Rio Ucayali ancistrus deaths - thoughts please

[thejulesmyster]

My lfs ordered some ancistrus from Singapore and Rio Ucayali's arrived. The owner and I both took 6 home.

I put mine in a tank with 2 juvenile calicos, 2 juvenile albino SP3's and 2 veil tail angel fish. They instantly hid and from what I witnessed weren’t too active at night either.

The albino SP3 male died and I put it down to ‘these things happen’.

Then the angels got fin rot but as the Rio Ucayali’s kept lounging on their cone I suspected it was that which stressed them. As the angels were all fin I struggled to save them and eventually they died. I can’t tell you how upset I was but blamed myself as I had put the Rio Ucayali's in there. The angels had been quite happy with the other ancistrus for some time.

Over the past few weeks I have lost 4 of the Rio Ucayali's, one every few days. They show no visible symptoms of illness but last night the one which died was on the side of the glass ‘panting’ and the gills looked quite red. My friends 6 Rios are fine.

If you accept that I have several species of ancistrus that prosper and the conditions are right, then my assumption would be that it is something internal. One of 2 remaining fish seems quite happy and has started coming out to feed.

Has anyone any thoughts about the deaths? Or treatment?