One of my bala sharks just had a very tramatizing experience...

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Carefree_Dude

Piranha
MFK Member
Feb 4, 2011
1,226
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Portland, OR
I was doing a water change, and he managed to swim into the siphon. He is too big to get sucked in, but he managed to get his face stuck in the hose. I was doing dishes while the tank was draining, and I look over there and see him stuck. I quickly freed him... his face was all swollen and his lips engorged with blood... he was floating upside down for a while, and barely breathing. He is right side up now, but still very out of it... I know this accident could have been prevented if I paid more attention, but is there anything I can do to ease its pain?

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Good lord, that must have been one hell of a siphon. Never even heard of this happening before! Just keep the tank lights low let him try to de-stress, sorry man.
 
It happened to me. Good thing my bala was still small so the suction wasn't that strong I just shook the vacuum and it fell back in the tank. They're always curious. Hope yours recover.
 
I mean, I've seen fish swim up in the siphon, but never seen a fish get sucked in and stuck and have damage like that posted in the picture. I have had fry get sucked out though, which is why I siphon into a bucket for fry tanks when they're small, and cover the siphon with a net when they're a little bigger.
 
Oh, ok. I wonder what kind of vacuum he's using, I'm guessing python? Pretty strong to do a damage like that.
 
I use a slightly modified lees gravel vac... the old hose became full of mold so I replaced it with a slightly larger one. Also, I have the hose going down to a very low point outside, rather than to my sink. He got stuck in there really bad. Even after breaking the siphon, his face was still stuck. I had to take it apart to free him.


He's doing much better today. Most of the swelling is gone, and his other bala buddies have been keeping him company
 
I had this happen to an Albino Sen. Bichir. It was so bad that it deformed it's head. I thought it dead of my negligence in doing a water change. I decided since the "death" was from the accident and not disease I threw it into the RBP tank as food. The following day I saw it "move", so I got it out of the Piranha tank and into a 90G community tank. It is still alive and kicking one plus year later, and the head is now mostly a bichir shaped head.
 
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