Rtcxtsn gill curl on one side.

[Mfowlie626]

I have a 20" rtcxtsn with gill curl on one side. I've had it since it was only a few inches and was raised in a 500g outdoor pond. One winter it got a little too cold over night (I'm in sw FL) and I had to move every fish out the next morning to my tank inside. After all this happened I noticed that the rtcxtsn had developed gill curl on one side. It's now been almost 2 years and he has been moved to an 800g pond and it has not gotten any better. Is this harmful to him at all? I've heard about trimming the gill to fix this but would rather not do that if it's not necessary.

Sorry for the blurry photo, he wouldn't stop moving around lol.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

Howdy neighbor, I am in SW FL too. Gill curl is usually a result of one of two reasons - poor water (ammonia, nitrite, low DO) or genetics.

Sometimes it goes away as the keeping conditions improve and the fish grows.

It is not thought to affect the fish adversely significantly. But poor water does.

It is usually removed for aesthetic objections, not fish health, and most usually in showy arowana, not in lowly catfish.

 

[kno4te]

No need to cut unless it curling inward or the curl is messing with the gill filaments/rakers. Ur cat doesn’t look to bad.

 

[Mfowlie626]

Ok cool thanks guys. Is there any way a temperature shock could cause it? I actually lost a few fish that night and most of the other fish were unconscious.

 

[kno4te]

Ok cool thanks guys. Is there any way a temperature shock could cause it? I actually lost a few fish that night and most of the other fish were unconscious.

Not that I’m aware of. Poor water quality, tank size and bad genes is all i know.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

Not that I’m aware of. Poor water quality, tank size and bad genes is all i know.

Same here but I have never studied the subject in depth. Just read and heard about it through the years.

As for the 1sthand experience, it seems to have gone away on a few of my rescue silver arowana on its own.