He has 2 P. signifer females as well as 7 P. gertrudes (M&F), and 3 M.
praecox (2 M / 1 F) also in that tank BUT which do not seem to be
having any problems. He also told me this happend previously. And, he
lost 2 other male P. signifers in that tank when it did happen. For
somewhere between 2-6 weeks everything is A-O-K, followed by a couple
weeks of "paling," surface skimming and loss of appetitie, and then
fianlly death.
Remediations to date:
I suggested he check his ammonia levels (which proved to be "just a
little high") in case this was a symptom of chronic high ammonia. I
also suggested he check his carbonate/alkalinity which he claimed was
A-O-K (between 75-200 ppm). After changing the water (less than 40%
he said) to bring the ammonia down, he reported his P signifer perked
up (returning to the middle of the water column) for about 4 days, but
his coloration did not revive. He called me again on Sunday and told
me that his male has returned to the top and re-lost his appetite.
1) Does anyone have any idea what is causing this?
2) Is it common?
Do P signifers commonly have a habit of "tank sour" (what I call it
when a fish just pales and may die for no apparent reason)? I've seen
Butterfly Rams do that a lot after 2 months of A-O-K, and even
wondered if that isn't what happens to some Agazzi's and Checkerboard
Cichlids (although I've also suspected an unknown garbage of some sort
in the bottom mulm may be the cause).
3) Does anyone have more suggestions for possible remediations?
Again, TIA.
--TommyBoy