Zebra danio injury.

I came home from work today to find my favourite zebra danio stuck in a hole in a decoration, literally just her head sticking out a tiny hole, for a second I thought a danio had been decapitated.

I picked up the decoration and moved it around a little to see if she could get out on her own but she was didn't move, only trying to swim forward, I poked her nose and she just thrashed around panicking, I ended up pushing her through myself, she came out very easily. I think she could have got out herself, she must have done the damaged with all the thrashing, god knows how long she was stuck

She is white all around the area that was stuck, there are pretty much no scales there and I can see fine pieces of skin hanging off. She is swimming around quite slowly, mostly just letting the current move her around. Her gills are going very fast.

I will take some pictures now, but I feel I have to say she has a very bent spine, she was like that when I got her. I didn't notice till I got her home, her head is little and her body is so fat, she must not realize how fat her body is. The deformity never bothered her, she has always been a normal lively danio.

I have no quarintine tank as it's now my Siamese fighters home, I have turned the lights off and added stress coat. Might as well mention that I through that decoration in the bin too.

I have a water change to do this wednesday, which is the weekly routine. I am going to the LFS either wednesday or thursday so I can pick up any medicine you think I might need.







I'm afraid my amazing camera died and the batteries take a day to charge so I had to use my mums camera. She is now hiding, I think I stressed her out more trying to get a decent picture. You can see the white patch on her "neck area" easy but not much else.

 

I had a danio do this a while back... Its awful

I added stress coat and I kept the water pristine! I placed her in a breeding net to prevent stress from other fish and she seemed fairly happy in there for the time being!

She was healed in a few weeks and went around with her friends! She even went on to lay eggs which I had fry from!

Hope all goes well

 

I want to put her in the breeder net so badly but she might eat my fry and I have been raising them for ages. I feel so guilty, I didn't even give those holes a second thought! I have a plenty of things to block them up with I don't know if she would eat my fry in the state she's in, do you think I should risk it? I offered her a pellet and she went for it but didn't eat it.

She is still breathing very fast and just sort of blowing around slowly in the current. She has a burst of energy every now and then, darts around then goes back to being slow again..

 

Any chance you could grab something like a tub? And burst holes into it and float it in the tank with her in? Anything so she is chilled and not hassled?

How big are the fry?

 

The fry are about the size of a grain of rice.

I put her in the breeder net and watched her for a bit, she seemed to be panicking and kept crashing into the sides of a net. I put her back in the tank and she went limp and one of the other danios attacked her.
She is now in the plastic lid of my API master kit (washed very thoroughly) , upturned and filled with tank water. She looks fine now,,, I can't believe what I'm seeing to be honest, in the tank she looked dead, in the breeder she was going mad and scaring the fry, but in this tub she is fine, almost as if she isn't hurt.

Danios apparently can deal with cold, so I'm not worried about keeping it warm too much, if she is still like this to tomorrow (I have to be up for work at 4am so 6 hours away) I'll put her back in the tank, go to work and see what happens when I get back, I only have a four hour shift tomorrow.

I really can't believe what I'm seeing right now, I had to double check I had the right fish. She looked dead in the tank...

 

I think you should keep het in lid for a day or 2 just to be sure she is strong and normal again befor putting her back in the tank....?
Cause what if that other danio attacks her again? And the current pushing her around will make her very tired.... Their can happen a lot in 4 hours time. Dont wanna make you negative bud if I were you id put her back in the tank when you can keep an eye on her all the time for incase something bad happens you can remove her quick enough....

 

I guess you're right, I'll change half her water tomorrow morning so it's clean. I know i'd be at work worrying myself to death about her if I put her in the tank. Danios don't have the longest lives as it is.

My hopes for her are quite high at the moment, I don't want to blow it.

 

Well the way shes acting in your explanations seems that shes a little fighter! Maybe you must try to soak a pellet and squeeze it a little so that its softer and easier for her to eat...? I'm sure she'll be fine in a day or 2...
Best of luck and keep us updated......

Good night....

 

That's why I suggested a tub... Mine seem to be chilled in a jug or tub but are crazy in the net!

