Is My Flounder Sick?

"Muuurgh" wrote in message
reenews.net...
I bought a couple freshwater flounder a couple weeks back.
Unfortunately I put them in a tank with "mildly" aggressive cichlids
(they managed to kill two other cichlids, all of my shrimp and the
crawdad). They ate one flounder and the other is badly scarred on his
back with his fins all torn up. I have traded in all of my cichlids and
I am wondering if the flounder will ever get better. I have treated the
tank with Melafix and Fungus Clear, it has been a week since the
cichlids have been removed. The flounder's condition has not improved.
He seems healthy in that he swims around and acts normally but his fins
and scars are not looking good.

Here's the catch: I want to populate my tank with Mpimbwe Frontosa,
they shouldn't be nearly as aggressive as the other fish I had. But I
don't want to introduce them to a tank that is infected. I have had
two other fish that have inhabited this tank through this whole shebang
(a bristlenosed pleco and a flying fox) they are doing superb. They
show no signs of disease. How can I tell if my flounder has a disease?
Should I flush him now before the Mpimbwe arrive in case he is
infected? Or should I take a chance and simply introduce them as
normal?

Should I add Fungus Clear when I do introduce just to make sure? What
other precautions should I take?

Thanks,
Muuurgh


Sounds like you need more tanks. Frontosas get the size of Oscars and
have similar feeding requirements. Are you ready for that?

As long as the fish (in this case a flounder) is eating and behaving
normally, and the wounds are not fungused, then I would let the fish
recover on its own. If the damage to the fins does not go to the base,
they will grow back. Time will tell if there was any internal damage
done by the cichlids. Never flush them. For a recovering fish, there is
the LFS, friends, fish-clubs, or keep him yourself in that tank or in a
recovery tank. Sounds like he has earned a chance to have some time in
peace, and a few war-wounds just adds character ;~).
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