Need help saving abused emaciated 15 yr old iridescent shark catfish!!! HELP!

[Viktor Jarikov]

Understandable and agreeable with the explanation attached. Thanks. A small point is, as mentioned above, the main source of ammonia is breathing, not excretion. So after eating, AFAIU the ammonia generation by a fish increases essentially by the same degree, almost regardless of whether or not an excretion occurred. NH3 is a metabolical product of protein digestion and assimilation and is degassed at the gills into the water. Yet, it is known that BM and excretion tend to occur after feeding, esp. in catfish that eat a lot but rarely. Hence, the interpretation you offered.

[mostlyfairy]

Oh that's right, I remember you taught me that point awhile back. Thanks for the reminder. Well no gills on Rain so I guess its safe to say she excretes it at least!

[Viktor Jarikov]

MF: Its my understanding that the API liquid test measures harmful ammonia PLUS harmless ammonium ion in the water, so the levels can be confusing.
VJ: You've spoke about this above several times. At the moment, I'd not delve into this and just remember to treat ammonia plus ammonium as one and the same. For our intents and purposes they are ONE. They are in an equilibrium with each other NH3 + H2O --> <-- NH4+OH- and it only depends on pH and temperature...

TwoTankAmin knows far more about it. See here if you will http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... 99#p287634 3rd post from the top, 6th and 7th paragraph - how to separate NH3 and NH4.

[mostlyfairy]

Thank you for the update about this Viktor. Sorry I have not written back in so long-total chaos over here.

That total ammonia calculator was cool, but you did a good job of explaining this as a steady state equation before and I got the general idea. I'm pretty sure this is how the sea chem meter thingy works...it is designed to calculate an equation on its own by measuring certain parameters and that is how it gives such low readings of pure ammonia only (but the margin of error remains totally unknown).

I wanted to update with good news....31 days after getting the fluval running, finally, FINALLY, it appears that ammonia is not building up in Nacho's water the way it used to!!!! This just started in the last two days-when I do daily checks now, the API test is staying at yellow (zero):
ammonia: zero (yellow)
nitrite: zero (blue)
nitrate: 5.0ppm (very light orange)
ph:7.4
temp: 80F
feeding schedule: 1/2 teaspoon every other day

One thing that changed is that when it was time to change the carbon in the Fluval 206 filter, I came to learn that having the foam cover over the intake valve REALLY affects how much water flows through the filter. I actually had to remove it entirely because it had too great of an effect. The filter could not even use its normal mechanism of suction to fill itself prior to start with that foam on and once I replaced it on I realized how much impact it had on the flow coming out! So I have aborted using the foam over the intake valve (will have to carefully unplug the filter during feedings and always remember to restart it by placing the plug right in front of my field of vision). My guess is that this is a fine strategy for a beefier canister filter, but the 206 is an entry level one meant for only a 40 gallon aquarium and it just doesn't have enough power. I think over time it will destroy the motor on the filter if I leave the foam on and also limit the establishment of good bacteria. I'm hopeful that I MAY not have to do a water change today, pending a second set of water tests later.

For now I will observe and leave the feeding schedule the same, but I have hope that soon I may be able to increase Nacho's feedings to a daily schedule (perhaps with one day a week of fasting because of what was suggested earlier...I still have to read more to understand that). Poor skinny Nacho needs to grow a real fish body at some point here!

[bekateen]

Hi Mostlyfairy,

I'm glad to hear that the biological filtration has finally settled in. Honestly, 31 days is not too long to wait for a new aquarium to establish itself fully, so that doesn't seem unusually long to me. Yes, you should expect the foam pre-filter to cut back on some of the water flow, but not so dramatically as you described. I would be concerned that either the type of foam you're using is not porous enough, or it has become excessively clogged by organic debris.

The foam as a pre-filter is a valuable component of a filtration system, because it serves two purposes: 1) it keeps solid debris (i.e., poop, food bits, etc) out of the actual filter mechanism (which actually protects your motor too), and 2) it is a wonderful surface for bacterial growth, which helps all the more with biological filtration (i.e., when working correctly, it will not hinder the establishment of biological filtration as you fear it might). That said, if your filter foam is too dense or if it's clogged, then yes it will burn out your motor faster, it will reduce the overall efficiency of filtration, and it will lead to reduced oxygen levels in the tank due to reduced water movement.

If you can figure out what's wrong in your specific case and correct it, I'd encourage you to use the foam pre-filter.

