otocinclus Pale Otos

[SonoranStorm]

Hi All, 
Question my LFS is going curbside pick up RN with the Rona so i dont get a chance to go pick out the fish myself I got two otos and 5 Neon Tetras. 
They were drip-acclimated over a 2 hour period but since i picked them up I saw they were noticably paler than my other 3 otos. 
Upon closer inspection it looks like their tails are a little beat up and their gills are working overtime. 

I would like to give them a fighting chance. Any advice? Thoughts? 

[sdlTBfanUK]

There are a few products meant to help, melafix and stress coat that can be added but I'm not all that sure they really DO anything much. I woud just keep an eye at this stage as they may just get healthier over time as they are now in a properly set up tank. Just keep a close eye on them though as tey may be sick and you don't want them to infect the others. I have bought fish before with torn tails but they soon pick up and the tears fix themselves!

Fingers crossed they are ok but if the LFS is going ut of business they probably had too many other things on their mind than caring perfectly for the fish?

Simon

[SonoranStorm]

Hi Simon, 
Always nice to hear from you. 

Will do, i've added more food sources to the tank (Zucchini and Algae Wafers) and im keeping the lights off a few days to see if it helps. 
 

Lucky for me the LFS is going strong but since customers are calling in/ sending instagram messages to the management to place orders 10-15 minutes before you show up and the owner is going bonkers doing a million things at once and manning the register i don't think the youngins really pay much attention to the livestock they pick out for customers. Then again most Otos are wild caught so i cant expect much in the realm of perfect health either. 

For now I think your advice is best i will keep an eye on them to see if they look better and separate them otherwise. 

[jayc]

Most fish go pale when stressed, like when they are caught and bagged and shipped. They also do go pale when sick though.

This is a prime example of needing to quarantine. The beat up tail and heavy breathing might be due to other issues apart from the shipping stress. So it's good to quarantine these guys away from the main tank. Just in case.

 

Keeping the lights off is a good idea, and helps with stresses of shipping.