Injured Black Widow Tetra

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Fox46

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Two days ago I found one of my Black Widow Tetra firmly wedged in a cleft in a piece of bark log. I've no idea how long he'd been like that but I think he'd gone in after some food that was trapped in there. After a while I managed to free him and he swam away flipping onto his side and having difficulty orientating himself. Then he kept finding hiding places, and would reappear occasionally, swimming normally for a few seconds before rolling over. Latterly he's just hid away in his cave either on his tail with his head up or on his side. Everytime I think he's dead and investigate, he makes a valiant effort to swim for a while. He is able to stay upright for a few seconds Last night I thought the other fish were showing too much interest in him and noticed part of his tail fin was missing so I've put him in a breeding net box for protection. He ate something this morning but most of the time he's lying on his side. I'd hoped that given time to rest and recover from his ordeal he might be able to stabilise himself in the water, but it's not looking hopeful now and I'm not sure how long I should let this go on now. Any advice would be helpful.
 
Two days ago I found one of my Black Widow Tetra firmly wedged in a cleft in a piece of bark log. I've no idea how long he'd been like that but I think he'd gone in after some food that was trapped in there. After a while I managed to free him and he swam away flipping onto his side and having difficulty orientating himself. Then he kept finding hiding places, and would reappear occasionally, swimming normally for a few seconds before rolling over. Latterly he's just hid away in his cave either on his tail with his head up or on his side. Everytime I think he's dead and investigate, he makes a valiant effort to swim for a while. He is able to stay upright for a few seconds Last night I thought the other fish were showing too much interest in him and noticed part of his tail fin was missing so I've put him in a breeding net box for protection. He ate something this morning but most of the time he's lying on his side. I'd hoped that given time to rest and recover from his ordeal he might be able to stabilise himself in the water, but it's not looking hopeful now and I'm not sure how long I should let this go on now. Any advice would be helpful.
Good shout isolating him, you could put some floating plants in to defuse the light a bit and somewhere to hide, you could try giving him a salt bath this should help with recovery. I once had a female guppy do the same thing on a fork in the bogwood she recovered but she never straightend out properly after.
 
Good shout isolating him, you could put some floating plants in to defuse the light a bit and somewhere to hide, you could try giving him a salt bath this should help with recovery. I once had a female guppy do the same thing on a fork in the bogwood she recovered but she never straightend out properly after.

Agree with this- fish can turn pretty brutally on a weakened and sickening fish. I've used a net breeder box for the same sort of purpose before.

You could try the salt bath and plants, and see how he goes. If he's able to eat then that's encouraging.

But you're the only one who can really judge, you have the fish in front of you, and sadly might have to make a judgement call if you think the fish is unlikely to recover enough to rejoin the school, or has reached a point where it's suffering.

If it comes to the later, clove oil is a humane way to euthanise a fish when done correctly. It's not nice to have to do, but no one wants to see an animal suffering, and sometimes it reaches a point where you want the fish to be able to pass peacefully. I've done it before, and when the clove oil is introduced in stages, the fish drifts to sleep before overdosing them. This article describes the method and dosages well:
 
Good shout isolating him, you could put some floating plants in to defuse the light a bit and somewhere to hide, you could try giving him a salt bath this should help with recovery. I once had a female guppy do the same thing on a fork in the bogwood she recovered but she never straightend out properly after.
Thanks. It's only a small breeding box but I was thinking he looked a bit exposed in there. Also might serve as something to prop himself against. I've turned the lights off in the tank. Thanks for replying
Agree with this- fish can turn pretty brutally on a weakened and sickening fish. I've used a net breeder box for the same sort of purpose before.

You could try the salt bath and plants, and see how he goes. If he's able to eat then that's encouraging.

But you're the only one who can really judge, you have the fish in front of you, and sadly might have to make a judgement call if you think the fish is unlikely to recover enough to rejoin the school, or has reached a point where it's suffering.

