Rebuilding a Monster Fish

[Master Zero]

Hello, I caught this very large fish today…it’s a Largemouth bass. It’s sad to say, but for a fish his size he really did not put up much of a fight. It’s about 17 inches, but I once caught a 9 inches Smallmouth bass who really showed some muscle. When I got it home and under a tank light, anyone can easily see that this fish is unhealthy. As you can see from the photograph I took earlier, its colors are really pale…its signature, horizontal makings and completely faded. My main plan is to feed it as mouth as it can eat…seeing how his malnourish. But they is a unknown factor, a thin white coating which is covering the fish. Some of it can be seen coming off around the head and mouth (see second picture). Is this some kind of fungus?

 

[voss345]

prolly want to put this thread in the native section, yea im a fishaholic as some people call me but yea i noticed the markings are very faded especailly for fish this size when they get to 15" plus they are dominant fish and show themselves that
what size tank you got him in
what type of water did you catch him out of like pond lake swamp etc

 

[Master Zero]

He’s in a 125 gallon tank which he makes look so small. That is his temporary home until he regains some health, then I’ll transfer him to my outdoor pond…if I do so now, he is such to get fungus and die. I found him at a creek, was not expecting anything as big…the water was kind of murky today from the past rain storms…cold as well. I have about 20 medium sized minnows and several large Crayfish in there, but I am thinking about removing the other two young Bass I have in there with him…don’t won’t them to become lunch…although I doubt it unless he is still hungry.

 

[Mystix212]

He's probably had a lack of food (Introduced maybe?) and the cold water would make him prone to disases and infections. Raise temp to 80-82 and treat with melafix. Doesnt look very well at all. If he dies, eat him. Or let your other fish consume him.

 

[Yakuza-Irezumi]

He's probably had a lack of food (Introduced maybe?) and the cold water would make him prone to disases and infections. Raise temp to 80-82 and treat with melafix. Doesnt look very well at all. If he dies, eat him. Or let your other fish consume him.

Well,he has food in the tank(crayfish) and being such a super-predator for it's normal body of water AND being so hardy,i think it'll survive.

 

[Master Zero]

I could never eat a friend…and he is too big for any other fish to eat…even my six baby piranhas would be picking at it for weeks. I am delighted to say that he is going to make a full recovery. I have been checking on him every now and then. His mouth is closed, and his breathing is back to normal (I thought I would have a not enough oxygen problem, but guess that’s only for the Smallmouth bass). He is very responsive…and aware of my presence…even in the dark. I thought he was going to break the tank when he got startled and bolted to the other side of the tank push against the glass at full speed. I think it might have been the change in water temperature that cause the white thin coat of skin to pill off…as far as I can see…but I’ll wait for morning to see if my predictions are true…which is that he will make a full recovery. This is a full tank shot I took in the dark:

 

[ShadowBass]

Oh man. I wouldn't have that guy in there with your arow.

Good luck though.

 

[Mystix212]

Looks to of made a nice recovery. Why would the aro/LMB present a problem to one another?

 

[ShadowBass]

Looks to of made a nice recovery. Why would the aro/LMB present a problem to one another?

The arow wouldn't present a problem to the LMB, but the LMB is likely to beat up on the arow. Not that it can't work, but I wouldn't risk my silver arow with a fish that I could go out and catch every day.

LMB are jumpy and can be aggressive, especially at higher temperatures. Nope, my LMB can swallow a fish half his size. The LMB in the pic above could easily beat the crap out of that arow. I personally wouldn't risk it.
Not my tank, but I feel the owner should be warned *shrug*.

 

[ewurm]

That bass looks fairly healthy to me. The faded colors often occur when the fish are stressed. When that bass gets a feel for it's surroundings and find it "home", I think your aro will take a beating.