Yes, I agree that freezing should kill the parasites or live pathogens . I looked this up and found this info.
We put away 1.5' mullet yesterday - 4 apurensis
- Thread starter thebiggerthebetter
- Start date
Right but freezing also kills almost all plants, red tide algae probably included. I think this is what Kirk
Yellowcat
was hinting at. The bacteria and virus tend to survive the freeze.
Yellowcat
was hinting at. The bacteria and virus tend to survive the freeze.
Update.
The last of the quartet of the yellow jello catfish has passed. At some point some weeks ago it looked so much better that I thought it might make it but it refused feed (it's been several months since it fed) and now has perished.
My two hypotheses remain
-- feeding: their diet has been almost 100% saltwater baitfish, perhaps thiaminase as Ken suggested or
-- feeding: merely ingesting saltwater fish is too foreign to them long term (3 years) and might have damaged an organ or whatnot, as Viper guessed,
-- unknown pathogen as I have been losing fish for the past 6 months to something with the symptoms of columnaris (per Duanes) or septicemia.
I must also note that none of the 4 apurensis have shown any secondary or tertiary illnesses. It looks like whatever killed them was the primary cause. They are amazingly strong fish in that regard. They have not developed any bacterial, viral, or parasitic symptoms from what I could tell, only that it was something internal, from the behavior, body movements, and the time it took I am guessing could have been an intestinal blockage or a slow internal organ failure.
As stated, epsom salt didn't do anything...
...
I got a new one too. It's a recent donation by Jeff V victor448 . It's 1.5' and a lot more orange than my quartet was because Jeff has only fed it massivore. Right now I am feeding this one the same saltwater baitfish and massivore at about 75% to 25% proportion by weight, respectively.
I've just bought VitaChem too.
...
Anyhow... here is the last victim of mine. The missing skin on the lower lip is from physical rubbing on a divider. This one reached 19".
The last of the quartet of the yellow jello catfish has passed. At some point some weeks ago it looked so much better that I thought it might make it but it refused feed (it's been several months since it fed) and now has perished.
My two hypotheses remain
-- feeding: their diet has been almost 100% saltwater baitfish, perhaps thiaminase as Ken suggested or
-- feeding: merely ingesting saltwater fish is too foreign to them long term (3 years) and might have damaged an organ or whatnot, as Viper guessed,
-- unknown pathogen as I have been losing fish for the past 6 months to something with the symptoms of columnaris (per Duanes) or septicemia.
I must also note that none of the 4 apurensis have shown any secondary or tertiary illnesses. It looks like whatever killed them was the primary cause. They are amazingly strong fish in that regard. They have not developed any bacterial, viral, or parasitic symptoms from what I could tell, only that it was something internal, from the behavior, body movements, and the time it took I am guessing could have been an intestinal blockage or a slow internal organ failure.
As stated, epsom salt didn't do anything...
...
I got a new one too. It's a recent donation by Jeff V victor448 . It's 1.5' and a lot more orange than my quartet was because Jeff has only fed it massivore. Right now I am feeding this one the same saltwater baitfish and massivore at about 75% to 25% proportion by weight, respectively.
I've just bought VitaChem too.
...
Anyhow... here is the last victim of mine. The missing skin on the lower lip is from physical rubbing on a divider. This one reached 19".
If I knew what I'd be doing. I've cut up hundreds of my dead fish, only learned from a few when things were obvious - an obviously malformed or withered internal organ (I never knew which organ it was exactly, except for swimming bladder or liver), or large nematode worms all over the flesh... You're right, this could be one of those obvious. I was pessimistic about learning plus had no time or desire... Weak man.
I find it helps to start with the mouth, then work down, and I still need lots of diagrams.
I remember one guy at a herpetological society did an autopsy on a elephant trunk snake, and found a fish hook ,some line and the tip of a cane fishing pole, which wasn't the cause of death but was interesting to say the least.
I remember one guy at a herpetological society did an autopsy on a elephant trunk snake, and found a fish hook ,some line and the tip of a cane fishing pole, which wasn't the cause of death but was interesting to say the least.
Update on the new apurensis donated by Jeff. The fish has been doing well. In an attempt to test my hypothesis, which was supported by Ken, I am feeding this guy the same thawed fish (but smaller, 4"-6" pilchards) and Massivore pellets, about 75%-25% ratio by weight, respectively.
The orange jello catfish is blocking the view, so utilize the decent reflection on the right tank wall
The feeding behavior is poor because the fish are not used to having the tank lights on; also placing a camera in the tank makes them uneasy and skittish. Usually, when the jello hears the feeding going on, it swims vertically in one spot where the feed enters just under the surface and inhales it with one huge and explosion-loud, lightning-fast gulp. It's an ambush predator afterall.
The orange jello catfish is blocking the view, so utilize the decent reflection on the right tank wall
The feeding behavior is poor because the fish are not used to having the tank lights on; also placing a camera in the tank makes them uneasy and skittish. Usually, when the jello hears the feeding going on, it swims vertically in one spot where the feed enters just under the surface and inhales it with one huge and explosion-loud, lightning-fast gulp. It's an ambush predator afterall.
Damn viktor this species is so ugly but yet so beautiful. Def a fish i wanna keep in the future.
An update on the apu. I've not changed anything, same tankmates, still feeding it thawed fish and massivore. Compared to the original quartet, this apu is much more colorful, undoubtedly due to massivore.
The fish grew notably, right now perhaps being about 20"-22". I give it massivore in the following video:
The fish grew notably, right now perhaps being about 20"-22". I give it massivore in the following video:
thebiggerthebetter
- looking at your location & timeline, could mullet have been contaminated with red tide (Oops- you're already discussing). Red-tide & similar PSP toxins can be extremely durable to both freezing & cooking. How about freezer-burn?
