I Dropped My Fish

[SteelerLuke]

I bought some red Platies today & when transferring them from the bag they put them in at the local fish store to my tank I dropped one of them from a height of about 6 inches.

I always use my hand to transfer fish from the bag to the tank. The fish landed on the glass that runs in the centre of my tank above the surface.

Now it is constantly sinking & keeps trying to swim to the surface but falls back down like a lead weight.

I'm assuming this is a swim bladder problem, is there anything I can do for my fish?

 

[fluttermoth]

There's not a lot you can do, tbh, except keep an eye on it.

Please don't use your hand to transfer fish in future; just float the bag, adding a little of your water every ten minutes or so, for half an hour, and then just tip the bag and let the fish swim out.

There is no need to worry about adding LFS water if your tank is fully cycled; you filter will take care of any ammonia, and you can't dry the fish off before you add them, so it won't make any difference to any parasites or diseases, as those will be clinging to or inside the fish anyway.

It's very, very bad idea to handle fish as it can damage their slime coat and leave them open to infections.

 

[SteelerLuke]

Thanks Flutternoth, I've always used my hands to transfer fish from the bag to the tank but like you say, it won't make a difderence to parasites etc (my tank is cycled)

Will this fish get better on it's own then (all being well) or will I need some medicine for it?

 

[fluttermoth]

It's hard to say, as we can't know what injuries it may have sustained, I'm afraid.

All you can do is watch it and treat any secondary infections (like fungus or even white spot) that may show up over the next few days. Keeping the water in tip top condition will help.

Hope the little guy gets better.

 

[SteelerLuke]

I did a 50% water change today because a few of my fish were flicking which they've stopped now.

Thanks for the advice fluttermoth, much appreciated, hopefully she'll get better as I feel rather guilty now!