sterlet dying?

[leni]

We've had our pond a few weeks now and had 5 small goldfish happily swimming about and decidedto buy some baby koi and 2 sterlets today!

Left the bag flating for about 30 minutes then released the fish!

Meanwhile, had to take the other half to A&E (he's sprained his ankle )

Anyway, all fish happily swimming apart from one sterlet, which is bent and floating, gills still moving! and if you take it out the water it flips (a little)

Other sterlet, happily swimming away. What could be wrong?

Any help appreciated!

leni

 

[ryan]

Doesn't sound good, it could be a number of things. How is the other Sterlet? How big are the fish? What size pond are they in? How were they bagged?

 

[leni]

The other is happily swimming along the bottom and up the sides searching for food!

The other is still bent double!

The pond is 600gals and the fish are about 4" long so only babies!

After reading other articles on sturgeon-web it seems it is starving! and the fish starts using it's muscles as food, this is why they bend! As a result they sink or float but don't swim! This means it's too late!

Do you think I can complain to the garden centre? as 4 hours after released it's dying! This must mean the garden centre hasn't been feeding them properly?!

I thought the bag was over crowded! 2 sterlets and 5 baby koi in a small bag, about half the size of a carrier bag!

leni

 

[Cat]

You should take it back sterlet are expensive that shouldn't have happened,I have 2 sterlet.

 

[ryan]

I would inform the shop and ask for a refund or shop credit, or even a replacement fish.

 

[George&Ade]

Yep.....i would definitly take the poor little fellow back to the shop.
My local shop gives a 48 hour guarantee on all their fish.
If anything happens to them during this period,you can return them (along with a sample of the tank/pond water)

 

[leni]

Thanks, I took the little fellow back and they gave me a replacement fish "Sting", who is swimming happily with it's mate "Ray" B)

Thanks for your advise! I'm sure I'll be on here every now and again when things go wrong

leni

 

[ryan]

Good news leni.

 

[bribones]

had that problem with an orf a few years back still havent been able to explain it,the fish was fine in the tank as soon as it was transferd to the pond it sort of kinked up to a boomerang ,shape had to put it down as it was swimming in circles.strange

 

[macky1]

bendy sturgeon syndrome is often caused by poor diet apparently