kennytheshark

My red tail shark got sucked into the filter! He is only a couple weeks old. He is alive, but he is on his side and not eating. His little body is also kind of mangled! Please someone help me I don't know what to do for him!
Thanks for reading.

Isabella

I am very sorry to hear this I have no idea what you could do to save the fish. But if it is "mangled" and swimming on its side ... that doesn't sound good at all. And the problem is ... it's unlike a fish disease because for fish diseases you have various medications available at pet stores, but there are no medications for "mangled" fish. I think now you just have to wait and see if the fish will come out of it. What kind of filter do you have? For fish only a few weeks old, you usually need a sponge filter - the one that is safe for tiny fish and won't suck them in. Once the fish get large enough, you can switch back to a regular filter. That is probably why the fish got sucked in - it was small enough to get through the holes in the intake tube of the filter.

I know I am not much of the help here. Maybe Gunnie or Butterfly will know how to help the little fish. I hope something can be done. Perhaps the most you could do right now is to maintain a very good water quality so that the little fish doesn't get sick through its wounds. It probably has wounds on its body, correct? If it has them, it's possible to get sick when some virus gets in touch with the open wound on the fish's body. Ask Gunnie or Butterfly if it's possible to add something to the water that would soothe the fish's body and that would keep the water very clean.

kennytheshark

Hi Isabella,

Thanks for your reply. I took Kenny out and put him in a seperate bowl (for now) so I could watch him. He still moves (barely) but has not eaten and I don't think he will. I think he is on his way to fish heaven. I have some other fish, (including tetras)they are about 1 year old now but they did fine as babies. Although...Kenny is slightly smaller. What I should have probably done was to get a baby cage for him until he got a little bigger. I feel terrible because I know this could have been avoided. I suppose all I can do is pray for an Xmas miracle!
Thanks again!

Isabella

KennyTheShark ... well, this probably happens a lot among aquarists. But this is how we learn, through experiences. It's OK, please don't be too sad though. The chances of the fish recovering are probably small, but then you never know, so keep your head up

Yes, next time when you have a fish that is small enough to fit through the filter intake tube, you can get a breeding net (I think that's what you referred to). You put the breeding net inside your tank, and then put the fish inside the net. It's a good thing since it allows a good water flow but still doesn't let the fish out.

Another thing you could do instead of buying a breeding net or instead of buying a new sponge filter, I suppose, it to wrap the intake tube with a stocking (sheer stockings that women wear). This won't let the fish pass through the holes in the intake tube but the water will still be filtered.

OK, enough of my babble. Hope the fish will be OK! Good luck!

Butterfly

Welcome to FishLore Kennytheshark!!!! Sorry about your fish. Where did you get one so young, that is really neat.
Since he's hurt he needs to be kept in the absolutely cleanest water he can possibly be in. He also needs to be kept warm as chilling can cause him to get sick. He can go a good long time without eating and as uneaten food can foul the tank give him a day or so to feel better then just offer him a tiny bit of food and syphon what he doesn't eat out.
If his wounds look like their going to get infected you could probably use Maracyn or maracyn II.
Carol

kennytheshark

Hi Everyone!
Thank you all sooo much for your responses and well wishes! I wanted to report that unfortunatly Kenny didn't make it. I am sad, but I guess it is part of the learning process. I will certainly know better next time.

In response to your responses...Isabella...yes I did mean a breeding net... I think I have to get one soon anyway...I think I am going to be a grandma soon! And I am only 27 years old! HA! My swordtail looks either very very pregnant, or she is just very very fat! I don't know which, all I know is she has grown considerably around the belly.

Butterfly...thank you for your good advice. I got Kenny at a local family owned fish store in Massachusetts which specializes in just fish. They have everything you could possibly think of and they are sooo nice and helpful there. It is not like a Petco or someplace that just wants your money. When I got Kenny, he was smaller than my red eyed tetras. The Tetras could have eaten him for breakfast! This should have been an indication that he was too tiny for my tank and that I needed a breeding net until he got bigger...I still didn't think he was small enough to go into the filter though...but I know they like to hide, so he probably thought it was a good hiding spot and pushed his way through. Before this..I had a fake plant with a broken leg, and Kenny would swim into the leg, but then there wasn't enough room for him to turn around and swim out. He kept going missing and I would take the whole tank apart, (check the filter, remove the plants, rocks, oyster...everything in the tank..then he would just appear like out of nowhere! I couldn't figure it out for like a week! I had to do this everyday!!!!!! Finally I realized he was getting stuck inside the plant, and when I would shake the plant... out he would come! So I then plugged up the hole so he couldn't get stuck anymore and he was fine for a little while, but I didn't get him a new hiding spot...that is probably why he ended up in the filter.

Well thanks again for all your advice I hope everyone has a happy holiday!
Cindy

Butterfly

Sorry to hear about Kenny, but you learned alot in the process of caring for him.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you too
Carol

Isabella

HAPPY HOLIDAY TO YOU TOO

dano569

sorry to hear about your fish. red tails sharks are cool.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!