# Tern in pain!



## LS1FDRx7 (Mar 6, 2007)

Quick help/suggestions please.

As a long time Piranha owner myself, I take alot of pride in having mines well taken care of. Two days ago, I noticed one of my huge Terns looks a little pale and isn't that active.. I threw some talipia in there and he seem to eat some along with my other piranhas. We'll the next day, I observed him again, and he's has all these horizontal lines (Looks like scratches) all over it's body. I know something is terribly wrong with him.. as I watch his breathing continues. His lower jaw doesn't move upward, only the inner gum lines inhale and exhale. We'll another day passed by and I just got home and his lower lip, is all white. as if someone took a razor and tried to cut the lower lip off so they can expose the teeth.. which no noe has access to my room in my house. What's going on! Water condition is prestine. Temperature is at 79.5 degrees.. could it have internal parasite causing this? I know for a fact something is really wrong with him and only him.. He's still a strong piranha though, at about 13 inches he still swims all over the tank and scares the rest of the piranhas but he doesn't look too good..

And I'm pretty sure the other piranhas didn't touch him one bit.. he's the most dominate of the tank.. I think it's some internal parasite but I'm not sure what it is. Help please!

The lower fins by his gill still flaps normal.
Eyes are normal, still able to move both eyes.
Swims actively back and forward.

Concerns:

Looks pale
Horizontal scratch lines all over it's both side of body.
Lower jaw lip is all white.
Lower jaw doesn't close, so it's mouth is open.


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## LS1FDRx7 (Mar 6, 2007)

View attachment 176777


Nevermind. He's not pulling through. I can't believed that I lost one of my huge Tern. Haven't lost a fish for such a long time.. has to have been an internal parasite.. or all the other piranhas would of been affected!

Photos from 3 days ago
View attachment 176777


Picture from today.
View attachment 176779

View attachment 176780


I think he's gone. Fucken A**. I'm so mad and somewhat sad. Just don't understand how it just got sick.


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## Buckman (Jan 10, 2007)

pray my friend. pray.


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## LS1FDRx7 (Mar 6, 2007)

we'll it took it's last 3 breathe of air already. I was hoping it would pull through but it didnt. And the other piranhas were thinking it's food at times.. whatever it had internally, i didn't want the other piranhas to catch it.. so I took it out.

It stopped all function of breathing... and the eyes turned white as if it's blind. Entire pupil is gone. I'm a little mad because I dont know what happened to it! DAMN. And yet I'm a little sad. I'm going to bed.


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## Buckman (Jan 10, 2007)

sorry about that man. i was really hoping it would pull through for you.


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## Rough996 (Oct 3, 2006)

Sorry for your loss. That's tragic.

I'd keep an eye on the others and be prepared to administer meds if you see any of the signs/symptoms... looks like a parasite infection of some kind to me, but I'm no expert.


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## NegativeSpin (Aug 1, 2007)

The next time that happens to a 12+ inch piranha spend the 30-40 bucks on every type of medication available, quarantine it, and treat it for everything for a week or two.


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## LS1FDRx7 (Mar 6, 2007)

Thanks for the replys. I'll be ready next time. I just got home from work and it's already dark. I have no hospital tank or spare tank that I could put him in. Along with no medications of any sort on hand. But i know there's no excuses, something had to go wrong. All I can learned from this is, I'll be ready if it ever eccurs to any of my other piranhas.

I'm still a little bummed out..


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## lo4life (Aug 12, 2008)

Thats only natural to be bummed. Some great looking fish that you have there. It wouldnt b a bad idea to keep a eye on the other P's just to make sure that they dont have anything. Sorry for your loss.


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## PELIGROSO PYGO (Aug 27, 2008)

whatever it had, it really fucked it up bad and quick.. i'd look into it and do some research if i were you. sorry for your loss


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## roccov12345 (Sep 26, 2008)

Yeah sorry for the loss, beautiful fish by the way. Hopefully you just keep your fingers crossed and move on with your current stock...


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## Murphy18 (Oct 17, 2008)

Wow, really was a beautiful fish, i see what you mean about the eyes, jaw etc..

Sorry for your loss, so sad. keep your head up and move on, your others look very well taken care of also.


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## notaverage (Sep 10, 2005)

Aren't those advanced stages of HITH???

That usually doesnt happen in a day.

WHat are your params?

Are you sure there were no ammonia spikes or anything like that?
I would check another water test kit.

cloudy eyes could be from ammonia burn etc.

Sorry for the loss....there had to have been water param issue I would think.


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## Rough996 (Oct 3, 2006)

notaverage said:


> Aren't those advanced stages of HITH???
> 
> That usually doesnt happen in a day.
> 
> ...


I thought the same thing, but the other P's would be affected by water quality as well... wouldn't they? That affliction with his mouth makes me think infection.


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## LS1FDRx7 (Mar 6, 2007)

Here's my water parameters.. it's always been this way and they were doing fine for months.

Nitrates 20 
Nitrites 0
Ammonia 0
ph is at 6.5

I see my piranha tank all the time, because it's in one of my bedroom. The rest shows no sign of any weird mood. Looking healthy and active.

I froze the Tern that passed away.. not sure what to do with it.

By the way, what is HITH?

I usually treat fish that are sick with primafix and metafix.. just this time i didn't have a spare tank big enough for him to be treated in and I had no medicine..


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## Buckman (Jan 10, 2007)

HITH is hole in the head diesease


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## notaverage (Sep 10, 2005)

Dr. Giggles or one of the other Mods may be able to steer you in the right direction.

Search for HITH or Hole in the Head disease on this site and on google.

I have never dealt with it so I can't give you info other then what I've read here.


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## LS1FDRx7 (Mar 6, 2007)

Thanks will do. I will do more research on it also. Not satisfied til I know what might of cause it to become that ill and passed away. Thanks everyone.


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## notaverage (Sep 10, 2005)

Man..when I posted that..i didnt realized you already lost it...sorry man..


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## Piranha Dan (Nov 11, 2007)

What amazes me is that this fish went from perfectly healthy to looking like it did and dying in 3 days......WTF.....sorry for your loss.


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