Pterophyllum altum

Yesterday, the last remaining juvenile altum was gone. It has been a miserable week or even two, and I am not expecting any soon. I am currently quite busy with work (which is good because it also takes the frustrations off my mind for sometime) and finally I will get my customized aquarium delivered soon (I am really tempted to brag about it but I am not allowed to - it is from a major brand), and the prospect of having a one-of-a-kind aquarium is keeping me involved in the hobby after the heartbreaks and ego-busters. The best of thank yous to friends who suggested to let go this time and focus instead on my brand new aquarium (but still shocked to find out of the cost of materials for the aquarium stand) for next year's batch of altums(?). Also thanks thanks to those who despite the odds, came up with the customized tank - Deric, Boy, and Hazel to name a few). I am still working on that delivery and trying to fit the new tank inside my room (if I can really manage to get it inside because of its width).

As in any loss, there are quite a few things I learned or that should be recognized - carelessness is really dangerous and time management is an important tool in maintaining fish to cite a few. Next time, next time should be a mantra a hobbyist needs to recite quite often.

Pterophyllum altum

For documentation, here's the lone surviving juvenile P. altum I have after all the 'disasters' I went through. Note the length of the ventral fin is longer than the body height. This is what I am trying to find out - whether they P. altum grow out with shorter fin length when mature in captivity. Very few mature P. altums that I see online have fin:body length ratio that Bleher considers as the real ones.

I added two more today, which pales in comparison when it comes to size and fin length (I strongly believe that P. altums should be in a group) - and the new ones already have the longest fins among the stock left from the seller.

Aquarium Water Temperature

It was a terrible accident waiting to happen because of my work schedule, which is also quite erratic. I discovered to my 'surprise' that my planted tank's water temperature has risen so high 35 to 36 degrees. And the worst part, it got nothing to do with equipment failure - I am using Jager's heater (an Eheim brand) which is really the most reliable one can get hold of - but I totally forgot that during the last water change, I turned the heater to max intending to hasten the increase in temperature for the new water and completely forgot all about it for two days. Two days and fishes started dying off on me. I started to check on all the components of my system and there it was - temperature was way off what would be considered as part of the range of what would be ideal, way off the mark with 10 degrees. For fishes like corydora sterbai, they weren't affected (so far and in terms of mortalities) because they do require higher temperature than c. melinis and others that died. Will further update you on the after-effects of the 10 degree increase in water temperature in two days time.

Pterophyllum altum

Last Saturday, I added three more seemingly healthy juveniles to the 4 surviving ones. In less than 2 days, all three were dead. I have been reassessing the situation because the mortality rate reached as high as 3 out of 4. Comparing this to last year's import and other's experiences, the mortality rate is almost the same. But, reading through the different fora (mortality rates range from 1 out of 5 to about a third of a batch survival) made me realize that I maybe facing another problem related with the way I select which juvenile to bring home.

Whenever I choose a fish, I always try to choose the healthiest ones. For the juvenile altums, meanwhile, my primary consideration was physical (to choose the tallest ones in terms of the fin length and more prominent bars) for the next stage of my altum experiment. Additionally, I was more keen on the coloration (reddish tinge fins) than the behavioral display. Even while picking on my first batch this year, I noticed that quite a few were easily caught. The second time I went to pick up the 3, I even hesitated to pick another because it was easily netted. Thus, to begin with, I may have been choosing the slowest swimmers and darker ones as I wanted the juvenile altums with the most prominent barring - which can also be construed as picking on the weakest of the lot.

As I researched into juvenile altums, more specifically about selection, I read last night that healthy juveniles are paler than those who remain darker and slower, partly as a behavioral response. That might just be the answer to what has been a bit disappointing week. The frustration is slowly building up but the hobby of keeping altums remain challenging. Will keep you abreast everything.

Zebra Pleco or L46

After several days of observing, I finally got the zebra pleco to 'vacate' the cavity (admittedly, with some 'hard' persuasive acts). And it is an empty nest! No success in spawning the zebras despite all the 'rituals' the pair underwent - sharing the driftwood cavity with one blocking the entrance, the 3 to 4 day eviction of the other (presumed to be the egg-layer) and 'fanning.' Just like that, it all came to a naught.

Pterophyllum altum

Fourth, for some tech-geeky reasons, I finally ran my ORP (Redox Potential) gadget. Ok, that it is something that is a bit too much for an ordinary hobbyist, but with the juvenile altums, I wanted to document anything I could handle. Despite low 100+ values during the initial monitoring, when the problems started (physical signs started to show) - the ORP, started to increase reaching as high as 300. Now it's back to 250 and a bit reassuring. There was that feeling of 'what's with the water?' And these with water parameters that could be summed in zeroes for the dreaded ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. My pH remained stable between 6.8 to 7.0 and TDS at 150s (for my planted tank, this was something one wants to avoid a pH crash). To this night, it doesn't really make sense (why the increase in ORP values). Still, and I should admit, I was also tempted to increase the ORP to 350 at certain times using my ozone generator to finish off anything that shouldn't be there - but that entails more risk than necessary as a male zebra pleco is caring for the eggs laid by my lone female L46.