Best,
Eric

[mostlyfairy]

Its not clogged, that's the first thing I checked...I carefully washed it/rinsed it in aquarium water to make sure there was no hair/debris etc trapped in it. I don't see the foam density on the package, but its a "fluval edge pre filter sponge" - not that dense. I'm pretty decent with engineering stuff- I'm fairly sure this is an issue of the motor strength of the filter. It SIGNIFICANTLY decreases the intake and output flow. I don't think it would be an issue for a stronger filter, but this is a fluval 206 entry level canister filter meant for only a 40 gallon aquarium and the foam significantly impacts the flow mechanics. I will call fluval to double check when I have time, but my gut is telling me the negative impacts far outweigh the benefits of having it on there. I'm sure that wouldn't be the case for a stronger filter, but unfortunately in this situation I'm fairly certain it is. Even though this foam piece was made by fluval, it was not made for this type of filter- was designed for a totally different filter.

If I get word from Fluval at some point, I will share it here. Maybe I can upgrade Nacho's filtration in the future- I hear you about it being a good thing overall. I was bummed I had to take it off- but the difference in flow was shocking- it was a no brainer. I felt dumb for not noticing it sooner.

[Viktor Jarikov]

Good to hear. Please, continue doing everything as you were for 1 week (except for the now-unneeded too-frequent wc's) and then, if all is fine, I'd start increasing the feed amount over the course of another week. These times are loose suggestions.

On the canister, is it set up correctly, i.e., so many feet below the water level in the fish tank? And yes, the prefilter should match the filter I'd think. It's a good catch. Water movement is crucial to the tank and fish health.

[bekateen]

its a "fluval edge pre filter sponge"... this is a fluval 206 entry level canister filter ... Even though this foam piece was made by fluval, it was not made for this type of filter- was designed for a totally different filter.

I understand your point. I'm not familiar with this Fluval canister model or with the Fluval edge pre-filter sponge, so it's really in your court to figure out how well they work together if they aren't designed for each other. If your 206 canister is not designed to have a pre-filter, then indeed, it may be underpowered with regards to this filter.

Myself, I use mostly Aqueon Quietflow HOB filters:

To the intake tube of each filter I've added a foam block which is sold by PetSmart for their TopFin filters:

So far, I've found these TopFin foam blocks to work well with the Aqueon filters, but as you can imagine this was just luck. You've got to figure out your setup based on what works and what doesn't work.

Cheers, Eric

[mostlyfairy]

Viktor, yes I triple checked all the measurements for the filter mechanics (they get very specific- how far below the tank the filter can sit, how the tubes must be straight, how many inches below the tank rim the water can be, etc....it all checks out and I appreciate you telling me to check, easy to miss). The filter has very nice intake/output without the sponge on there. I would say it decreases to about 40% of what it was with the foam on there-that much impact! Thanks for the plan for feeding changes, sounds good.

Thanks for the pix Eric. I will have to do more homework on this to figure something better out. There may be a less dense foam option-your picture looks like a less dense foam than what I have. I think calling/emailing fluval makes sense. Just not enough hours in the day right now even to sleep, but I'll get to it ;)

[mostlyfairy]

Just a quick update- Nacho is doing really well. I am feeding him daily now (except one day a week rest with no food). He is getting a little tummy on him now after he eats! I can tell he is gaining weight a little. I will try to get pictures. I am still going slowly to be safe, only about a 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon of food when I feed him. He likes his Omega one veggie rounds as long as I break them up, his sinking catfish pellets and his frozen mysis shrimp. Should I try to offer the Omega One frozen blood worms I have as well one day, maybe to substitute for his frozen shrimp? Is this a safe food for him? He is REALLY happy when I feed him! I don't think he has ever eaten this well in his life, and he is starting to really get into the food

All that ammonia that used to be the misery of my existence now gets converted into nitrate, so I am learning an appropriate water change schedule now to keep his home nitrate levels below 10 ppm-it seems it may require two or three 20% water changes a week. Hey, we'll take it! WAY better than the several water changes a day we used to have going on over here!

For now its still good to keep Nacho in his crappy plastic container because he feels safe and sheltered, but I am also starting to think about his future and making a nicer home for him, especially if he starts to grow. He comes up to the surface when I talk to him now and really dances all over the place if he thinks I have food! I hope he survives. I still worry something can go wrong because according to his story he is so very old.

