Re: Quiet indeed, so here's a question.

[Mike & Diane Wise <apistowise@bewellnet.com>]

Dan,

Since no one else has responded, I think I'll give you my opinion. Your "whitish
rot-like stuff" seems to me to most likely be a fungus that is decomposing dead
skin - probably caused by a bacterial infection. I doubt that it has anything to
do with the eggs. I would bet that water conditions are not quite optimum and
your hongsloi are picking up a bacterial infection. Members of the
macmasteri-group, like A. hongsloi,  are well known to be more susceptible to
certain bacterial infections. Corys & tetra are much more resistant in general.
Your treatment seemed to be curing the disease, but something in the water was
causing the fish to stress and become re-infected. Since I don't know how you
maintain your fish, this is only a guess. You may be doing proper water changes,
etc. but might be forgetting to clean under caves used by you cichlids. This can
cause "dead" zones where nitrites, nitrates, and even sulfides can build up in
the gravel, stressing the fish. Like I said, just my opinion.

Mike Wise

Dan Gottsegen wrote:

> Well I'll take a break from lurking with a modest less scientific question.
> I hope I am not banished back to lurking because of the lengthy narrative
>
> I have (had) a pair of A. hongsloi II in a 20 gallon, planted. In it are
> some small tetras and Corydoras adolfoi as well. I had not yet removed Corys
> to another tank so the Apistos could breed. Every now and then I noticed the
> apistos would develop some whitish rot-like stuff on their fins. I would
> occasionally treat with Melafix. The white stuff would clear, then from time
> to time reappear then disappear, cyclically.
>
> Well, the apisto pair successfully bred some weeks ago; I returned from a
> time away to find the fry. The fish were in the care of house sitters, so I
> hadn't the time to hatch baby brine shrimp. Sadly all the fry but one died.
> But soon the pair bred again. Much dancing and shimmering together, and then
> I noticed the female hanging out in one of her caves. I provided night light
> so she could defend against any less than neighborly cory visits. However,
> sadly a day or two later she had the worst case of the white rot I had yet
> seen, not only on her fins but on her body and over one eye. The male had a
> minor case. She succumbed within a day. The male has slowly recovered (and
> the survivor from the fry batch is so far okay).
>
> My new theory for the rot stuff is now that the pair have occasionally bred
> in the past and the eggs have rotted (I am unable to see the eggs), and the
> apisto pair have been in contact with whatever fungus is affecting their
> eggs (other fish in the tank are not affected). That is the rot I have seen
> on them. This time it was just a particularly nasty case (maybe more eggs).
> Does this sound reasonable? I have successfully bred other apistos, and this
> is the only tank where I have seen this. I suppose I will have to find
> another female, and a solution for this in the future.
>
>  --
> Daniel Gottsegen <dgotts@earthlink.net>
>
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