Cichlid that got bit very bad

[Polo]

As many of you know I have a over stocked 75 gallon tank with 40 cichlids in it. Today I noticed that one of my electric yellows (yellow labs) had a huge gash on it's body. I have lava rock in my tank and once in a while my cichlids get get their scales scratched a bit. This was no scratch however. It's obvious another cichlid took a big bite out of this small yellow lab. The chew mark is pretty deep and looks like its going to take weeks the heal. My yellow labs are 1-2 inches, they smallest fish in my tank. I have other violent fish that are 5+ inches. Today I took out all 5 of my yellow labs and put them in a small 15 gallon tank for the time being. I added in some cichlid salt and a few chemicals that are suppossed to treat injured fish. Is there any more importance steps that I should do to make this fish survive???

Thanks
Polo

[Cichlidgirl]

that is a good start. It is also good to leave the tank lights off and if its in a high traffic area of the house place a towl or sheet over the tank so the fish is not stressed more from changes than it all ready is.

i like to use melafix in the tank to help with tissue and fin repair plus it also helps to prevent secondary infections. This is a tea tree oil based product that i and many others find works well. make sure if you try this and all ready have other meds in the water to change you carbon and replace it in the filter so it can pull out the meds that are in the tank and then do a water change and remove the carbon again and add in the melafix.

You also will want to make sure that the other labs dont sense weakness/injury and pick at or bully it while its down. If they do i would take the other two and put them back in the other tank until your wounded fish is on the mend.


The wound is likely from one of these two things, your lava rock or since you said you have a big mean 5+ inch fish/fishes in with 1.5-2 inch labs, maybe one of the large fish tried to eat him and the lab was able to escape. That would leave a very nasty wound for sure. likely to remove major scales in the area and leave a gash on the body. I watched my male 6 inch venustus try to eat a goldfish that was too big and he bit it so hard he bit the tail and back half of the body right off so it is possiable and you should try to keep a eye to make sure one has not developed a taste for his tankmates.

good luck and keep us posted

[Polo]

After about 15 hours all the yellow labs are alive in their new tank. However they seem frightened and hide inside the base rock design I set up. The one with the gash doesnt seem to be doing good. The open gash is about the size of pea (you know the green vegetables.) Pretty big gash, it was red yesterday today its turning darker color like a brownish or a dark red. When the fish was in the 75 it looked like it had trouble breathing, right now it looks better but isnt swimming much, just chilling on the bottom near a rock. Hopefully it survives.

Also none of the yellow labs seem to be eating much???

[Cichlidgirl]

might be from being in new tank, is water from old tank? if not maybe you should remove half water and add water from original tank they in. careful of mixing meds too. Put airstone in and make the water level several inches below the output from filter so the water is like a waterfall into tank, that will help oxygen the water for you. salt and melafix are best treatment for flesh injuries in my opinon. that and fresh water added everyday, (10 percent or so).

for food tonight try to give them something they love, something that is like a super treat for them . I shred dried krill for my fish, soak it in warm water for few minutes and then shred it up with my fingers into itsy bitsy tiny pieces cause my fish are small like your labs. lots of people use bloodworms, (tubiflex is supposed to be dirty food but i never had trouble the few times i used it )
also seaweed (dried sheets at lfs or cheaper yet at grocery store in international foods they use it in asian cooking ) flat greenish black sheets, looks like a thin stack the size of post cards

[Mike]

This is just a sign of stress sometimes in many cases when cichlids are moved from one tank to another the stress levels cause them not to eat the best thing to do is try to keep them hungry up the temp to about 86 F slowly about 1 degree every hour this should make them get hungry again slowly. A hungry Cichlid is a healthy cichlid. So try this and see what happens.

As for the gash I would add some mela-fix from API it helps restore tissue fast and heals all kinds of other problems be sure not to overdose.

Mike

[Polo]

86 degrees??? isnt that pretty high??

I usually keep my cichlid tanks at 78-82.

[Cichlidgirl]

The high temp is used only when treating for injury/illness. Your fish will be fine if you raise it slowly

[Polo]

On Friday, January 18, 2008 at approximately 11:37 EST. Polo's injured yellow lab was found dead. Cause of death was due to multiple wounds and ulcers that were visible upon the body. The yellow lab was diagnosed with soars, wounds, and internal bleeding on Monday and was given only 3 days to live. The yellow lab battled back and lived on as the conditions got worse. Friday morning it finally past away.

It’s probably best this fish died it was doing really bad and could of probably past diseases onto other fish. Polo is now going to PetSmart to purchase a new yellow lab and in a day or two he’s going to return the dead one and receive one for free. That’s how stuff works. (Originally the yellow lab was purchased at a local fish store and is better quality than the PetSmart fish)