Bruised Fish

[Elaine2]

One of my blue tetras managed to get itself sucked into the gravel cleaner and wedged, tail uppermost, for a minute or so. The fish looks a bit bruised, has lost a few scales, and his/her dorsal fin is a bit ragged, but there's no open wounds. He/she is swimming around OK, but a little stiffly.

I have turned out the lights for the evening, though the fish isn't acting stressed. Other than keeping an eye on him/her is thre anything else worth doing?

Feeling rather guilty - I've never got one stuck in the gravel cleaner before

 

[WILDER]

Is the bruising beneath the skin.
Can the fish maintain its balance still as it could of damaged it swim bladder, or even internal damage.
Lost its protection with losing the scales, I would add some melafix to the tank.

I sucked a guppy up the other week but lucky it was ok.

 

[5teady_2012]

Done this a few times m8 myself, mostly when talking to someone in the room and concentrating

As long as it is swimming about ok and seems happy i would not worry. Just keep a eye on it incase it gets ill.

Melafix has said in the above post is good

 

[Elaine2]

Cheers, folks. The little fellow is swimming around happily and feeding this morning and acting none the worse for his/her ordeal. He/she appears to have to problems maintaining balance and looks a bit less stiff. The bruising looks to be under the skin, mainly where the pelvic and dorsal fins attach to the body. Will get hold of some Melafix and add as a precaution.

 

[LauraFrog]

Melafix or maybe slime coat if you can't get melafix would definitely be a good precaution.
I siphoned the majority of a platy drop out of the tank with the gravel. The female wasn't carrying many fry and I thought she had a week or so to go so I hadn't isolated her. I wanted the fry so I took them out of the dirty water bucket, chucked them in the fry tank and fed them. I lost three or four but most were fine.

 

[WILDER]

Bless her, make sure you can't see any bleeding beneath the skin.
Good luck.