# gill damage



## misterlight (Jan 14, 2004)

i recently bought a red belly from my local store will a gill wound
its about a 6 1/2 inch fish and the gill flap has been turned outward so the interior of the gill is exposed...
i treat the wound with wound control drops directly to the area and treat the water with melofix. anything else i should do to ensure a healthy recovery?


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## DonH (Jan 25, 2003)

Your fish has gill curl. It's usually caused by poor water conditions and/or over-crowded conditions. Unfortunately, I don't think wound control or melafix will help... If the curl is not severe, ensuring pristine water conditions (with frequent water changes) might correct the problem. But if the condition has progressed to the bony gill plate, the deformity is permanent unless you want to perform surgery to snip off the curl and hopefully have it regrow flush with it's body. Warning: Doing this will expose your fish to a possible bacterial infection.


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## misterlight (Jan 14, 2004)

OK thanks
one last question
Will the fish be able to survive like this and will it effect any eating habits whatsoever if i choose to let it remain like that?


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## Outie (Feb 19, 2003)

I'm not positive but unless the condition doesn't improve i would expect your red to not live as long as it could have. Basically like a human living with untreated lung cancer eventually it may do them in.


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## Genin (Feb 4, 2003)

i would be worried that during an altercation another P might actually bite the exposed gill causing permanent and deadly damage.

Joe


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## mantis (May 16, 2003)

I have a little guy with gill curl, *bad*. I have a felling the deformity will make them a potential target, he is happy and doesn't breath hard at all. I think you can only hope for the best, once it has progressed passed a point.


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## misterlight (Jan 14, 2004)

Well he is the largest fish in the tank at about 6 inches. Theres also a 4 inch and 2 2 inch rbps in there as well, so my concern for any of the others attacking it isnt necessarily over, but its rather small.


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## mantis (May 16, 2003)

yea, I'm sure he'll be alright, I can't say the same for my guy, all his brothers and sisters are nut cases! Only time will tell.


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## mantis (May 16, 2003)

is yours curled that bad?


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## misterlight (Jan 14, 2004)

on a scale of 1-10 id say its about a 8
it doesnt really seem to affect his normal behavior, im just worried about maybe a loss of appetite. and relating to the pic, its probably around that bad.


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