# Rhom bites owner finger in half!



## gimmemyshit (Oct 7, 2005)

I rebuilt this article with pictures to post in forum for those who haven't seen this.....Please respect the power of these fish and practice safe handling during husbandry. Just because they didn't bite you the first thousand times doesn't mean they won't eventually.
Piranha bites off side of man's finger
 
Pictures kindly supplied by Mike Rizzo.

A fishkeeper has suffered a severe injury to his finger after a large piranha bit a chunk out of it while being transferred to a new aquarium.

Mike Rizzo of East Lansing in Michigan was transferring his sub-adult Diamond rhombeus piranha, Serrasalmus rhombeus, to its spacious new aquarium when the fish tried to leap from the net. To prevent the 25cm/11" long fish damaging itself by hitting the ground, Mike put out his hand to block the the fish, but the piranha, which is known as Markov, sunk its teeth into the side of his right index finger. 
Markov the piranha in his new aquarium.

Rizzo told Practical Fishkeeping: "I was in the process of moving the piranha from a 55 gallon to a new 125 gallon tank I was setting up for him. I had caught him in a 10" net that wasn't quite big enough and had him out of the water, and as expected, he was flopping around in it. He went to jump, and out of instinct, I tried to stop him with my hand. It so happened that his mouth was right where my hand was and he bit down, but immediately let go.

"He got a hold of my finger damn well. He bit all the way down into my knuckle and broke the capsule my knuckle is in and chipped a piece of bone off it. The bite also went through the nerves and other stuff in my finger.
The piranha sunk its teeth right down to the bone. 



"At first it was extremely painful. I think that a lot of it was due to the initial shock as well as seeing the skin and flesh dangling off and seeing blood literally spurting out as my heat beat, and just forming a large pool on the floor."

"None of the doctors at the ER had ever seen a piranha bite, let alone a bite from an almost 11" piranha with a mouth the size of a golfball. It took them quite a while to decide what to do, but eventually they put three stitches in to hold it together and are waiting to see if it becomes infected."

Rizzo, who has had the piranha for three months, says the fish is still growing and could reach as much as 45cm/18" in length. The fish has not previously bitten before.
Surgeons used three temporary stitches in case they need to operate at a later date.

Rizzo added: "While doing maintenance, I used to actually push him around the tank with my hand and he is always very mellow and never shows any aggression. I am now taking precautions though, and have fabricated a small box of out of egg-crating from Home Depot to put in his tank to keep him cornered in one area while I clean the tank.

"Most of the doctors were surprised to hear that I was going to keep the fish and not either sell him or eat him."

The doctors who treated the wound are unsure as to whether the fish has caused lasting damage to the finger. Rizzo says that they were glad to see that he was still capable of moving the finger but said that due to the severity of the bite, it was likely that most of the nerves in the tip of the finger had been damaged. It could take as long as two years before all the feeling comes back, but it should eventually heal. 
Despite the wound it inflicted, Rizzo still intends to keep the fish.

Serrasalmus rhombeus is a member of the characid subfamily Serrasalminae and is found across a wide area of South America extending from Brazil, Bolivia, Guyana, French Guiana, Colombia, Peru and Suriname to Venezuela.

It is one of the larger carnivorous piranha species, reaching a weight of up to 3kg. Like most piranha species, S. rhombeus is a timid fish and is typically not aggressive.

It is classed as tramautogenic as it can inflict terrific wounds if cornered or handled incorrectly.


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## Bawb2u (May 27, 2004)

That was our very own "therizman1" who got bitten. Here's the thread about it. Why you should not use a net


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## stitchgrip (Oct 27, 2006)

man that sucks. it think after he did that he was prob thinking "ahhhhhhh man that was a bad idea" lol


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## ChilDawg (Apr 30, 2006)

Any updates, Mike? How's it healing for ya? Pics?


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## Mr. Hannibal (Feb 21, 2003)

I remember that thread... it was a terrible wound


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## taylorhedrich (Mar 2, 2005)

Wow, Mike is STILL famous! I think this is about the 3rd repost on it here on P-Fury.


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## therizman1 (Jan 6, 2006)

I will get some updated pics up tonight... I just got the bill from the hospital for this incident... a lovely $2200... damn good think I like that fish :nod:


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## Coldfire (Aug 20, 2003)

therizman1 said:


> I will get some updated pics up tonight... I just got the bill from the hospital for this incident... a lovely $2200... *damn good thing I like that fish*:nod:


$2,200?!?!?! Yeah, I would say that it is a great thing that you love the fish!


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## bob351 (Oct 23, 2005)

Coldfire said:


> I will get some updated pics up tonight... I just got the bill from the hospital for this incident... a lovely $2200... *damn good thing I like that fish*:nod:


$2,200?!?!?! Yeah, I would say that it is a great thing that you love the fish!
[/quote]
damm thats alot of cash for a bite







it better have heled proporly for 2200


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## redrum781 (Apr 10, 2006)

therizman1 said:


> I will get some updated pics up tonight... I just got the bill from the hospital for this incident... a lovely $2200... damn good think I like that fish :nod:


i bought a bigger net after your fisrt thread
post pics of the biter also


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## Winkyee (Feb 17, 2003)

therizman1 said:


> I will get some updated pics up tonight... I just got the bill from the hospital for this incident... a lovely $2200... damn good think I like that fish :nod:


Ouch, Damn I feel so bad. 
Gimmie my fish back....lol


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## spec-v (Feb 27, 2005)

Thas gotta suck


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## rocker (Aug 12, 2005)

too bad u didnt get bit in canada


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## the_skdster (Aug 15, 2006)

I wanna get a Rhom!
Better make sure no one else in the house ever reads this thread...

