I Sucked Him Up!

[ellena]

I was doing a water change and rescape on Levi's tank today, putting some more plants in to try and help with the ammonia.
I only went and sucked him up the siphon! It's one of these types and he only went up the first few inches of tube, he got stuck well before the squeezy bulb
I tipped it up so he fell back into the tank and he went and sat on the sand at the back. When he moved, there was a red patch so I think he was bleeding I scooped him up into a jug to have a good look at him, but I couldn't see where the injury was. His colour completely drained though, he looked dreadful. I carried on with the water change quickly, adding a 1/3 dose of melafix, and got him back in the tank.
He's been resting since then, although he's moving around to different spots. He's currently resting on the heater which is the first time I've seen him properly. His gills are moving up and down quite a lot, is that laboured breathing? His colour has come back a bit. I tried him with a pellet but he wasn't interested It might be his dorsal fin that was injured, it looks a bit ragged.
I hope he's OK-fingers crossed.

 

[Honeythorn]

He should be fine, he's probably just a bit shocked. Turn the lights off for a while and keep the tank area quiet if you can.

 

[loraxchick]

happens a lot. bettas are too curious for their own good sometimes. his hard breathing is probably from the ordeal. he'll calm down soon enough. also why he's not inteested in food atm. might help to turn the tank light off and give him a rest in the dark if he's still acting all stressed out.
just keep an eye on the scrape for the next few days for signs of white fuzz/fluff or any other change in appearance. and go easy with the melafix. that one dose should be ok but dont over do it. if the scales look damaged, dont worry, theyll grow back soon.
all the best with him

 

[kelly528]

My guy scraped his head a little while ago, and was back to normal a few weeks later. The key: Warm, clean water, aquarium salt and stress coat will work WONDERS... the warm water will promote healing by kick-starting your guy's metabolism/healing process. Clean water will prevent infection and stress-coat promotes tissue regrowth.

Salt is awesome, too IME... it not only prevents infection but raises electrolytes, sort of like gatorade for fish: good for stressed fish! If you have a heater, turn it up just a notch until he is all better. If you don't have one, get one!

An added positive, all these products are good for regular aquarium use (stress-coat conditions water) and work well as part of the treatment of ANY disease... they are really good things to have on hand

Best of luck!

-kelly


*Also, pump him up on some frozen bloodworms... all that protein is great for tissue growth!

 

[ellena]

Thanks guys I have the light off for now. Couldn't see him last time I looked, but there are so many plants in there now, he could be anywhere!

 

[ellena]

Just got home from work and had a look for him. I couldn't see him, so I moved the plants around a bit and I thought he'd died-he just drifted down from the top on his side. I got him to eat 3 bloodworms, but his breathing is still laboured and he's barely moving.
He's taken a couple of dashes to the surface for air. I've heard the advice to drop the water level for them if they are struggling to get to the top. My filter stops if you lower the water though. But, one of the plants I bought on saturday wouldn't stay down without extra weights, so I've taken those off and let it float. I've then nudged him with the net so he's resting on there, right near the surface.
His fins are in absolute tatters and there's a grey patch behind his head. His fins were fine when I looked at him in the jug straight after it happened so no idea what he's done to them! They look very different from when he chewed them, so don't think it's that.
Here's a pic. He doesn't look to bad in it actually, I think that's the flash. You can kind of see the grey patch behind his head though. And what's with his fins being forward like that? Any ideas?

And I took a video-towards the end you can see what I'm calling laboured breathing, is that what it is? (I've just viewd the video on flickr-it's shocking quality! Looked fine on the PC. So you may not be able to see the breathing after all)
After I carefully lifted him to the top, he's floated off again and I can't see him.

 

[kelly528]

The grey patch is most likely from missing scales. Stress-coat him pronto so that his slime coat will prevent it from getting infected.

 

[ellena]

I don't have any stress coat, but the tetra pond dechlor I use says it has something in for their slime coat?

 

[jasminekiddell]

Floating plants will help him out so much more, i find cambomba and elodea is great and a floating plant, when shimmer was ill he'd rest on the plants and it helped him alot even though he died it still let him rest at the surface.
Well i hope your boy will be ok, he certainly is gorgeous! I'd keep the water nice and warm, lights off and the least stress to the fish as possible.

 

[loraxchick]

Floating plants will help him out so much more, i find cambomba and elodea is great and a floating plant, when shimmer was ill he'd rest on the plants and it helped him alot even though he died it still let him rest at the surface.
Well i hope your boy will be ok, he certainly is gorgeous! I'd keep the water nice and warm, lights off and the least stress to the fish as possible.

100% agreed with above. just let him be for a few days in a quiet, warm,clean tank. just keep a vigilant eye out for any visible signs of change. hopefully he will feel better soon
best of luck and fingers crossed for him

 

[ellena]

Thanks guys He's still the same today. I've just tried to feed him bloodworm but he was right at the bottom and I couldn't reach him. So I scooped him into a jug to try and feed him in there. He had 1 bloodworm but I couldn't get him to take anymore, even when I put the tip of it right in his mouth! He's not using the plants either, staying on the bottom instead.
I've got to go out now, but I'll check the water when I get back and change if necessary.
Is it likely to take a few days for him to regain some 'colour'?

 

[jasminekiddell]

He was probably very scared so has lost his colour, it should come back. I wouldnt of personally put him in a jug to feed as this may cause unessarcary stress but atleast he ate something (In the fututre i would just drop the food in front of him if that works). Oh and hes still fighting thats a good sign

 

[ellena]

That didn't work unfortunately jasmine I did hold a bloodworm as close as I could get in front of him in the tank, but he wasn't interested at all.
He's still laying on the bottom with laboured breathing tonight.

 

[jasminekiddell]

Hmmm, i know that aquarium salt is supposed to help with gill function you got any salt?

 

[ellena]

No, I'll get some tomorrow. What sort do I need?