Bichir Parasitic disease?

[rayoddballfish]

Hey guys!

i know i haven't been posting in a while and also was too busy to make a new polyset up but i have again run into another problem. My lapreidei bichir who i have had since this may is doing alright. However, I feel like she has internal parasites because she hasn't grown a bit in the time I had her. (She is around 11-12 inches). Also unlike many other bichirs, when I feed her, it takes her 10-30 minutes to go to her food and consume it and after eating one chunk of fresh shrimp, she won't take anymore. Also she is constantly shedding her slime coat and sometimes I see small white worms in the slime coat thatches come off in the water.
There are also little critters jumping in my tank, but i think their just scuds and other cleanup organisms. I do 40 percent water changes every week.

She is also the only fish in the tank and the tank is a 75 gallon.


She eats around one chunk of shrimp (around half an inch long) every 3 days and won't eat anything more after for like a couple days.
Also she is quite skinny and not very fat like those bichirs i see online.


Also not sure if this info would help, but she came from a LFS where they fed her live feeders and was in a tank with another smaller lap who was super skinny and definitely had some kind of problem.

I have been recommended to give her parasite treatments and can get API General cure in a few days. Would General cure work?

Also some people online recommended the putting of general cure in food and feed her so that it directly goes to the problem, but knowing how picky she is, can I just add the packets of General Cure in the water as stated to treat internal parasites?


Finally f any of the experienced Poly keepers have any other advice or other medications or think they know what disease my fish has any input will be appreciated!!!!


Ray

Also will post a pick of my bichir when i have my phone (its dead)

 

[kno4te]

Would suggest posting when ur phone is charged. There have been cb lapradeis out so could explain the slow growth. Growth will slow down at some point for most fish. This is when time is needed.

Would suggest switching from shrimp to a pellet. Not sure if you are and didn’t mention it but the shrimp only diets aren’t good. It has thiaminase in it. Foods with this have been mentioned to be about 20% of a diet. Would increase ur water changes to twice or three times a week. Water changes and good quality foods will help with growth.

Please post ur water and pics. Will see about the slime coat and white worms. General cure will treat most bugs for polys and is well tolerated. It doesn’t need to be put in food. If internal parasites are a possibility then the GC and Epsom salts will help but get some pics and water numbers.

 

[rayoddballfish]

Okay here are picks... There aren't any worms on the slime coat but i put a pick of the slime coat anyway. He seems skinny right? not too chunky but acts normal....

 

[rayoddballfish]

Also sure ill switch up the diet but she is really picky ad doesn't eat anything except tilapia and shrimp. Maybe its because of parasites inside her?


Will try other foods but from the 6 months I had her, she only eats either live fish (ate one of my jewel ciclids the first day I got her) or fish/frozen fish and crustations

 

[kno4te]

Doesn’t look too bad to be honest. Not too skinny either. Would try some pellets and tilapia. That’s plenty and nutritious enough that the lap should be ok. Would give it a treatment of prazipro as well and that won’t mess with ur water or bio filter.

Poor diet or eating can be from parasites. Maybe internal parasites as I don’t see anything on ur lapradaei externally.

 

[rayoddballfish]

Can I use general cure cause I know many people use it in quarantine as a measure of protection before putting it in a tank? Also is it common for a bichir to eat little and how could I make her eat more?

 

[rayoddballfish]

also what the of pellets? Thxs

 

[kno4te]

Can I use general cure cause I know many people use it in quarantine as a measure of protection before putting it in a tank? Also is it common for a bichir to eat little and how could I make her eat more?

You can use general cure. Keep in mind it can destroy ur biological bacteria.

After treatment then try with increasing the water changes to 2-3 times per week and offering a variety of foods.

 

[kno4te]

also what the of pellets? Thxs

Massivore is what I use.

 

[rayoddballfish]

okay thxs Will go get General cure soon and try it in his food/ do the whole tank... (Not sure which is better)

then will try massivores but they are kinda expensive lol like 10 dollars a pack. Also would my polypterus even eat massivores? Is it really that good that a picky eater would take it? thxs again and also

I found her like this and it happens every once in a while. She's like floating on the top and then when I tap the tanker open the lid she darts down to the bottom....