*starts saving up the dough*


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## therizman1 (Jan 6, 2006)

Winkyee said:


> I will get some updated pics up tonight... I just got the bill from the hospital for this incident... a lovely $2200... damn good think I like that fish :nod:


Ouch, Damn I feel so bad. 
Gimmie my fish back....lol
[/quote]

He is mine... ALL MINE!!!!


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## thebluyak (Apr 14, 2006)

R


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## black_piranha (Jan 12, 2006)

i still remember this too. hows the finger?


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## Guest (Oct 31, 2006)

black_piranha said:


> i still remember this too. hows the finger?


yah i forgot to ask u about the finger, but can u move ur finger and how is it healing?


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## gimmemyshit (Oct 7, 2005)

Even after posting this for everyone to read again.....I'm still getting a new 5" Guyana Black Variant Rhom in the morning.....should be here before 12:00........I'm phyched.


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## therizman1 (Jan 6, 2006)

piranhaseeker said:


> i still remember this too. hows the finger?


yah i forgot to ask u about the finger, but can u move ur finger and how is it healing?
[/quote]

It is all scarred over and closed up, still swollen a bit, but according to the surgeon that will take another 6-7 months to fully go away... the nerve damage is most likely going to be permanent, could have it repaired with surgery but I really dont care that much and dont want to have to pay any more, I can live without a little feeling, it is amazing how quickly you adapt when you cant use a finger for a while. I am able to move it almost as much as I used to, I can get it to lay almost flat again, but making a fist is a little difficult and getting it to bend all the way into my palm is impossible. I am just glad I have some use of it again and that it didnt end up getting infected. Cold and/or wet weather definitely make it hurt a lot more... its basically like having arthritis in it when I am 23yrs old.


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## Mr. Hannibal (Feb 21, 2003)

Any recent pics?


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## therizman1 (Jan 6, 2006)

Ill get some pics posted tomorrow of what it looks like now... hard to take a pic of it myself.


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## lament configuration (Jun 22, 2003)

the bill was 2200 but you only have to pay a nominal emergency room deductible, right?


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## therizman1 (Jan 6, 2006)

lament configuration said:


> the bill was 2200 but you only have to pay a nominal emergency room deductible, right?


Nope, $2200 is what I owe... my insurance is through IL so I am out of district or something like that for my insurance when I am in MI so they dont cover much of anything that happens to me here.


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## nswhite (Mar 23, 2005)

Looks like it hurt.


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## ModsBoss (Oct 20, 2006)

therizman1 said:


> i still remember this too. hows the finger?


yah i forgot to ask u about the finger, but can u move ur finger and how is it healing?
[/quote]

It is all scarred over and closed up, still swollen a bit, but according to the surgeon that will take another 6-7 months to fully go away... the nerve damage is most likely going to be permanent, could have it repaired with surgery but I really dont care that much and dont want to have to pay any more, I can live without a little feeling, it is amazing how quickly you adapt when you cant use a finger for a while. I am able to move it almost as much as I used to, I can get it to lay almost flat again, but making a fist is a little difficult and getting it to bend all the way into my palm is impossible. I am just glad I have some use of it again and that it didnt end up getting infected. Cold and/or wet weather definitely make it hurt a lot more... its basically like having arthritis in it when I am 23yrs old.
[/quote]
Sorry this happened to you... Glad to see you & Markov both made it out alive in the battle...lol
I had a close call with mine trying to jump outta the tank at me.. but they have chilled out on that now. I guess they know who the queen is... hehehehe... so they dont wanna bite the hand that feeds them... Anyway as for your finger.. just keep working it... like physical therapy. Dont over do it or you can make it worse.. Just a little bit everyday, try making a fist and bending it down.. will take some time , you cant exspect to be 100% with in a week. But in a month you should be close to it.

Take care,
Mod


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## therizman1 (Jan 6, 2006)

Modsboss said:


> i still remember this too. hows the finger?


yah i forgot to ask u about the finger, but can u move ur finger and how is it healing?
[/quote]

It is all scarred over and closed up, still swollen a bit, but according to the surgeon that will take another 6-7 months to fully go away... the nerve damage is most likely going to be permanent, could have it repaired with surgery but I really dont care that much and dont want to have to pay any more, I can live without a little feeling, it is amazing how quickly you adapt when you cant use a finger for a while. I am able to move it almost as much as I used to, I can get it to lay almost flat again, but making a fist is a little difficult and getting it to bend all the way into my palm is impossible. I am just glad I have some use of it again and that it didnt end up getting infected. Cold and/or wet weather definitely make it hurt a lot more... its basically like having arthritis in it when I am 23yrs old.
[/quote]
Sorry this happened to you... Glad to see you & Markov both made it out alive in the battle...lol
I had a close call with mine trying to jump outta the tank at me.. but they have chilled out on that now. I guess they know who the queen is... hehehehe... so they dont wanna bite the hand that feeds them... Anyway as for your finger.. just keep working it... like physical therapy. Dont over do it or you can make it worse.. Just a little bit everyday, try making a fist and bending it down.. will take some time , you cant exspect to be 100% with in a week. But in a month you should be close to it.

Take care,
Mod
[/quote]

This happened almost three months ago now... I wont be able to fully bend it till all the swelling goes away which is still another 6-7 months away from happening... I use the finger everyday between work and school and can type with it and all that stuff... just have a hard time using it for anything that requires strength like opening jars or anything just cause I dont have the flexibility or the gripping strength.


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## primetime3wise (Sep 28, 2003)

can we see current pics of your finger?

pt


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## traumatic (Jan 29, 2003)

Oh mike you're fine.









I've seen it, it's nothing, aside from having no feeling and not being able to use it except to pick your nose











gimmemyshit said:


> It is classed as tramautogenic as it can inflict terrific wounds if cornered or handled incorrectly.


this is how I got my member name


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