# Fishing line gone wrong



## Orracle (Feb 7, 2008)

Well here is the deal, I've had my 3 red bellies for about a year now. They are really healthy and eat great. While I was trying something new with feeding instead of just dropping the jumbo shrimp and watching it get devoured I suspended it about 6 inches from the surface with about ten pound line.

They all came up and ate the shrimp really quick. While somehow in the process my big guy must have got the line stuck right by his teeth, so there was about 6 inches of line hanging out of his mouth by his jaw. While I got worried and kept en eye on him for the next few hours. The line worked itself out though after awhile.

That was about 2 weeks ago, since i have cleaned twice with a gravel vac each time. While today after i fed them i noticed my small red has the same piece of line coming out from inside his gill cover. He swims around and rubs against the gravel and logs. It looks to be irritating him slightly. He gills aren't moving any noticeably faster than the others. But it sucks to see him suffer like that







. Also it gets me worried because he is a much darker color than the other two, is he starving for oxygen?

Help?


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## FretsOnFire00 (Sep 10, 2009)

Uh I'd reach in their and pull out the line if I were you, spood him in a corner or something


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## Tensa (Jul 28, 2008)

color change is probably from him being stressed. in the future just reach in and grab the debri or net the debri out once you see that it is free. you may want to net the fish and see if you can remove the line easily other wise i would net it cut the excess and hope the rest of it works its way out. P's are pretty hardy so it should be ok. if the line comes out again makes sure you remove it from the tank. if you net the P watch out for he teeth obviously lol. GL and keep us posted.


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## THE BLACK PIRANHA (Dec 8, 2003)

AS fan said:


> color change is probably from him being stressed. in the future just reach in and grab the debri or net the debri out once you see that it is free. you may want to net the fish and see if you can remove the line easily other wise i would net it cut the excess and hope the rest of it works its way out. P's are pretty hardy so it should be ok. if the line comes out again makes sure you remove it from the tank. if you net the P watch out for he teeth obviously lol. GL and keep us posted.


x2 just net him and pull the string out the gill very slow Good luck and hope it goes well.


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## Trigga (Jul 1, 2006)

Agreed pull it out very slowly you don't want to yank it out and damage anything.. Use a pair of tweezers instead of your hand it will be a lot easier


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## Orracle (Feb 7, 2008)

AS fan said:


> color change is probably from him being stressed. in the future just reach in and grab the debri or net the debri out once you see that it is free. you may want to net the fish and see if you can remove the line easily other wise i would net it cut the excess and hope the rest of it works its way out. P's are pretty hardy so it should be ok. if the line comes out again makes sure you remove it from the tank. if you net the P watch out for he teeth obviously lol. GL and keep us posted.


alright I'll net him once i get back from school and see if I can remove the line, They are so hard to get out of the tank I've resorted to using buckets after losing like 5 nets lol. I would have grabbed the fishing line out of the tank but it is practically invisible against the gravel.


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## Us And Them (Dec 4, 2008)

Orracle said:


> color change is probably from him being stressed. in the future just reach in and grab the debri or net the debri out once you see that it is free. you may want to net the fish and see if you can remove the line easily other wise i would net it cut the excess and hope the rest of it works its way out. P's are pretty hardy so it should be ok. if the line comes out again makes sure you remove it from the tank. if you net the P watch out for he teeth obviously lol. GL and keep us posted.


alright I'll net him once i get back from school and see if I can remove the line, They are so hard to get out of the tank I've resorted to using buckets after losing like 5 nets lol. I would have grabbed the fishing line out of the tank but it is practically invisible against the gravel.
[/quote]

I cant say the same for Reds , but I do know Its alot easier Catching My Serras' with a Lid and Bucket.
Corner it and slowly close in on it and guide it into the bucket.


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## philbert (Mar 8, 2007)

I had a community fish. i cant remember the name but he ate one of my wife's hairs so got a call at work with her balling not wating the fish to die. so i came home and netted him he had about an inch of hair sticking out of his mouth i just slowly pulled it out and out came about a foot long hair. mind you the fish was 3 inches long lol. he was fine. that happened about a year ago and the fish is still alive so i would just get him out out of the tank and slowly pull it out. be very carefull tho.


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## Orracle (Feb 7, 2008)

Well i took everyone's advice and got the piece of line out. It just needed a little convincing but it slid out pretty easily. It does get your heart going when the fish is flopping around in the bucket and your hand trying to bite at everything lol. I checked him today and he looks to be doing a lot better. His gill plate looks a little bruised and there are some scratch marks on his body but it seems pretty minor.

Thanks for everyone's help


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## Plowboy (Apr 9, 2008)

Glad to hear it went well!


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## Tensa (Jul 28, 2008)

good now post some pics of the tank lol


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## philbert (Mar 8, 2007)

nice glad it went well. yea i had a caribe jump out of the tank floppin on the floor. my wife tried to just pick him up while i was going to get a net and a bucket. i had to yell at her to get away.


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