Just got home from work and my beautiful 9" Jag was stuck in a Tiki head ornament. He must have been stuck all day. I am literally sick to my stomach right now.
He entered through a side entrance that I guess he was big enough to still fit into once he was in it was like a fish trap. I couldn't turn him around and he couldn't swim backwards and he really beat up the top of his head struggling.
I tried to gently maneuver him in different directions underwater to get him out and was unsuccessful.
I had to perform emergency surgery and literally take him out of the water stuck inside the ornament and use a hacksaw to gently cut the ornament open. I did this quickly I would say in under 10 seconds and used great care not to injure him with the blade.
I got him out and put him back in the tank and probably under 12 seconds.
His head is really beat up but I am more concerned about the last 1/3 of his body.
He appears to NOT be using his anal or caudal fin and is only using his pectoral fins to swim.
Breathing with his gills is normal rate but he is kind of swimming weird with his head higher than his tail.
I was thinking of adding aquarium salt to the tank to help The superficial wounds.
What should I add to the tank to prevent a bacterial infection?
If there's a moderator who see this please give me some advice as to what else I could possibly do to give him the best chance.
I will attach a picture of the ornament which is a fairly common thing you can find it many fish stores.
I think this ornament is dangerous and I advise anyone who has this ornament that looks like a tiki head to please not use it if you have medium to large sized fish like mine.
He entered through a side entrance that I guess he was big enough to still fit into once he was in it was like a fish trap. I couldn't turn him around and he couldn't swim backwards and he really beat up the top of his head struggling.
I tried to gently maneuver him in different directions underwater to get him out and was unsuccessful.
I had to perform emergency surgery and literally take him out of the water stuck inside the ornament and use a hacksaw to gently cut the ornament open. I did this quickly I would say in under 10 seconds and used great care not to injure him with the blade.
I got him out and put him back in the tank and probably under 12 seconds.
His head is really beat up but I am more concerned about the last 1/3 of his body.
He appears to NOT be using his anal or caudal fin and is only using his pectoral fins to swim.
Breathing with his gills is normal rate but he is kind of swimming weird with his head higher than his tail.
I was thinking of adding aquarium salt to the tank to help The superficial wounds.
What should I add to the tank to prevent a bacterial infection?
If there's a moderator who see this please give me some advice as to what else I could possibly do to give him the best chance.
I will attach a picture of the ornament which is a fairly common thing you can find it many fish stores.
I think this ornament is dangerous and I advise anyone who has this ornament that looks like a tiki head to please not use it if you have medium to large sized fish like mine.
