Lost my Ornate due to stupidity.

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Racersk

Racersk

Piranha
MFK Member
Apr 22, 2010
1,153
42
81
Covington
I hadn't seen my ornate bichir since monday or tuesday..This one was very reclusive and I wasn't super concerned until yesterday (4 days?!) and I still didn't know where it was. Water level is kept low and there was no fish jerky on the floor, so I start digging into the ornaments.

I JUST picked up a mangrove looking ornament from PetSmart for cheap, that this fish liked to get into a smaller hidy hole in the top. I saw him swim in the whole, and out the bttom like 5 times the day after I introduced it, so I wasn't worried...Well I should have been.

Pulled it out and I found a barley alive ornate wedged down one of the HOLLOW limbs on this thing! DAMN IT! After some surgery I was able to remove it by cutting the ornament below the head of the fish and pulled it the rest of they way through. It didn't make it through the procedure...:(

I put it back into the tank, but I stuffed any and all holes with fake plants to keep my other fish from doing the same. I couldn't bring myself to take a picture of it, as it was pretty gruesome.

Had to share.

PS-don't be stupid like me and silicone up the holes that are barely big enough for your fish to get into, they will grow and get stuck!
 
I have had this happen to me and same for my friends. Those ornaments are death traps for fish. Its unreal that they sell them as is. They should sell with a warning that if your fish can fit in it to fill it up.
 
I am thinking of a spay foam, like a crack filler. Any suggestions for intank uses? Like a pond foam product...

I'm just mad that this was one of my cooler AND more expensive pets!
 
i feel your pain...sort of. i had a golden gourami wedge hisself in2 a hole in an ornament and there he died. shiiit i ddnt realize it until a week tho! my bichir is prbly too big now thank goodness
 
I've had to break several ornaments to save loaches, I'm very picky now. Generally if I have any doubts, now I'll modify it before I put it in. I hand paint any ceramics I put in now, so I can easily modify them before they're first fired.

Sorry for your loss, it really sucks to lose a fish that you could have maybe saved.
 
Racersk;4591591; said:
I am thinking of a spay foam, like a crack filler. Any suggestions for intank uses? Like a pond foam product...

I'm just mad that this was one of my cooler AND more expensive pets!
Click to expand...

I've used great stuff in the past with good results, sorry about your loss bro.
 
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