Question on angelfish!

Neki, hello again.

From memory you don't have too much luck with Angel Fish, do you?

Your question is a little confusing so this reply might be a little 'off track', but I'll try anyway...

There is a good chance your fishes' fins are suffering from a type of Fungus, I'm assuming by the 'Arms' you are meaning the Pectoral fins (just behind the eyes and gills?) and these are the fins which provide much of both the stability and propulsion of Angel Fish, although some movement is also created by tail fin movement as well.


If, instead of being almost transparent, the fins are white as you describe there is a chance it is caused by Fungus of some sort, or - if the Fish are new - an incompatibility between the fish and your tank water.

Salt will help to ease symptoms of Fungus and so would Protozin, but I would suggest you do around a 50% water change and then use the Protozin at around 3/4 of the recommended dose (in case it will adversely affect your Otos) ie, if the dose recommended is - say - 12 drops per alternate days for four treatments then do eight drops every other day but do it over five - or even six - courses of treatment. But my feeling is you would need to reduce the salinity of the water significantly first.

You say they are feeding greedily which is never a bad sign with Angels...really this could be true for any fish too. So if this continues I think the Fins will clear soon enough, it might even be a small case of minor damage from fighting - possibly from before you bought them last week even. Angels are Cichlids after all and fighting with one another is part of the 'job description' so, although you haven't witnessed any conflict it might just be happening at times you aren't present.

So, if you aren't happy with them still do what I suggest - and if this doesn't clear it up then someone with experience of some of the more modern wonder cures like ESHA or that other stuff I can never remember the name of but which is made from Tea Tree oil can come in with suggestions regarding those. But I sort of suspect the Protozin will do the trick. I'm just even wondering if the fins might be contaminated by white spot so it might be worth gradually raising your temperature to the low eighties just in case, but keep a watchful eye on your Otos in case the sudden changes mightn't be to their liking - although all the ones I ever had were OK at that temperature as the rise was never an overnight one.

Hope at least some of this helps.

John