If it comes to the later, clove oil is a humane way to euthanise a fish when done correctly. It's not nice to have to do, but no one wants to see an animal suffering, and sometimes it reaches a point where you want the fish to be able to pass peacefully. I've done it before, and when the clove oil is introduced in stages, the fish drifts to sleep before overdosing them. This article describes the method and dosages well:
Thank you for responding. That's the best article I've read on Clove Oil euthanasia - I'm going to print it out and keep it safe. I used to use clove oil but had some uncomfortable incidents with it and have used Aqua Sed the last couple of times. But then I had an upsetting incident with that a few weeks ago with a larger fish (a Gold Gourami) and I'm tentative about a repeat. I think I'll use clove oil if I have to. I'll take a view tomorrow. He's trying so hard to steady himself at times, I don't want to be pre-emptive about the decision.
When you say salt bath is that Epsom salt?
 
Thank you for responding. That's the best article I've read on Clove Oil euthanasia - I'm going to print it out and keep it safe. I used to use clove oil but had some uncomfortable incidents with it

I've heard of this happening if too much oil is introduced too quickly, the fish panics? But people are generally pretty vague about the method, so I can easily see how it happens!

I had to guestimate the amount the times I did it too, I haven't tried the dosages in that article, but it gave the best description of the method that I've seen too. I think the key, and where I got lucky, was introducing the oil very slowly until the fish went to sleep. Once I was sure the fish was asleep (by gently moving it with my finger) then I overdosed it with clove oil. If I have to do it again, I'll also add the vodka to be sure.

With a small fish like a widow tetra, there is also the "place in a paper towel then bash head with a heavy object" method. Many couldn't bring themselves to do that, and how humane it is is debateable. But there's no doubt that it's a pretty instant death in a small fish.
and have used Aqua Sed the last couple of times. But then I had an upsetting incident with that a few weeks ago with a larger fish (a Gold Gourami) and I'm tentative about a repeat.
I hadn't heard of that product before! Is it okay to ask what happened that was distressing?
I think I'll use clove oil if I have to. I'll take a view tomorrow. He's trying so hard to steady himself at times, I don't want to be pre-emptive about the decision.
Definitely fair to give him some time and see how he goes, in case he can recover somewhat.
When you say salt bath is that Epsom salt?

I'm not sure, I've never done a salt bath, only aquarium salt in a tank for treatment rather than a dip or bath. @Little-Nipper did you mean an epsom salt bath?
 
I've heard of this happening if too much oil is introduced too quickly, the fish panics? But people are generally pretty vague about the method, so I can easily see how it happens!

I had to guestimate the amount the times I did it too, I haven't tried the dosages in that article, but it gave the best description of the method that I've seen too. I think the key, and where I got lucky, was introducing the oil very slowly until the fish went to sleep. Once I was sure the fish was asleep (by gently moving it with my finger) then I overdosed it with clove oil. If I have to do it again, I'll also add the vodka to be sure.

With a small fish like a widow tetra, there is also the "place in a paper towel then bash head with a heavy object" method. Many couldn't bring themselves to do that, and how humane it is is debateable. But there's no doubt that it's a pretty instant death in a small fish.

I hadn't heard of that product before! Is it okay to ask what happened that was distressing?

Definitely fair to give him some time and see how he goes, in case he can recover somewhat.


I'm not sure, I've never done a salt bath, only aquarium salt in a tank for treatment rather than a dip or bath. @Little-Nipper did you mean an epsom salt bath?
 
The distressing incident with the Gold Gourami: He'd developed a pin prick blood blister type of mark on his side, and then developed a noticeable swelling on his side. He'd thrash in the water from time to time and within 48 hours I found him flat out belly up on the bottom of the tank. I thought he'd died and when I went to retrieve the body he woke up and started thrashing about in apparent pain. Aqua Sed comes in a pump dispenser and is principally an anaesthetic. For euthansia it just said add 4 x the anaesthesia dose to the water. The fish became very agitated after the first pump, and I wanted to bring his suffering to an end quickly so I added the remainder. It leapt out of the bowl onto the floor. I had to pick him up and return him to the bowl. It took him a couple of minutes to stop moving and it was awful. I was very fond of him and I thought I should have left him in the tank when I found him, as he was probably expiring and I did him no favours, the way it turned out. But looking at the comments on the article you posted, I see others have been through the same experience.
 