A few days ago my oldest guinea pig, almost 8 years, passed away. He was the first one I ever had to pass away in his sleep with no real acute illness going on. He was such a wise old Yoda like being. I had to feed him and clean him multiple times a day. His joints were giving out as well as his eyes, but he still purred when I cuddled him and loved to eat and just be. I fed him, cuddled him, tucked him into his blankets and then he left his tired worn out body for good. He will be missed but not forgotten.

To me 15 sounds so old for a fish but I guess with these catfish maybe it can be young-you just never know. All I can do is my best and see what nature decides. From what I can see though, Nacho is happy. His water is testing well and I keep it very clean by netting waste. He is comfortable and happy to play in his bubbles and eat his food every day. The little tummy on him makes me happy.

[NCE12940]

It's great to hear that Nacho is doing so much better. Kudos to both of you

[Viktor Jarikov]

Excellent. Blood worms are a very good food for any fish, AFAIK.

As for the lifespan, Fishing World Records lists 8 years, which is, of course, usually far exceeded in proper care. Perhaps all they had was one data point. Determining fish age is tricky, esp. with the tropical fish, whose habitat seasonal changes are not as drastic as those of the temperate water fish. E.g., the age of New Zealand eels can be determined from one small bone in their skull(?) that shows something like rings on a tree stump.

Anyhow, I tend to think IDS should live a long time to attain 120-130 cm max known sizes. Most large catfish appear to be able to live 30-50 years and many 100+ years.

[mostlyfairy]

Nacho is still with me but he has been refusing to eat recently. I am very worried. He still looks great. Nothing has changed in his habitat, water quality or feeding routine- I continue to offer the same foods daily.

He was doing so well eating about 1/2 teaspoon of food daily with one fasting day a week, growing and healing all through July. About three weeks ago he suddenly stopped eating for a whole week. Then he ate for two days. Then stopped again. It has now been well over two weeks since he has eaten. There are no visible signs of illness on his body. Quite the opposite.

-He has grown. He was just a little over 6 inches as best I could measure from the water surface, when he first came to me in early June. He is now about 7.5 inches in length as best I can measure from above.

-The sides of his body have more meat on them. I have tried my best to take pictures that show a little bit of his sides, but because there is no glass most views are from above. He gained wait and grew from the weeks he was feeding.

-All the broken off fins and catfish whiskers that were damaged from his time being trapped in the waste filled 5 gallon bucket have healed up- they all regrew back! His body looks perfect now, even the little whiskers on his face grew back. The eyes seem to have healed some too.

-I couldn't capture it in pix, but some of his fins have developed flecks of pretty blue iridescence in them when the daylight from my overhead skylight hits them-very beautiful.


I have wracked my brain trying to understand why Nacho is not eating. I test his water daily:
ammonia: zero
nitrite: zero
nitrate: 5 ppm after daily water changes, gets up to 10-20 ppm before the daily water change.

Yes, Nacho makes a ton of waste, even when not eating (his gills I guess) and I have to do daily water changes at about 30%-50% to keep the nitrate under 10ppm. You can see in the pix that algea flourishes in the half of his container where the lid lets sunlight peek in. I always add water conditioner in the concentration as directed on the bottle with each water change and the water is the same temp as in his container: 79 degrees.

Why is Nacho not eating:
ideas...
1.) Are the frequent water changes stressing him too much and finally getting to him? Should I make moving him to much bigger container a high priority (a bigger container like a 50 gallon tank should require less frequent water changes to control the build up of nitrate).

2.) Could toxin be leeching out of the plastic container he is in ( a "sterilite" brand plastic storage container from the scene of emergency where I found him dying- he has been in it this whole time). Again, should I make moving him to a glass 50 gallon aquarium a very high priority to try and save his life?

3.) Is this just the feared dreaded effects of him growing? This seems to be the most likely explanation to me given his history and much of my reading- that he is old, abused and now his body and organs have grown from proper nourishment and things are crowded inside him making him not hungry. This may be why some rescued fish die for unexplained reasons around the 3 month mark, which he is at.


I don't know what to do besides keeping his water and filter very clean, offering food and praying he gets better. He is active and energetic still, even more than before. He does a big splash at the surface every evening around the same time.

My family is going through some severe hardships right now. I will not get into the details except to say it has been so stressful I have barely been able to eat or sleep (maybe Nacho feels my stress...lol!). That is why I have not posted for so long. But I have been taking close careful care of all my precious babies including Nacho. I want to help him but I don't know what else to do. I'm very worried this is about his body growing after so much abuse. Buying an expensive aquarium right now is not ideal but if people think the plastic container is killing him (or its small size), then I will have to find a way. To me, his life has great value and I want to respect it and preserve it to the best of my ability. Any thoughts are welcome.

