a Malaysian snail (3in
diameter) which do not appear to be ill and an onion plant and seem to all
get along well. There is no under water gravel filter, I use a bio-wheel penguin
170 filter with carbon and the tank temperature is set at 75F. I don't allow the
Nitrite levels to get passed 0.25ppm or the ammonia to reach
0.5-1.0 because I have a frequent water change out (and I scrub the walls and
gravel) regiment of 1/3 tank every week or two depending on the test levels.
There are two clay pots in the tank that have been there for months
that are now developing a light fuzzy surface. Is this fungus?
< Could be but more likely a film of organics precipitating on the flower pots.>
Could you
help me diagnose what is happening to these fish and recommend a treatment.
< Check the nitrate levels before you do a water change. You have large fish in
a relatively small aquarium and I assume that the nitrate levels may be
exceeding 25 ppm. This would lead to some bacteria to start attacking the fishes
fins. Vacuum the gravel on the next water change. You may need to change more
water or more often to keep the nitrates down. Treat the fish with Nitrofuranace
for the fin/tail rot. Watch for ammonia spikes because some medications affect
the good bacteria that break down the fishes waste.>
I have several other tanks. In a 15 gal tank I have 4 German Red Peacock, 3
females and 1 male and average 2-4 inches in length. The tank is setup with
an under gravel filter that has been disconnected so I can breed them, I run
a whisper 20-40 filter with carbon and have the inlet wrapped with a fine
mesh screen to prevent fry from being sucked in. I have two lava rocks with
plenty of nooks for them to use. I have regular water change outs and never
let the nitrite and ammonia levels rise above what's expected for the fish's
environment. After reading some of your articles I have since raised the
tank temperature to 80F. Since I have never bred German Red Peacocks before
I have several questions. Since these peacocks are mouthbrooders and it
appears that one female has eggs in its mouth (first time spawn 1 week ago),
does it mean that the eggs are already fertilized?
< Yes the eggs are almost fertilized the minute that they are laid.>
How long will she have
the eggs in her mouth?
< At 80 degrees F the eggs will take three days to hatch and another three days
for the fry to absorb their egg sacs.>
Will she be picked on by other tank mates?
< The male will usually leave a holding female alone but the other females may
harass her in an attempt to get her to spit out the fry.>
Will I
need to separate her into another tank?
< There are two ways to go. After a week you could strip the fry from the female
and return her to the main tank while rearing the fry in a separate tank, or you
could put her in a separate tank and she will release the fry into the tank when
she is ready.>
Will she eat during this period?
< She may try and eat after a few days, even while holding fry.>
How
long until the fry hatch?
< About three days.>
Should I remove the fry into their own tank?
< If you don't then they will be eaten.-Chuck>
Any
suggestions and or recommendations is greatly appreciated.
JohnB