I was very fond of him and I thought I should have left him in the tank when I found him, as he was probably expiring and I did him no favours, the way it turned out. But looking at the comments on the article you posted, I see others have been through the same experience.

I'm sorry, that does sound awful! But yes, you're not alone. Try to think of it this way - vets have to euthanise animals all the time, and 98% of the time it goes smoothly and peacefully, but sometimes there is some trouble where it doesn't happen so peacefully. I'm making up the numbers there, but it's true that the majority of the time it works, but there's never a 100% success rate.

Either way, the fish was suffering if you did nothing and left it in the tank to pass, potentially slowly and painfully - and you were trying to help, not hurt, so try not to give yourself a hard time about it. You can take lessons from it too, especially if it's a fish prone to jumping or darting about in a panic, by using a deeper container and covering the top etc, adding the clove oil more gradually - I hope you never have to euthanise a fish again. But that if you do need to, that this can help make it more peaceful for the fish, and for you!
 
I'm sorry, that does sound awful! But yes, you're not alone. Try to think of it this way - vets have to euthanise animals all the time, and 98% of the time it goes smoothly and peacefully, but sometimes there is some trouble where it doesn't happen so peacefully. I'm making up the numbers there, but it's true that the majority of the time it works, but there's never a 100% success rate.

Either way, the fish was suffering if you did nothing and left it in the tank to pass, potentially slowly and painfully - and you were trying to help, not hurt, so try not to give yourself a hard time about it. You can take lessons from it too, especially if it's a fish prone to jumping or darting about in a panic, by using a deeper container and covering the top etc, adding the clove oil more gradually - I hope you never have to euthanise a fish again. But that if you do need to, that this can help make it more peaceful for the fish, and for you!
Thank you. I appreciate that.
 
He's still alive this morning and can swim short distances in his normal position before turning onto his side. He had occasionally tried to do that in the breeding box but there wasn't sufficient room. So I've set up the 25l hospital tank and have transferred him there where he can swim for whatever distance he likes, when he likes and then lie on his side without fear of other fish circling on him. Fingers crossed. Thanks for advice.
 
He's still alive this morning and can swim short distances in his normal position before turning onto his side. He had occasionally tried to do that in the breeding box but there wasn't sufficient room. So I've set up the 25l hospital tank and have transferred him there where he can swim for whatever distance he likes, when he likes and then lie on his side without fear of other fish circling on him. Fingers crossed. Thanks for advice.

Glad to hear he seems to be perking up a bit! He'll appreciate some plant cover in the hospital tank too. Appreciate the update too, not many come back to update us, so it's nice when people do! Please do let us know how things go. :fish:
 
I've heard of this happening if too much oil is introduced too quickly, the fish panics? But people are generally pretty vague about the method, so I can easily see how it happens!

I had to guestimate the amount the times I did it too, I haven't tried the dosages in that article, but it gave the best description of the method that I've seen too. I think the key, and where I got lucky, was introducing the oil very slowly until the fish went to sleep. Once I was sure the fish was asleep (by gently moving it with my finger) then I overdosed it with clove oil. If I have to do it again, I'll also add the vodka to be sure.

With a small fish like a widow tetra, there is also the "place in a paper towel then bash head with a heavy object" method. Many couldn't bring themselves to do that, and how humane it is is debateable. But there's no doubt that it's a pretty instant death in a small fish.

I hadn't heard of that product before! Is it okay to ask what happened that was distressing?

Definitely fair to give him some time and see how he goes, in case he can recover somewhat.


I'm not sure, I've never done a salt bath, only aquarium salt in a tank for treatment rather than a dip or bath. @Little-Nipper did you mean an epsom salt bath?
Sorry for the delay guys, yes Epsom salt and I'd dose 1 tsp (tea spoon) per 1 litre of tank water once a day and no longer than 10 mins but I have done it for 15 mins without a problem.
 
He's still alive this morning and can swim short distances in his normal position before turning onto his side. He had occasionally tried to do that in the breeding box but there wasn't sufficient room. So I've set up the 25l hospital tank and have transferred him there where he can swim for whatever distance he likes, when he likes and then lie on his side without fear of other fish circling on him. Fingers crossed. Thanks for advice.

