Flame Angel getting VERY skinny

[Darby]

Hey all,
I've had a Flame Angel for about a 3 weeks (or slightly more) now in my nano, and he'd been doing great, eating well, and getting along jsut fine with the other inhabitants. I didn't QT him like i wanted to, as my 6gal sprung a leak, so I put him strait in after a Methalyn Blue dip/bath. No fish that I have ever dipped has had anything wrong with them later.
Anyways, in the last week to week and a half I've noticed that he is getting really skinny. He's eating very well, and I don't see any signs of external parasites. Could he have internal ones that didn't manifest until now? (or gotten them from my tank?) He'd been a plump sucker when I got him...
Another idea is that perhaps he isn't sleeping/resting. He's always active, and I've even looked in the middle of the night and seen him swimming around the tank, or back behind some rock. There are plenty of places for him to hide in, and I've never seen a fish so active at all times of day and night. Could that be it? I'd think that would require a tank rearrangement...

 

[psteeleb]

I hate to bring it up - but your tank may be too small for him to be comfortable enough to settle down for the night. You may want to try and add some rock or rearrange it enough that he has a good hiding space to go to. just my 2c.

 

[bimmerzs]

I agree with the above post as well but would like to know what exactly are you feeding it. Are you feeding food with lot's sponge/algae in it as well as meaty foods, since there is not a lot of LR in a nano for it to graze on and get what it may need in it's diet. These fish usually require an established tank with plenty of LR (read: more than can fit in a nano). I would suggest you remove this fish and find a home in a more appropriate environment.

Cheers!

 

[Darby]

I generally feed 3 or 4 different things at a time: mysis, "angel and butterfly prepared frozen", vitamin enrchiched brine shrimp, and recently some Nori on a clip. I also occasionally put in some freshly hatched and gutloaded baby brine, as well as the occasional flake food, zooplank and phyto (though obviously not all of teh ablve is meant directly to the Flame).
I've worried that perhaps he got a brine shrimp egg shell stuck in h is digestive track, as that previously killed a friends Firefish. never know....

He does seem to pick at the rock often, to the point where I worry about what he's not getting. That's why I put int eh Nori, which he occasionally nips at (but it mostly gets eaten by very innovative hermit crabs that do daring deeds to reach it!).

Perhaps I have too much flow in the tank? I'd like to have a larger system, but can't swing it. Some of my buds have Flames in the same size tank with both less and more rock, and theirs are flurishing. If he makes it to this weekend (and I can catch him), I'll find a place for him.

 

[Darby]

You know, I haven't seen him poop since the day I bought him. I'll have to watch for it. I'd hope that he wasn't cyanide caught, as I got him at a very reputable place, where they're very selective about whom they import from...

 

[bimmerzs]

@Darby wrote:

It sounds like a good diet it's getting, if it's eating all of that and still getting skinny it most definatedly could be one of the above things that Matt pointed out. You can start soaking it's food in med's for possible intestinal worms in the mean time, not sure which meds are for this but I'm sure someone will chime in with the answer. It's probably a good idea to start doing this asap.

Cheers!

 

[DalaiTom]

@Darby wrote:

You might also consider working on your "buds" to convince them these fish need a larger tank.
@Darby wrote:

Exactly what size is the nano?

IMO, these fish are not suitable for a nano tank despite their small size. Dwarf Angels need lots of rocks to graze on and they also need lots of swimming room. Kind of hard to accomplish that in a nano tank. I'm sure it would be possible to keep one of these fish alive in a small tank for long periods of time. But to me, that would be like keeping a dog in a closet. It's not what's best for the animal.

 

[SumpDiver]

I agree. This fish needs more room.

 

[Darby]

Welp, he didn't make it. Friday night he ate a bunch of Mysis and other stuff, swimming around. I left the room, and 20 minutes later he was down on the bottom being chewed on by hermits. It really bummed out my daughter. had a really hard time explaining to her what had happened, as sh'es only 2 1/2 years old...

No more Angels for me until I get a larger tank, say 75gal or larger.