There are many other possible reasons - but one thing is sure, I am enjoying this. It is the challenge a serious hobbyist needs - to strive harder. And for those who are getting their P. altum juveniles, I suggest, increase your water temperature (the first thing Ken Kennedy of Pinoy Angelfish fame asked me if I did when we talked), start the antibiotic treatment right away upon quarantining them. I am using Sera's Baktopur although Potassium Permanganate would do as well albeit it is more risky. You will soon realize why one of the hardest fish to keep are P. altums.

Pterophyllum altum

So how difficult it is to care for juvenile Altums? I have been a hobbyist for 30 years and always quite good in maintaining my water parameters and fishes. And last year, I got my first-ever community of P. altum around 4 to 5 inches tall with very little problems encountered along the way becoming just a hobby without the challenges - it was a matter of time before I got bored with them. A week or two ago, I opted to release my 2009 P. altum community knowing that a new batch of juveniles are coming in. So, when they arrived the week before, I took home 12 x 2.5 to 3 inches tall juvenile P. altums and it has been quite a different experience. As of tonight, there are only 4 left of the juveniles. Picture above shows the 'dominant' juvenile which is now without its dorsal and ventral fins - but remains the alpha of the remaining 4.

So what was the cause of the losses? A mix bag of costly mistakes really.

First, I forgot to increase the water temperature. I have since gone 31 to 33 (degrees centigrade) and somehow it is working.

Second, I initiated deworming and didn't do as the importers do - that is add an antibiotic as a precautionary measure as they are wild-caught (I do endorse an active quarantine procedure but do not actually practice it in reality, which should be another series of postings in the future). For two days now, I have been adding my ever-trusted Baktopur (Sera's, always keep this in your fish medicine cabinet) and so far it also has done wonders. The fish disease am dealing with is, columnaris based on the physical signs.

Third, there were probable tankmates which could have done more harm - local shrimps I have kept in the planted tanks that I have seen attack and finish off (as fish meal) anything that it can get hold of. They have since been transferred to another tank.

Pterophyllum altum

A few hours ago, two fellow hobbyists came to visit my tanks. Nothing much to see that is out of the ordinary except for the newly arrived Pterophyllum altum juveniles (or Altum Angelfish) and Potamotrygon schroederi (Flower Ray)- both of which are rare in the country. Presently there is good enough interest in Altum Angelfish that probably it should be good to refer back to several posts I made earlier on this blog. It is a fish that very few in the country has experience with. Even among those who had the opportunity, it was never an easy task.

There are several reasons for this, first and foremost is the scarcity of the fish itself in the local market and even elsewhere. This despite claims of success in captive breeding in other countries - which is not universally accepted and thus remains controversial - the demand quite easily surpasses that of the supply. In fact, the high demand for Altums have created a market wherein even wild-caught Pterophyllum scalares are being sold as Altums, a good example here is the so-called Peruvian Altum. Additionally, the fish, especially wild-caught is available only seasonally. Although in the past year or two, most of the wild-caught P. altums have been juveniles.

The scarcity (thus our own lack of experience) and being wild-caught make it doubly difficult for anyone wanting altums in their show tanks. It may look and sound easy but if you read the finer details, you will find the technical requirements that you probably won't even encounter for most other fishes. The same scarcity and high mortality rates in transit and even during acclimatization also affect the price of available P. altums and most do complain because they simply do not understand.

Pterophyllum altum 3rd Night

More Potamotrygon sp. Pictures

How Difficult It Is?

How difficult it is to take care of juvenile Pterophyllum altums? Just today, despite perfectly normal water parameters (except for an increasing redox [238 - 240 before bed and now at 280s]), I lost 3 juveniles (one out of technical problem with water flow because of the increased aeration).

The other fishes are all doing well including several new addition to the lone Corydora melini left in the fish tank. It wasn't as difficult when I started with 4 to 5 inches last year, to say I did well would be an understatement compared to what I am experiencing now.

Altum Season is On Us!

They are here! Pterophyllum altum juveniles at around 2.5 to 3 inches tall (inclusive of dorsal and ventral fins). They are just beautiful but quite delicate too - so am crossing my fingers.

Am reconfiguring my filtration systems (and fish tanks) to accommodate the newly-arrived juveniles especially with a customized 90 cm tall tank for them. Will update you also on this.

Zebra Pleco or L46

It has been 4 days and the other zebra pleco is now out of the 'cavity.' It is quite difficult to see whether there are eggs inside the 'cavity' as the remaining zebra pleco is there. Will keep you updated on the developments.