Any news on this fella?
 
Any news on this fella?
Hi. Well, he's had about a week in the hospital tank and has been improving to the point where he is mostly swimming upright, can change direction and appears to be eating but not at the surface and not so much off the floor so I think he's catching what floats by him. His tail appears to have started to grow again also. So yesterday I thought I would reintroduce him to his tank. It was a disaster. He swam straight for cover in one of the caves, and clung to the inside. After a while I realised he had wedged his nose into a groove but I managed to free him again and he went to another cave where he just lay at an angle of 45 deg close to the wall. Before too long the cory's and his fellow BWT's were congregating around him in the cave and I was worried they would be having his tail off again (or worse) so I retrieved him and put him back in the hospital tank. He was immediately as right as rain there, swimming upright and seemed quite content. I think he'd be happy to be left on his own in the 25l for good, but I need it as a hospital tank, I need the spray bar on the filter that's in there, and I have two other tanks on the go anyway. I'm going to be away until Tuesday so I will see how he is when I return, and then I'm thinking of trying him in the bigger tank which has a lot more hiding places. In that tank I have Pearl Gourami's (who mostly populate the top third of the tank, one rainbow fish (sole survivor of a shoal) and 9 Platy's. These last two groups are all over the tank, but at least there are no ground feeders like the Cory's in there.
Seems like he's pretty much made a full recovery, looking at him (when I consider he spent two days lying on his side in the breeder box) but he's lost confidence now and his behaviour is inviting attack. I don't know what else I can do other than try him in the big tank.
Thank you for asking.
 
Last edited:
Hi. Well, he's had about a week in the hospital tank and has been improving to the point where he is mostly swimming upright, can change direction and appears to be eating but not at the surface and not so much off the floor so I think he's catching what floats by him. His tail appears to have started to grow again also. So yesterday I thought I would reintroduce him to his tank. It was a disaster. He swam straight for cover in one of the caves, and clung to the inside. After a while I realised he had wedged his nose into a groove but I managed to free him again and he went to another cave where he just lay at an angle of 45 deg close to the wall. Before too long the cory's and his fellow BWT's were congregating around him in the cave and I was worried they would be having his tail off again (or worse) so I retrieved him and put him back in the hospital tank. He was immediately as right as rain there, swimming upright and seemed quite content. I think he'd be happy to be left on his own in the 25l for good, but I need it as a hospital tank, I need the spray bar on the filter that's in there, and I have two other tanks on the go anyway. I'm going to be away until Tuesday so I will see how he is when I return, and then I'm thinking of trying him in the bigger tank which has a lot more hiding places. In that tank I have Pearl Gourami's (who mostly populate the top third of the tank, one rainbow fish (sole survivor of a shoal) and 9 Platy's. These last two groups are all over the tank, but at least there are no ground feeders like the Cory's in there.
Seems like he's pretty much made a full recovery, looking at him (when I consider he spent two days lying on his side in the breeder box) but he's lost confidence now and his behaviour is inviting attack. I don't know what else I can do other than try him in the big tank.
Thank you for asking.

Poor little guy, it's tough to know what to do! I've never kept Black Widow Tetra myself, but I know their rep for being nippy if not in a large enough group, and that they establish a pecking order in their groups, I think? So perhaps because he'd been hurt, weakened and then been gone from the tank for a while and then introduced, it makes sense that the other fish now see him as a weaker outsider and he might struggle to be accepted into the group again, especially if he still has some weakness like you said.

Since I don't have much experience with tetra, going to tag @Slaphppy7 and ask what he thinks? Whether it might be worth giving him more time to recover, then trying out removing the rest of the widow tetra from the main tank, re-arranging things and establishing lots of hiding places, then re-introducing him to the main tank with some of the more chill/lower ranked tetra first, to mix up the territory/pecking order, the way people sometimes do with cichlids that are bullying?

If a second later attempt at reintroduction, or an attempt to try him in the tank with the pearl gourami doesn't work out, then he may have some permanent damage that means he'll need to remain alone. I'm really not sure, it would have to be a judgement call you make. Wishing you and fishy luck though! Would definitely like to know how things turn out, if you're happy to update us!
 

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