Question about the healing power of the P

[mheimke]

I just recieved my new 4" Ruby red spilo by Fed Ex the other day. I've got my new 75g all cycled, driftwood, powerhead, Xp3, and airstone all in place. I'm pretty excited, so I get the lights dimmed, open the box, and sit the bag in the water to start getting temp right. Of course I'm checking out my new little beast when.... Wow he's either got a big set of white teeth or there is a reasonable chunk out of his bottom jaw .

After calming myself down alittle, trying not to think about the cash spent on shipping and what I thought would be a perfect to great condition fish, I started checking online for advice on P injuries. The general concensus seems to be they heal very quickly, except one article I found saying jaw injuries very seldom heal 100%.

After getting him all acclimated and released into the tank I immediatly fell in live with his personality and coloration. Not much fear or skittishness at all for just being put in a new tank, but that big white gash in his jaw was of course bugging me. So I made a trip to the lfs and grabbed some malafix and some jumbo krill in case he was hungry. After taking the carbon out of the canister I gave the tank a 2/3 dose of medication, and kept the light off for stress reasons. About 20 min later I tossed a krill in the tank and I moved back to see if he would eat. A couple fakes at it and a chomp later he drags it to the bottom to wolfs it down. He seems to be in great shape, and I'm pretty sure his injury is bugging me more than him.

I guess what my question is, has anyone had experience with jaw injuries and how well they heal back? I'm enjoying the fishes personality and color, but alot of a piranhas looks are in the face and jaw. I would hate not to do everything I can to get him back to 100% beautiful.

Any help or stories about this sort of thing would be greatly appreciated, espicially if they are success stories.

 

[duster1971]

Think as long as you keep an eye on it he shuld be fine just check make sure it dosnt get infected or any fungus growth. I'm taking it you only have the single p this is probly good as well as I know that when one of my old rbp showed any injuries or weekness they were killd. But another member had a simaler incident where the other fish protecked the injured fish.

 

[dudey]

I have had a few piranhas that have had the flesh on their lower jaw bitten off during feeding. After what seemed like no time ( a week or two ) I no longer knew which one had gotten bitten. Post a picture of the injury if you can, it should heal back with no problem, melafix is probably not needed for it to heal 100%

 

[jp80911]

what kind of jaw injuries are you talking about? lip being bitten off and showing teeth? or it's at the front of the lower jaw caused from rubbing the glass or any hard surfaces?
any chance of posting a picture?
either way as long as it's not damaged to the bone it should heal out just fine. may have some scars but its hard to say.
I had two reds that got a chunk bitten out of their stomachs and healed just fine in about 2 weeks.

 

[Sanjo Eel]

They heal fast if water conditions are optimal. I got a RB once with a real bad bite out of his side, but he healed up fine. I call him Chompy and the side that got bit is a slightly different coloration so I can tell it's him. He's a happy breeder now. I have another that got a nice chunk taken from his lower jaw and it is almost healed 100% now after 3 weeks. Your fish will probably be ok but then we haven't seen pics.

 

[mheimke]

It is pretty much front center on the lower jaw. The lower teeth aren't exposed, but you can see them much easier in light due to the skin being gone and the flesh being a bit thinner there.

I'll see if I can get some pictures. I think he's healed some in the last few days, or I'm just getting used to it.

 

[jp80911]

sound like its caused by rubbing against hard surface. if it doesn't show the same behavior again it'll heal up very fast, just keep water clean, all parameters in check. up the temperature to 82F and add some salt (think is 1 table spoon per 10gallon of water).
if it keeps rubbing on the glass then it may never go away and eventually will form something we call chimple. you can put something like plants and driftwoods, etc against the glass and hope it'll stop it.

 

[lujor]

I've had rbps get lower lip bitten off during feeding and heal really well.

 

[brich999]

My RBP are always getting some kind of injury, but WOW can they heal. Ive had one with a bigger chunk out of it than the one in the picture and maybe 10 days later, you could not tell which was injured. just be sure injured fish are kept seperate.