I hope she's okay! Just keep the water clean...try feeding her small amounts and see if she strengthens up before placing her in big tank! Beat of luck and keep us updated x

 

I'm not very experienced, but I've had danios do this on two occasions. The first one somehow got stuck inside one of my decorations for about a week, I just thought one of my other fish had eaten her. When I finally found her and got her out (she was completely inside the think) she was almost completely torn up and looked so disheveled and broken I thought for sure she was going to die, but she lived and is still alive, completely healed and happy. The other one got stuck in a plastic plant sometime when I went on a week long vacation, and he died a day after I got him out although his injuries were very minor and it had someone come over and feed them. I guess it just depends on the fish how well they heal individually. I'm really sorry that had to happen to your danio though!

 

You guys have all been so helpful, but I think she's dying. I changed her water before I left and when I came home she just lying on the floor breathing really fast. I think she's in pain, her fins and tail are shaking. It's quite sad to see. I'm sure she'll be dead by this evening, then I'll bury her in one of the plant pots outside.

I dislike flushing fish down the toilet, it's so undignified.

 

Poor fishy have you fried a small salt bath? Maybe some food for her? Keep the water warm with a small amount of tank water every now and then.

 

I'm going to give her a salt bath now, I managed to get hold of some from the small pet shop by work. She's still breathing, but it's faint. She isn't eating at all and even with two water changes today and considering she only got the wound last night it's gotten worse.

I don't think the salt will do much to help but it's worth a try I guess.

 

Do you have any melafix? That would help her wounds heal, you can dose the whole tank, it won't hurt e other fish

 

Youve got a small airstone in her lid aswell or something to preduce lot of oxygen?

 

She died before I could give her a salt bath It probably wouldn't have helped her anyway, just stress her out more.

Thanks for all the help guys.

 

Sorry for your lost... :'(

 

Thank you, at least she isn't suffering now.

 

Sorry for your loss :/ at least she's not in pain any more x

 

Thanks Lala, at least now I can focus my attention on the fry, they will be ready to be released into the main tank soon. Some of them are her babies after all, she hasn't left me with nothing ^^

 

Awww I hope one turns out like her! that would be adorable

 

Today I noticed one Zebra Danio sitting at the surface and occasionally listing. He seems to be favoring/not using his left pectoral fin. Looking closely the fin does not appear damaged, but there is definitely something wrong. Checked parameters and 0 Ammonia, 0 nitrites, and 5 nitrates. None of the other fish seem to be having issues, is he possibly sick or is it possible his fin was nipped?

The other tank mates are:

5 other Zebra Danio
5 Cherry Barbs
3 GloFish Tetras
1 Bristlenose Pleco
1 Dwarf Gourami

 

He could be getting nipped. When I had a vicious guppy that harassed my danios, they all began to hug the surface and sort of drift listlessly. The behavior stopped as soon as the bully was removed. Not sure who would be doing it though, it could be any of the other species in your tank (sans pleco). Barbs are notoriously nippy, the tetras could be prone to it because of their small school size, and every gourami I've had has been a bully.

 

The tetras mostly keep to themselves. I've seen them nip at each other, but not at others. The Cherry Barbs keep to themselves at the bottom of the tank and have never seen any aggressive behavior from them. The only one I suspect could have nipped would be the Gourami. He is new to the tank in the last week, I haven't observed any aggressive behavior from him, but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

I'll keep a close eye.

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Could you post a picture? Maybe someone can spot something that could help understand why he's behaving that way.

 

Since he's newest addition, I would bet that the gourami's the culprit. It could be that new he's settled into the tank and going about establishing his territory.

When we added the guppy, we didn't notice any aggressive behavior either. He was a bit hyperactive and glass surfing, but otherwise didn't seem to pay the danios any mind. It wasn't until the danios started acting weird and eventually getting fins shredded that we started paying attention. But even then the guppy never attacked while we were watching.

Once we moved the guppy to a QT tank, the danios immediately bounced back, so it was the only logical conclusion that he was responsible.

 

I took this video. He just kind of limps along on a circle. On occasion he will use his left pectoral fin but most of the time he keeps it clamped to his side. That is the only sign of injury that I see, no redness or tears are visible.


[video]https://goo.gl/photos/xNdKS9MhcRLfvcaF6[/video]

 

Hmm.. might be a swim bladder issue. Let's see what others have to say.

 

With the spiraling/tilting sort of swimming that he's doing in the video, I'd agree with el337 on the swim bladder problem. When my guys were being nipped, they more just hovered in place very close to the surface.

 

After a couple of weeks he pulled through. I fasted them every other day for a week and feed them all peas, which they loved, and the little guy is back to himself.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Fish Lore Aquarium Fish Forum mobile app

 

So glad to hear he recovered!