Je55*e

Hello. I work at a local pet shop, and they got in some Hatchets with the fish delivery last week. One of the Hatchets has a notch in his belly, but acts just fine. The store is not allowed to sell him because he is deformed (oy 9_9), so my boss asked me if I would take him because I have Hatchets in my tank (and she knows what a sap I am! And proud of it :P). I doubt it, but could the deformity be indicative of any type of disease I should be concerned about? My fish have been doing so well (knock on wood) since I got them and I'd hate to jeopardize that, but I don't want this poor little Hatchet to have a bad end in any way either.
Here is a picture of the fish, he's the one in the center:

Sorry it's blurry; I took it with my cell phone.

Emory

Wow, that IS interesting. Poor little guy. It looks like a nip or just a plain old birth defect. From the pic it looks like he swims about as any normal hatchet fish does. Any noticable side affects from what you can tell? Did it affect the placement of his or her cloaca? (easy to tell - look for where he or she poops from, just needs to be patent)

Je55*e

^From what I saw, the Hatchet swims about normally with the others. The picture isn't clear, but I'm fairly positive it's a birth defect, as the skin is smooth around the area and not discolored or irritated in any way.
I will check tomorrow if the cloaca appears normal.
In any case, he's almost definitely coming home with me tomorrow. =)

MeGustaUnaPez926

As Emory says, as long as it doesn't seem to bother him, I'd take him, but have a backup plan ready.

Je55*e

^If anything should go wrong, which I doubt, we have some sick tanks at work I can hold him in. Wish me luck with him! I like him already. =)

fishlover78

maybe you could cycle a tank with some seeded media (which you have access to from work) and QT him for 3 weeks and see how he does, then I would add him t your tank. its probably a birth defect, but to be sure I would QT him.

Je55*e

^Only problem is, I don't have a spare tank at home. I'm honestly not comfortable with the sick tanks at work because serious diseases come in and out of there. We water change frequently, but still. Would leaving him in his tank at work with the others for a couple of weeks be safe enough, do you think?

Emory

If what you say is true about the tanks at your work... I would not leave him there or use their filter material for seed. Bring him home and get a rubbermade plastic bin to be your temporary QT. Use some of your own material to seed it with, and set it up just as you would a glass or acrylic tank... only it is plastic and temporary.

Congrats on the adoption!

Je55*e

^Thank you. =)
You think he will be ok without moving water and filtration for that time? I'd also have to get him a cover.
And forgive my ignorance, but what does seeding entail? Using cycled gravel/filter?

Emory

Yes, you will still need moving water - a filter and heater for the quarantine tank (rubbermade container.) Take some scissors and cut a patch off from your 6 gallon tank's filter media. The filter in your 6 gallon, being a year old, has a colony of bacteria on it that help maintain the chemical balance of aquarium water. Take the piece you cut and put it next to your filter pad/bio balls/etc. in your new quarantine tank's filter. By doing this you are colonizing the new filter media, or seeding it, so that the quarantine tank will begin to grow it's own bacteria.

Usually the plastic rubbermaid totes have a lid that comes with them. Here is a link to another thread where dancerhas has posted pics of a QT as I am describing. It is my favorite QT tank.

If you can get your hands on a drill you can place holes all over the lid to allow airflow into the QT. Otherwise just prop the lid on top of a couple of thin strips of wood (or whatever material) that run from front to back of the tank. Think of putting a wooden spoon across a pot and laying the pot lid over the wooden spoon. I would also add an airstone to the end of the tank opposite the filter.

Je55*e

^That's a fabulous idea, thank you!