Synspilum Shredded over night. What should I do.

[Cich wit it]

I recently downsized a tank that was getting along because of overcrowding. Doing so I removed the second in command. Over night my synspilum had his ass handed to him by the new second in command and my 4" male convict that doesnt take crap from anyone. I found him when I came home from work on his side and I thought he was dead. I saw faint breathing and some pectoral fin movement but nothing else, stiff as a board. He cant swim and scales are completely shredded. hardly any scales left and alot of bare meat. All pointed to a goner except he still had both his eyes. Which I usually notice they are gone when a fish is dead. Anyhow I have him in a hospital tank with salt and melafix. He still has faint breathing and still has some pectoral fin movement but again nothing else, no swimming and he upside down.

Now my question is, Does he have a chance to live? Or am I just prolonging the inevitable and making it a slow painful death? What should I do?

 

[VRWC]

ugh...that sucks man, sorry. If it were me, Id euthanize him. With no scales, fins and only one eye, the level of stress is probably to high for him to get past...and infection will probably set in the bare skin areas being that theres so much.

Good Luck!

 

[Cich wit it]

He still has both eyes if that helps. Ive delt with fish that were roughed up and missing scales but they were at least swimming. This upside down stuff and no movement is new to me and I wondering if hes just to far gone. How would one go about euthanizing?

 

[Kanta]

I say flush the convict. Stupid vulture fish anyways.

 

[Cich wit it]

I say flush the convict. Stupid vulture fish anyways.

He definitely next to go on my downsize list. Hes a bruiser. I did like him because hes fins and trailers give any flowerhorn a run for his money, but hes tearing up my stock.

 

[VRWC]

well, the 2 eyes makes a little difference, but the fish without hte majority of its scales is like a burn victim human wise. Theres nothing to stop bacterial infection from getting to its raw flesh and if the majority is gone, there really is no hope of holding it off. Others might say differently, but my experience with this was always negative.

For euthanizing, Finquel or clove oil will be the most humane, but at 10pm, at least around here, it would be impossible to find. Since youre in the city, you might be able to find someplace open that has it. Wal Mart might have it.

heres a link to the quickest (not so humane) and the most humane ways to do it. The talk about Finquel and clove oil methods.

http://www.ratemyfishtank.com/articles/81

 

[VRWC]

Ill take a 4 inch convict with long trailers. They are bada$$ fish and I need a big male for my big female.

 

[Kanta]

I see what you did there...kind of not really.

But you might have to euthanize the fish. If you can't find the clove oil our what ever. Your next bet is to do the freezer trick. Put him in a bowl of water and then thee freezer. They just go to sleep. It really sucks to do but its for the best.