How Nacho used to look:



Pictures from yesterday:

[Viktor Jarikov]

Sorry to hear about the multifaceted trouble.

I think you are doing everything right. I have had plenty of instances of fish withholding from food for no obvious reason, from a few days to several months. There most usually is a reason and the more experienced we are, the better we get at guessing, experimenting, and correcting.

I'd not think #1. #2 may be but is far stretched, esp. after all this time. #3 is impossible to prove of refute without opening him up. Biology is very complex but high living organisms have an amazing, unexpected capacity to adapt and to survive.

Getting a tank would be good from the stand point of care - you will be able to observe him far better and catch changes far better, not to mention enjoying him much better, after all, the worker must get his/her wages - it's only fair. I forget which chain, maybe Petco, holds $1 per gallon sale every now and then, so a 55 gal would cost $55. A used one off Craigslist may be same or 2x-3x cheaper or even free and often come complete with a hood / lid, filter, bubbler, substrate, furniture, heater, may be even a stand, etc.

55 gal is not too heavy and lots of things can used for a stand. A standard, basic stand for a 55 gal would be $20-$30 online.

[mostlyfairy]

Thank you for weighing in Victor. Your experience gives me a lot of peace of mind....for example I know so little about how probable it would be that the plastic could be poisoning him. Its good to hear you think scenario's 1 and 2 are a bit less likely than I am worried about, but I understand they are still possible.

I already went looking for the infamous Petco dollar a gallon sale-not happening at the moment HOWEVER ironically Petsmart is imitating them right now and I can get an Aqueon aquarium but only at 40 gallons for $40. I was thinking of going and doing that tomorrow morning because his container right now is probably holding 25 gallons. It will be a step up for not too much money. Unfortunately they do not offer 55 gallon ones like Petco does, so this is my best shot right now.

UNLESS I was to get over my fear of used aquariums. Because I know so little, I am terrified to take on a used aquarium. How would I safely sterilize it? What would I ask about what was previously in it? I have read that even trace soap is toxic to fish so I was thinking the safest bet is to buy a brand new aquarium and let water sit in it for a good day to soak up any chemical residue in, then dump that and let him live in it.

There are many used aquariums on Craigslist and even a pet store in town that also sells them. If you have a tried and true formula for cleaning them that does not endanger the fish, I could go that route and buy him a bigger one such as a 50 gallon or 70 gallon. Otherwise I am leaning towards getting the 40 gallon tomorrow. If this is an issue of him growing and organs getting crowded in his body cavity (which does happen to these abused fish- I have been reading) then a bigger space to live in may send his body the right signals to expand more properly. Its worth a shot.

Also thank you for telling me you have heard of fish not eating for long periods before. I am so worried he will die. He looks great and acts great but he just stopped eating and now I am so worried for him. He has been through so much.

Thank you for the help. I won't give up on him. He certainly hasn't given up on life through horrific circumstances. He is a fighter.

[bekateen]

Regarding new aquarium shopping, it never hurts to ask the management. You might try two approaches: (1) Go to your LFS (not a chain like Petco/PetSmart) and remind him of what you've been doing all this time, then see if they would offer you any special pricing. Or (2) Go to PetSmart and try the same thing, but mention the fact that Petco has the 55 in their dollar per gallon sale, and ask the manager to price match. They may say no because the Petco sale is not currently in progress, but it never hurts to ask and you have nothing to lose... Right?

Regarding used aquariums, I've bought a few of those in the past. If they've sat dry for a while, I tend to not worry about disease. I figure that any residual parasites are most likely dead, as are most microbes which would pose a serious threat. But to be safe, I clean used aquariums with vinegar, or better yet acetic acid (not full strength, but stronger than food grade). This has the benefit of helping to remove some of the hardwater deposit buildup, and then you can let it air dry after rinsing it out.

Personally, I don't like to buy used aquaria because they can be grungy looking and they sometimes leak (I avoid purchase from private parties unless I know the history of the tank). If you buy a used tank from a pet store, see if they will give you some kind of warranty (at least 24 hr) - if it's not leaking when you get it home, it's unlikely to spring a leak the next day.

Good luck, Eric

[mostlyfairy]

Good ideas Eric Thanks for the help!

[Viktor Jarikov]

As Eric said, I'd try the price match argument.

