Help! Neon Sucked Up With Python

[JennB]

I was cleaning my tank tonight and one of my neon tetras was sucked up by the python. I don't know how he got in there, I didn't even see him get sucked up (i'm super careful to keep it low because none of the fish are that scared and always try to get up to it).

I didn't notice until I went to turn the tap off... he was lying in the sink basket. I thought he was already dead and went to flush him but then saw him breathing. I quickly put him in the tank and he didn't move so I thought I was mistaken. He eventually starting moving.... but to my horror his fins are torn off!!!! He can barely swim and keeps going upside down. The side and belly fins (sorry can't remember the scientific names!) are almost completely gone. What should I do??? Can he survive this? I feel like he should be "euthanized" if he's suffering... but I can't do it and don't even know what the best method would be! I feel soooo bad. He was struggling to swim but not he's 'resting' at the bottom (or maybe dying).

Help!

Thanks,

Jenn

 

[JennB]

Okay so I found the sticky in the forum about the correct method of fish euthanasia and disposal... which I really really don't want to do. He's still alive and sometimes swimming but most of the time just lying still.

If there are any alternatives to not euthanizing I would like to hear it!

I was cleaning my tank tonight and one of my neon tetras was sucked up by the python. I don't know how he got in there, I didn't even see him get sucked up (i'm super careful to keep it low because none of the fish are that scared and always try to get up to it).

I didn't notice until I went to turn the tap off... he was lying in the sink basket. I thought he was already dead and went to flush him but then saw him breathing. I quickly put him in the tank and he didn't move so I thought I was mistaken. He eventually starting moving.... but to my horror his fins are torn off!!!! He can barely swim and keeps going upside down. The side and belly fins (sorry can't remember the scientific names!) are almost completely gone. What should I do??? Can he survive this? I feel like he should be "euthanized" if he's suffering... but I can't do it and don't even know what the best method would be! I feel soooo bad. He was struggling to swim but not he's 'resting' at the bottom (or maybe dying).

Help!

Thanks,

Jenn

 

[JennB]

I just checked he's doing A LOT better. It's like he's already adapted to less fins and changed how he swims. I had him in a small container and then just put him in a net in the tank while I figured out what to do but when I just went to check he was trying to swim like crazy and get out of the net. I let him out and he's actually navigating the tank quite well and staying fairly upright. He disappears to bottom for a bit and then is able to get back up towards the surface. I put a bit of food in there and he was enthusiastic and about bobbing around to get it.

So I think i will leave him overnight and see if he's okay in the morning. I do have a hospital tank I could use, although he seems okay in the big tank with his school (I have a 30g with 10 neons, 4 diamond tetras and a small school of emerald cat fish). There's one diamond tetra that's a bit of a jerk but only to other diamonds so the injured one should be okay.

Still, if anyone has a better suggestion to what I'm doing I'd like to hear it!

 

[mislisa]

Sounds to me that you're doing the right thing.... i'd just make sure to keep an extra-close eye on him to make sure any injuries don't get infected.

good luck!