Need a little advice about my Queen Angel

[steri]

So, I have had a queen angel for over a year now. It is about 6 inches big. Usually very healthy and a HUGE eater of everything. Diet is vast and contains a lot of Rod's, a lot of nori, frozen brine, and a number of other things.

This fish has never been picked on, has no injuries (that I can observe), and is breathing normally. Water conditions are fine and stable. I have no concerns about the water quality. I have a FO tank.

Well, 6 days ago he stopped eating and has been staying in a cave area of my tank (usually swims all over the tank together with my french angel). I can easily see him. He swims in that small area of the tank, but does not come out, and has not come out at all in the 6 days since he has been back there. He is not stuck as other fish easily swim in and out of that area (one of them being an equally large French Angel who is the queen's best friend in the tank).

The queen is showing no sign of illness other than getting skinnier from not eating.

I contacted a friend of mine a few days ago and he suspects the queen may have a bacterial infection, so I started treating the fish for a bacterial infection. I am 4 days into treatment of that and the queen has not come out of the cave area yet, nor has she started eating.

I have even attempted to spot feed him and he is just not interested.

Anyone have any clue as to what is going on with my queen? The queen is my favorite fish and I want to do all I can for him. I just dont understand what is wrong. :(

Any advice or atempt to help is MUCH appreciated! I am not a noob. I know what I am doing (for the most part), I just can't figure this one out and do not want to lose this fish!

[steri]

All other fish in the tank are swimming, behaving, and eating normally.

[JohnniG]

Thats a bummer mate. Beats me :(

[RayL]

Is it possible that as the fish got older the french grew an attitude and is bullying the queen?

[SDguy]

Is it possible that as the fish got older the french grew an attitude and is bullying the queen?

This is my first thought. Those fish are never going to be best friends :)

[roenicknewf]

Is it possible that as the fish got older the french grew an attitude and is bullying the queen?

Could be that humu

[RayL]

what does humu mean?

[mikeyVR4]

Eggs in the back cave she is nursing?

[roenicknewf]

what does humu mean?

Humu humu trigger

[humaguy]

also think there could be aggression...what happens when you feed?
has there been a change in the French's behavior?

[Mrscribbled]

Eggs in the back cave she is nursing?




What? ??? serious answer?



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[Mrscribbled]

What size tank is this?


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[SDguy]

also think there could be aggression...what happens when you feed?
has there been a change in the French's behavior?

The other side to that is how do the fish act after you've been there fore a while... meaning they are used to you. I've seen fish seemingly get along fine when they are distracted by you either feeding them, or just being in the room. But after a while, once they get back to their usual routine, the aggression may become visible. I've often missed this type of aggression, usually when I'm working a lot, and don't really spend a lot of time watching the tanks.

[SDguy]

What? ??? serious answer?



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It did make for a neat visual :)

[RayL]

Peter may be on to something, why dont you set up a video camera for when you are not around and see what happens between the fish

[steri]

Ok. A few responses. 1) tank is a 210 gallon. 2) queen and french have been close since they were added to the tank over a year ago. I have never seen any aggression between the two.....ever. even now french will just swim through the cave area. He never picks on the queen, nudges the queen, or anything to that affect. 3) Also never seen the humu be aggressive towards the angels.

4) queen came out tonight. Still has not eaten but is swimming. Her body and fins show no sign of damage at all. She is running into the side of the tank from time to time though but swimming upright/normal for the most part.

5) eggs? No clue, and would not have guessed it. While I have been able to see into the cave she has been I have no way of seeing in there to see if there would be any eggs at all but given how extremely rare it is for angels to spawn in captvity, I would doubt this.

I am still at a loss. The coming out and swimming is encouraging. The lack of eating still has me concerned. I am certain the french has not harmed this fish though. Certain!

[steri]

I just tried spot feeding. He was not interested. I do find it odd though that he is not closing his mouth at all when he breathes. His mouth stays completely open all of the time. I looked in his mouth to see if something was caught in there and didn't see anything. What would cause him to constantly have his mouth open?

[sandwi54]

Maybe he simply injured himself. If he's not showing any red sores on the body, I would just let him recover over time and not worry too much. Queen angels are pretty tough fish.

By the way,the two angels have no problems getting along now because they are still small. When they get close to 10" and mature, you will certain see plenty of aggression in a 210g, which is really too small for either of the angels. You happened to pick the two biggest angels in the whole family of pomacanthide!

My 12" French angel makes my 375g look small. I wish I have room to get him a bigger tank.

[CenterConsole]

Has there been any new additions to the tank? Even a piece of live rock, anything that could have brought in a disease/parasite? What's your quarantine regimen? I wouldn't just let the angel go and hope he recovers on his own, sounds like he's fading and won't be around much longer unfortunately.

I too have had many angels as juveniles appear as best friends, but over the years, as they got bigger, aggression started. It's inevitable, especially with an aggressive holocanthus angel like the queen, definitely more aggressive than a pomocanthus French angel.

[firewill65]

sorry to re-start an old thread...any update on the Queen? Are queens prone to having flukes?