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.
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