OK so this is my first post on this forum. I am in need of some advise on a problem I have been having with my albino senegal bichirs (Polypterus senegalus). I have 1 gold sevrum (about 13 inches), 1 red shouldered sevrum (4 inches), and a common plecostamus (7.5 inches), and 2 albino senegal bichirs (8 inches). Also it is a 45 gallon freshwater tank, running a fluval canister filter. PH is just below 7 (even after you treat the tap water here its normal PH is about 8.3.......), in the filter i run Chemie pure, Purigen, and biomax. The tank is planted (was) I usually buy about 12-15 plants during september, and the sevrums eat them by february. I have no CO2 system, I use a floraglo light with Flourish Excell liquid fertilizer. The conditioners I use are Aqua Plus, and Cycle, and a some aquarium salt. The tank is fairly densly planted (live and fake), with a full backside bubble wall. Also before I forget I use a 10 gallon's undergravel filter on the sevrum's nesting side (big ones a girl). I feed Sinking carnivor pellets, and frozen Krill to the bichirs (they also take all the stuff the sevrums miss. The sevrums normally get some of the sinking carnivor pellets, with HBH super soft sinking veggie pellets, and some frozen brine shrimp, and frozen glassworms (all fed on different days), and about once or maybe twice a month the sevrums and the Pleco got some cut up zuccini (i can't spell it), and also i guess the sevrums and pleco eat the plants (which mostly consist of ocelot swords, java fern, and hairgrass (small and giant)). I do a 25%-30% water change every month, also I change or rinse filters (in tank water) every month. My water test show that my ammonia is at like 0.5-0.8 ppm, my nitrite is at 0ppm, and my nitrates sit at about 18ppm. So I think that is all the required information as per the "everyone muse read before posting" post. So on to my issue. I had 6 albino senegal bichirs in the beginning, but then one developped a large fleshy lump along his right side. I just thought he had comsumed a pebble (If you have seen a Bichir eat, you know what im talking about), and there realy wasn't much i could do about it but watch. Then he developed another lump on the left side of his anal fin, he then died 3 days later, he remained eating and swimming vigorously until about 8 hours before death were he just shut himself away and died. Thus all but 2 remaining Bichirs have succumb to these growths in generally the same fashion, except there is no pattern to were the growths occur. Currently of the 2 I have left, one has a lump bigger than his head on his left pectoral fin, and the other one (only about 3 inches) is unflawed.
Also this prcces between the visible lump, and death normally took about 2 months. So I am very worried, I love my Bichirs, but I am ata loss of what to do. I went on a limb and tried tetracycline for the full dose and duration, but it had no effect. I realy would like some input, because I realy dont want to have to get rid of the remainder of my Bichirs for something I can stop.
Thanks: Justin
Also this prcces between the visible lump, and death normally took about 2 months. So I am very worried, I love my Bichirs, but I am ata loss of what to do. I went on a limb and tried tetracycline for the full dose and duration, but it had no effect. I realy would like some input, because I realy dont want to have to get rid of the remainder of my Bichirs for something I can stop.
Thanks: Justin