My fish needs medical attention!!!

[oddjob142]

So I purchased 2 pair of peacocks to finish stocking my tank and one of the females is not looking too good.  Almost her entire rear tail has been biten off and she has a gash on her side where her scales are scraped off.  She is still swimming and eating...and it seems no one is messing with her anymore.  I am really concerned...is she going to make it or should i put her out of her misery and flush her?  Please help...

I also dont know what fish were eating her...but my electric blue and acei are always chasing them around....

[Hanson77]

Re: My fish needs medical attention!!!

You need to separate her from the rest so that she can recover in peace.  Treat with melafix and she will be good as new.  The problem with leaving a fish in that has been injured sometimes the other fish will pick on her to the point where she gets stressed out and dies.

[supadave]

Re: My fish needs medical attention!!!

I agree with Hanson77 100%. Just put her in a 10gal tank and treat with Melafix. In about seven days or so, she'll be almost as good as new.

[oddjob142]

Re: My fish needs medical attention!!!

What if I dont have another tank?  Should i put her in a net and keep her away that way?

[rrocket2002]

Re: My fish needs medical attention!!!

Where are you located?  

A fish bowl (2-5 gallon) will work with a airline and aerator with some of your substrate and water from the tank .  You would need to do a 20% water change every other day.  

Raul

[Mzungu]

Re: My fish needs medical attention!!!

I agree with Hanson and supadave. She'll be fine in no time, as long as you isolate her and probably treat with Melafix.

Raul's got a good suggestion, but I'll just emphasize how important it is to change the water often in such a small space, especially with a stressed out fish in there. I think it's always a good idea to have a spare tank, 10g or so, just in case. (Although my "spares" always end up as new tanks...  )

Regardless of what happens, it's not the greatest idea to flush any fish. I always put any dead fish in a plastic bag and throw them in the trash, to be on the safe side.

[Spot86t]

Re: My fish needs medical attention!!!

At Lowes/Home Depot/Walmart/Dollar store - get a cheep plastic garbage can - preferably black for it's dark calming effect.  They make handy quarantine tanks, and range from .99 to 5$ depending on how big you get.

Try to put it somewhere that you won't trip over it or bump it.  At the same time don't put it somewhere that you'll forget all about her!

Drop a sponge filter and a handfull of dirty gravel in with the melafix and she'll be ready for revenge in no time.

[fishlady]

Re: My fish needs medical attention!!!

now spot....let's not teach our fish to be vengeful.....
but i agree with that melafix....that stuff is awsome.....it cured my captain's eyes in 5 days......he's back to normal and he was almost blind at one time.....thanks to everyone for alerting me to that medication that's for sure...

good luck on your fish.....

[Cesar]

Re: My fish needs medical attention!!!

may want to add a few more female,so that the one doesnt get constantly beaten up.I always say 2-3 female for 1 male.

[Anonapersona]

Re: My fish needs medical attention!!!

It is amazing how fast a fish can heal. I've seen an open wound go from, well, open, and about the size of a fingernail puncture, to covered with white skin (worried that it was fungus but wasn't) in one day, to smaller on next day, to hard to notice on next day.

Fins grow about as fast as hair, so figure about 1/4 to 1/2 inch a month.

Water quality is ciritcal, so keep the Q tank pristine with small water changes every day, maybe 20%, and siphon out any poo as you are changing water.

Some salt is good, unless it is cory catfish or loaches.

Oh, and good food is important.... switch to New Life Spectrum if you are not using it yet. the colors the cichlids take on will amaze you.