I bet u havent heard this problem before!

[CptnChaos]

Hi all,

Could do with some advice....i'm at a loss!

My favourite fish......(a 3inch plec) manager to somehow attach himself to a giant teabag (nitrazorb pouch) that was dangling in my tank.....seemed to be caught on a v.thin thread of some sort......i managed to get him loose but he now has the thread kind of wrapped around him (not a lot of it, just a single strand) which is trailing behind him about an inch.

how on earth do i get it off him? i really dont see and other way than wrestling with him in the net in the water and the risk of hurting him in removing said strand or shocking him to death!
Pleeeeeease..........any ideas?

warm regards.

 

[adeyc]

K m8 . Micheal Deason wrote

Do NOT attempt to take the strand off. You will do more harm than good. Eventually the problem will remedy itself.

. Thats about it if the strand is dark and coming from the fishes anus it could be an over long excretion. I wouldn't panic at the moment as it seems like you have a couple of coincidences happening. If the starnd is a different colour get back to us as I may have a couple of Q's for you

 

[CptnChaos]

Thnx for ure response......but the strand is definately a manmade fibre, as opposed to trailing waste.
I'll have to let him be and see how he gets on...

Cheers m8

 

[Dragonslair]

I have encountered a similar problem with my bristlenose plec. When I first put it in the water it went straight down to the bottom of the tank. Straight into the clump of java moss. Later when it had settled I noticed that it was swimming of sorts with a clump of the moss on its pectoral fin. I left it for a couple of days to see if it would dislodge by itself but it didn't. So carefully I netted it and took it out of the water. Naturally it wasn't too happy, but it literally took seconds to dislodge the weed from its spiney fin and it seemed to know that it was being helped because it did'n't move whilst I took the weed from it. I returned it back to the water and it was happy as Larry. Sorry Larry(Ciclidmaster)no pun intended.
I don't advocate you do what I did, but it worked for me.

 

[Macquatic]

Leave him for a couple of days and see if the thread comes off on its own. If not go with dragon's method but be careful, many plecs have very sharp first rays on their fins and can give a nasty wound. Mac.

 

[Great Lakes]

I had a Pleco that I had to cut out of a net once. He looked real silly for a couple of days, swimming around with a bit of net on each fin, but the problem took care of itself.

 

[CptnChaos]

nice one chaps    il give him 2 more days then il try netting him,
at least i know it can be done even if i do end up covered in my own blood.......thank god its not a lion fish .....hehe

My thanks.