Not eating, help.

[Momobobo]

I'm completly frusterated with my Geophagus tank.

My Surinamensis are a new adition to my tnak form boxing day. Its been a week since I got them and they are still not eating anything. One takes a bite of it but spits it back out. What wrong, what can I do?

The pair of them also fight alot, it has established who is the leader, well this become a serious problem in the future?

My Hecklii...sigh, its been horribly rough with him. Finrot, then Calmullus worms, then not eating and sulking, Head in hole, and then Pop Eye. Now apparently he has internal parasites, I'm reluctant to put even more medicine in to treat him. He hasn't ate in 2 weeks, I'm worried. Is there anything I can do?

QUICK UPDATE: All the Geophagus are now eating bloodworms, I sure hope it wasn't just pickiness, I dont have the time nor patience right now to convert them to pellets =P

Heckelii is still crashed on the bottom rarely moving, pop eye, and white stringy poo (Internal parasites?)

[charles]

I am sorry you have so much trouble with the geophagus. Did you get those from me?

All the geophagus here are eating fine without any problem at all. Did you check your water parameter? Fish won't strave themselves unless there is problem with water or illness. With HITH and pop eye, that is the kind of signal for water parameter problem.

Can you list what you have in your tank, tankmates, filtration, water parameter reading, recently added fish, etc?

[Momobobo]

Nono, I'm sure any fish I'd get from you guys would be 100% okay and pristine

My main tank right now has one 5 Inch Heckelii, two 5 Inch Surin., and three 2 inch Jurapari, a 6 inch featherfin syno, and a 5 inch common pleco.

The Surins and Jurapari are new adds from boxing day. They have no problem...just not eating.

Its a 33 gallon long using a single Fluval 4+ for filtration. I can't give you water parameters unfortunatly, I dont have a test kit. But the PH is around 7.2-4.

Any help would be appreciated, if this continues to be a problem I think I might just tear down this tank.

[Chronick]

in my experience, something has to be really wrong for geos to not eat. They should be sifting through the dirt all the time and if they aren't its a pretty good indicator that something is wrong in your tank. I'd say get a test kit and do some water changes

[Momobobo]

They are shifting through the sand. Thats why I'm puzzled, they are settled in(established territory, abit of agression, etc) Its just they don't seem interested in anything I feed them (Flakes, Cichlid gold, Smaller Goldfish Pellets, beefheart).

The Juraparis...I think they are stupid or something, they eat the pellets, but then it goes through their gills and then they just stare at me with a stupid expression without going after the food again.

QUICK UPDATE: All the Geophagus are now eating bloodworms, I sure hope it wasn't just pickiness, I dont have the time nor patience right now to convert them to pellets =P

Heckelii is still crashed on the bottom rarely moving, pop eye, and white stringy poo (Internal parasites?)

[EDGE]

white stringy poo is usually worms. prazipro does wonder. Have you tried using garlic juice on the pellet food? I feed nls thera-a and the fish usually go after them quite readily. blackworm is also a great way to get them eating after they are feeling better.

[charles]

there are garlic extract you can buy from KingEd. I have many customers that use this product and has great result for the most pickiness fish.

My suggestion, remove the common pleco. Your tank is small in water volumn to house what you mention... You don't need another pooping machine in there ...

[April]

Do a wc .if one has pop eye then your water can't be good. Internal bacterial infection.
I'd vacuum the substrate and a good wc.
Some fish take time to settle . Maybe he was not in good health when you got him.

[Momobobo]

I've had him for over half a year now. The problems happened when I unknowingly bought a trio of convict cichlids. When they grew about half his size they killed the Jurapari and badly traumitized the Heckelii. He has been getting disease after disease after that. I have since got rid of them. Worst 2 doller investment ever.

I've been doing 20% water changes ever 2-3 days, hopefully he'll get better. And I'll swing by King Eds soon to check the garlic thing.

And heh....that is quite true, but I have no where to put the pleco =\ Well I got rid of the syno so its under the gallon per inch rule until the jurapari grow up which is extremly slowly.

Thanks for everybody's help, especially the sponsers, you guys are awesome =P