angels update

I wasn't able to find Furan-2 or General Cure at the LFS. The employee told me those medications have been discontinued- as in, the manufacturer isn't supplying them anymore? I got Kanaplex and Erythromycin. Decided to try using the Erythromycin, even though I know it's effective against fewer fish diseases, because of the redness. Miss Beautiful has for so very long shown this redness at her pectoral fin joints, and sometimes on the edges of the body too, under the skin. Like an inflammation. I treated her before with Kanaplex twice, which didn't clear it up. So I'm going to try the Erythromycin. Also because one of the younger angels is starting to show red streaks, too. 

Good news is Shirley's lip does look better this morning- the spot is smaller-

but she has a second pale patch on her tail fin, now. Probably from getting attacked by her sibling. She's been staying low in a corner-

The gold angel has been very diligent at driving all the other fish here- even the two festivums keep to the far corner now. Precious planes her body horizontal to zoom across the tank and strike at them, one time so virgorously she flipped upside down, which was funny. I'm surprised at how seriously she takes her role as protector- still pretty sure she's female? you can see the breeding tube in this photo. 

Here the redness on edge of body at base of dorsal fin, and a bit at edge of caudal peduncle, too. It's not much yet, but this is how Miss Beautiful's symptoms started . . . 

Yesterday I was surprised at their behavior. The eggs are on the top of the airlift tube, I had to remove that from the filter base to rinse the sponge. I though the angelfish would either attack me, or flee and then eat the eggs after the disturbance. They did neither. When the water level dropped below the eggs, they just stared upward at the spot, fixedly. When I took apart the filter, Miss Beautiful nipped me once, but not very hard, and then they backed off and watched. When I put it all back together, they started tending the eggs again right away- most are gone now, of course, but they remain very intent about it. 

If I'm not mistaken, and Precious is female, I wonder if they'll remain a "pair", and if next time they'll switch roles? 

But I keep dreading I've made a mistake with the treatment. I don't know, of course, if Shirley started improving because I added the medication, or because of the water changes and filter cleaning I've done. I also replaced the air stone in one sponge filter, and flow is immediately better on that side. The other filter needs a new air stone too, but now I don't want to put my hands in the tank until the Erythromycin is cleared out. 

Following what it says on the box, it's day 1: wc and dose medication, day 2: dose medication, day 3: wc and re-dose medication, day 4: dose medication, day 5: wc to finish up. It's the days without water changes that I worry about, because I've read this medicine can also impact the bio-filter, killing off some of the beneficial bacteria. Well, there's an extra sponge in my guppy tank and two in the QT that I could put in here to re-colonize beneficial bacteria after, but that might cause more problems, if I bring pathogens back into the tank (if that male guppy had lymphocystis, and whatever the new fish in QT might have)?

Another thing I did which was maybe mistake, brought a new plant home. Aponogeton bolivianus (or boivinianus? I've seen it spelled both ways and don't know if that's two different plants names or not). I did rinse it a lot, and acclimated it- which personally I think prevents some of the leaf melt with new plants

and then realized I don't have space for it, will need it's own planter basket. I have an empty one, but need to prep the safe-t-sorb substrate. So for now I've dropped it in a corner. The few days it will take to soak the safe-t-sorb in ferts and baking soda, will also give time to finish up the medication treatment in here, and then I'll plant it. A few days sitting bare root won't hurt it, I hope.

Encouraged that my aponogeton capuronii is sprouting a few new leaves! I think the slightly lower temps will be better for the apnoogetons, as long as it's not stressful for my angelfish . . .