We got 2 pikes about 6 months ago from LFS in illinois (western suburbs) they were always together, wrapping each other around the other, slept together, hunted prey together, and we moved them to a 150 US gallon tank about 1 month ago. They were getting huge. About 8'-10'. We had several decorations in the tank. Including, a weird log with multiple holes for lil fish to find. (i thought it would be great challange for pikes). So one day my boyfriend freaked out. "Ilost my pike". "wheres my pike". i was thinking hes nuts and just cant count to 2. so i look in the tank, and i count... 1 snook, 2 snooks, 3 snooks, 1 pike.....wheres the other.....i looked and looked and finally got the notion to look in the weird looking man made log. LOW and Behold, our beloved fish had ran after a fish face fisrt into this log and couldnt get out. we raised them from 3" to this georgeous 10" beast and here it is, stuck in a tiny sliver of a hole. We frantically thought of ideas to get her out, but the only thing that came t mind was a battery powered saw to cut the ornament in half to rescue our beloved fish..
After the first couple revv's of the motor of the saw the fish started going nuts in its new prison. Finally it fell to the tanks floor, free, but very scrapped, and listless. Its dorsal fin ripped, its beautiful tail fin shagged, and frail. I could se blood rising to its fins. It was totally stressed. Who knows how long it had been in the log. We immediately did water change, and released a bottle of melafix into tank, and waited. She passed away 2 days later. We miss her very much. Just a word of caution, be sure nothing in tank can possibly harm the fish. This massive beast forced herself into tiny creavesse to chase after the lil food she wanted and in the end paid dearly. Her partner and companion for two days, nudged her every sec to make sure she was still alive. He even wanted to spawn right before she died, but she didnt have the strength.
After the first couple revv's of the motor of the saw the fish started going nuts in its new prison. Finally it fell to the tanks floor, free, but very scrapped, and listless. Its dorsal fin ripped, its beautiful tail fin shagged, and frail. I could se blood rising to its fins. It was totally stressed. Who knows how long it had been in the log. We immediately did water change, and released a bottle of melafix into tank, and waited. She passed away 2 days later. We miss her very much. Just a word of caution, be sure nothing in tank can possibly harm the fish. This massive beast forced herself into tiny creavesse to chase after the lil food she wanted and in the end paid dearly. Her partner and companion for two days, nudged her every sec to make sure she was still alive. He even wanted to spawn right before she died, but she didnt have the strength.
. Thats why I only use all natural decoration in my fish tanks. Logs, branches, rocks, and sand. Nothing else. All that manmade crap has caused to many fish fatalities, its not worth it. Plus they look cheap IMO. 