With used, it is always a gamble, bigger or smaller. I'd not shy away from them, esp. if purchased from a store and not private person. I am not worried about soaps, detergents, lubricants, heavy metals, etc. if a tank was used for fish. As Eric said, pathogens would be my main concern and all those can be killed with dilute bleach or 3% hydrogen peroxide soak.

70 gal would be nice!

The main thing is that it holds water. And that the stand is perfectly flat and strong.

[mostlyfairy]

Thanks guys for the advice about buying used. I may need it if Nacho survives and outgrows this 40 gallon- I bought the new 40 gallon last night since it was the last one they had at the Petsmart near me and for 40 bucks you can't really beat it. It is a step up from what he has now. It was completely new and unused with all original packaging/seals/stickers. I filled it once for a rinse and emptied it, painful 5 gallon bucket by 5 gallon bucket, then refilled it now for an overnight soak in case there are any manufacturing residues in there. Then it should be safe for him to live in after an empty and refill tomorrow morning.

There is something very strange about seeing 40 gallons of water just sitting there through glass- rather nerve racking at first. Its counter intuitive- your brain sees it and goes "that situation does not look good!" Its on a very very sturdy old desk I use as a work desk for until I can buy an aquarium stand. Its very flat and very stable/strong.

Nacho still has not eaten but still continues to look good and act lively. I keep offering his former loved foods daily: fresh frozen mysis shrimp, sinking shrimp pellets and crumble omega one veggie rounds. He swims over them so I know he sees them but he just can't eat.

Time will tell. At least with a bigger home I truly feel I am doing everything in my power to give him every chance. There are no blemishes anywhere on his body so taking him to a vet is probably not worth the stress and from my reading all they ever recommend for intervention is antibiotics which can get you in MORE trouble unless you are certain you are treating something deadly-and as of now there is not yet evidence he has any infection. Closer observation through glass for signs of possible disease will be good.

When he moves into this new home tomorrow, I will have it covered with a blanket on all sides for the first few days, and then slowly expose only one side so as to minimize his stress. Fins crossed for Nacho.

[Viktor Jarikov]

Congratulations on your first, I assume, tank! What are the dimensions?

I've used cinder blocks, bricks, concrete pavers for support before. As long as one makes sure the support is level and sturdy, that's all that matters from safety point of view.

You can cover all sides and the top but leave the front open, so you can see him. If you got a tank light (I'd not), do not use it for now. If the light in the room is dim, may not need to cover at all.

[bekateen]

If you just got the tank last night, remember everything you went through in the beginning about starting the nitrogen cycle. Newly setup tanks are very dangerous.

If you have any gravel or sand in the old container, transfer that into the new tank without washing it. And move over the old filter system without cleaning it initially. These steps will bring much-needed bacteria into your new tank.

[mostlyfairy]

Yes Eric, thank you for the words of caution- I have been mindful of nitrogen cycle flora while doing the new setup

Victor, the tank is a 40 gallon breeder that measures 36" long, 19" deep and 17 " high. It gives Nacho a good foot more of swimming room in its length.

The transfer is complete and today appears to be a very happy day for Nacho so far (and me- I am quite happy to see him from the side, he is absolutely beautiful!)

I emptied out the tank of its day long soak water this afternoon using a vacuum pump and 5 gallon bucket. Then I used 15 gallons of Nacho's old container water to fill it, leaving him minimal water in his old home. He got freaked out by this and started darting around in there like he does (I call it his freak out mode) and he dented one of his fragile beautiful freshly healed side fins, poor baby . But other than that he appear alright. These guys can really injure themselves, especially as they grow, by freaking out like that unless they are in huge enough tanks.

So then I finished filling his new tank with tap water (water conditioner added). I transferred over his fluval 206 still full of water, media and everything from his old home. So hopefully this new tank will quickly get populated with nitrogen cycle bacteria. I will be vigilant with testing and do water changes as needed.

I have a big net I used to transfer him, which went much better than I thought it would. He flapped a little only for the first 5 seconds of coming out of water and then was very calm, even being lowered into his new home. He LIKES the new home. He is very calmly exploring it, looking at his reflection. I love being able to see him from the side now. I did not realize he opens and closes his mouth sometimes when not eating- he looks like he is talking to himself His body has so much iridescence on it I am back to wondering if his abuser had his age wrong because I read they are supposed to lose their iridescence when they get older and he has it ALL ALONG HIS SIDES-BEAUTIFUL! I will capture it in future pics, I only snapped a few fast ones because for now I do not want to disturb him. He also has the light colored underbelly and darker top, again a possible sign of younger age not consistent with 15yrs (?). I have the aquarium top covered with cardboard and then the whole thing covered with a fleece and flannel blanket for darkness and also to make it more quiet. But one side is open and he keeps swimming to that side. He does not appear alarmed- rather he seems to like it.

