I feel Aweful, Amazed and have quite the conundrum.

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
E

eatingleg4peanut

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
May 21, 2010
732
2
0
Maryland
You can see my current tank setup in my sig. Those of you that have seen my posts know that I absolutely love my 3yr old 8" Male Jack, do to some rough history with him that I wont go into (again). Basically he used to be an insane killer, but I seemingly tamed him back in July when raising my other growouts. He has been very peaceful, never even paying attention to his tankmates, even the little 2" cuban he could easilty eat, has been safe. Due to seeing a very nice tank setup at a LFS that had cichlids and big kissing gourami, I decided I wanted one. So I go on Friday pick up a nice 3" kissing gourami from petsmart, I float the bag as usual, release him, notice he seems fine, and then go away to eat some dinner (popeyes spicy chicken tenders with mardi gras mustard...YUM). I go back to the tank maybe 45min later to find the gourami with 1/3 of the rear of its body-ripped off, thanks to Jack. I don't just mean the tail, I mean shark attack resembling, spine and organ showing, literally 1/3 of its body gone. I'm feeling really bad, especially since the thing is still alive laying on the bottom. I net it out, and put it in my tiger barb tank, thinking I'll let it at least die in peace, well my barbs swarm it like a shoal of piranha and start eating it. So I net it again, this time leaving it in the net floating at the top of the tank (its a big net), and its late so I go to bed. I wake up at about 9:30 am on saturday, thinking time to flush the dead fish, but wait, damn things still alive, WTF. Its now Monday and the thing is alive, I have even gotten it to eat, and the wound looks to be healing, I cant see the spine or organ anymore. I let it out of the net yesterday, and it def cant swim normal, it goes right to the bottom balancing with its fins, but CAN make it to the surface for air. I know it will never be able to swim normal, but I am stuck wondering if I should end the fish, or let it live in this state, I know it will never grow its tail back since its not just missing the tail its missing 1/3 of its body.

What is your opinion on what I should do?
 
I've seen fish stay alive for a while with a injury like this but never ends well and is a hard thing to watch
 
personally, I would have eutanized him the first time I found it. but now, I think its amazing its still alive. Have you seen him eat?

If he's eating, theres a chance he'll make it. If not, you're just dragging on a painful and slow death.

If you think theres a chance he'll make it, you can put him in a hospital tank, with anti fungal meds and power feed him, maybe he'll come around
 
never give up on him
 
yeah its eating, its in a 10g by itself now, but I still have it in the net so its doesn't have to far to go to reach the surface. Only "treating" it with Melafix.
 
I don't know about power feeding,but a quarantine tank medicated with CLEAN water is in order. Lower water levels would probably help too. Bare bottom with some fake plants for cover...

Most likely this will only be temporary due to the severity of the injury, if it does live, I think this will be a sump inhabitant...A fish you know you have, but not gonna live in your main tank...
 
I have a little ryunkin goldfish that was born with only one swim bladder. I bought him from PetsMart, and while in their nasty water, his only swim bladder has become disordered, and he can no longer float, hold himself upright or anything. He just lays peacefully on the bottom, and when food comes, he pushes himself around, sometimes going up and around in a flurry. He eats his food, and has not grown. I don't know what's going on with him, he currently lives in my sump with some driftwood, an anubias, and some potted plants. He seems content to live his life, I've been wrestling with "am I keeping him alive because he deserves to live, or am I just prolonging his suffering and keeping him alive for me." I don't know what to tell you. If I had a fish that had 1/3 of its body removed, I would euthanize it, but you may feel differently. Just like some people may feel differently about me keeping little Wobbles alive (that's his name, isn't it cute?)
 
Update: "The Dude" is still alive, and now eating without me having to put the food directly on its mouth. Thinking about letting it out of the net when I get home.
 
I wish you the best of luck. Who knows, stranger things have happened and this guy just might suprise us all.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom