I got an email finally a couple of weeks ago that a young red congo puff was ready for me, so I paid for it and spent 2 days opening a tank up for him. He came home on Wed 2-28-07 4 days after my father's funeral. I had considered passing on him because of just losing Dad but decided it would give me something to concentrate on so that I didn't sit around and think.
Here are a couple of pics taken while acclimating, not the best, which is why I wanted some GOOD ones today.
Other than a little skinny when I got him he looked very healthy and was more active than I had expected him to be. He wouldn't touch any snails or any of the frozen foods I offered and after 3 days I broke down and got him some ghost shrimp and small guppies. I didn't want to feed live, but at least I have had good success with the fish I got from this store so I felt relatively safe feeding these live items. He enjoyed the shrimp and guppies and continued to have great color and be active. The only thing I ever noticed was that his breathing was faster after eating, but didn't know for sure if that was a trait of the species. Maybe I overfed him, I don't know, he never got an overfed/bloated look about him. 4 days later, he seemed to actively be hunting for food, and he still wouldn't take any frozen so I broke down and got some more live. I was hoping to get at least 2 weeks of healthy living under my belt before I forced the eat it or starve issue, could have been a mistake I guess, but I am a sucker for a hungry animal.
I tested the water after finding him dead this morning and had 0-0-10 so it wasn't anything to do with the water parameters. It sucks that this happened, and sucks worse that other than the chance that something he ate caused this, I have no idea why I lost him. He was so pretty and acting just like he should burying in the sand, floating around the tank, alert and watchful.
All I could say when I found him and still is DAMN DAMN AND DOUBLE DAMN! Other than then the live food issue any suggestions on what I may have been able to do to have ensured his health? I considered a preventative of melafix and pimafix, but didn't want to treat for no apparent reasons and he looked sooooo good.