Viewing his body from the side I can not see any rashes or areas of discoloration at all- he looks shiny, healthy and uniform. I am really praying that this does the trick and the bigger space changes things in his homeostasis so maybe he will begin to eat again. Time will tell.

He is so beautiful. How could anyone, let alone TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE who knew where he was, choose to just leave him in a bucket to die and go on selfishly living their own lives while he suffered (one of them who works for an endangered species organization and claims to be an animal lover)? I will never understand. I hope he continues to survive with me. I certainly will enjoy watching him, especially now that I can see more of him. I think he will enjoy life much more this way. If he is young and starts growing into a four foot long shark, then I am going to have to find him a better home obviously.

Let's hope he eats soon.

[bekateen]

Nacho looks nice. Great job.

[Viktor Jarikov]

Thanks for the update! He's come a long way but if we are lucky, he still has a long way to go. The left eye's pupil looks ok, but the right eye is cloudy or white. One can see his fins had been mangled up and he is still thin. But the eyes are enormously disproportionate.

Don't worry about the fast - he may go for a week or two of not eating with no harm at all.

99%+ of your BB's live in your filter. A bare tank does not matter much.

[mostlyfairy]

Just a quick update- all is well for Nacho in his new home. The transfer preserved all the needed bacteria in his filter as no ammonia is accumulating in the water upon daily testing. More water means that I am doing about a 30% water change every 2-3 days now instead of daily, to keep the nitrate level below 10 ppm.

He has not eaten yet unfortunately, although I was reading where one person had an IDS that didn't eat for well over two months with no obvious signs of cause or illness. I guess time will tell. I can certainly tell he is far more happy in this new home by his behavior- he can swim more easily and when he gets spooked there is enough room that he does not ram into walls (MAN can he swim fast in freak out mode!) I still have the blanket on there for now- the few times I lifted it off of more than one side he got nervous.

I found a picture online of a 14 year old IDS that is about his size and has similar iridescence on the body and lighter belly, so I am back to accepting that he is 15 years old.

I just pray he eats eventually. It has been 3 weeks now. I still offer food the same time each day, let him swim over it for about five minutes, then net it out of there.

Yes Victor, the left eye appears to have a fairly normal looking pupil and the right always appears white. I guess this could possibly mean there is infection or permanent scar/dead tissue back inside his right eye. When he first came to me, his eyes were so swollen, like grapes. I don't even have good pictures from when they were their worst. They are way better now then that at least. About his eye size being disproportionate to his body, the online picture I found of another IDS about his age and size seemed to look the same way. This makes me think that the disproportionality could possibly be a result of growth stunting over many years in a too small tank. Here is the pic, it looks very muck like him:

[Viktor Jarikov]

I agree. A 14-15 year-old IDS should not be ~8" if raised under more or less correct condition.

Disproportionately large eyes is one common trait exhibited by stunted fish. I guess in a crude and oversimplified thinking, the worse the stunting and the older the fish, the larger the disproportion, which makes sense in Nacho's case... but stunting to such extremes is not well known or studied, it appears.

It could also be a consequence of an illness, I imagine, albeit this may be less likely.

Neither do I know what dwarfism does to these fish but the phenomenon is known, of course.

[mostlyfairy]

Wonderful news! Nacho is eating again At this point I suspect he stopped eating because of some biofeedback message system his body has about the size of the container he is in. I think it took his body a little while in the larger container to get the message that it was okay to eat and grow again. It could always be something else that I will never understand, but nothing else has changed except the size of his home (that I can ascertain) . I am very relieved to see him eating again. Hurray! Thank you everyone for the help. I want to give him a couple of more weeks in the bare tank to ensure perfectly clean water, then I am going to start decorating his home to try and give him a nicer life-things he will enjoy like fresh plants that are good for him. And better bubbles- like whole bubble walls because he loves the bubbles.

[CharlieM9]

MostlyFairy,

It is great to follow this thread with your care about Nacho! Glad he is doing well still considering all things he has gone through. Keep up the good work and keep us posted on the progress!