# LIFE OR DEATH EMERGENCY 911!!!! please help



## skool-of-death (Apr 25, 2004)

I had to temporarily move my 7"rhom to another tank so his could be moved to another room. I have a 5" red devil and a big oscar in the 90gal he was shacking in for a few hours. I got his tank set up and checked on him and he was hiding behind some driftwood and appeared to be ok. I wanted to let the water circulate for awhile before i put him back so the wife and i went out for dinner etc... so anyway, i come back and find my rhom suspended upside down but and barely breathing. His eyes were plucked out (red devil the culprit), the eyes are still attached but both are out of the socket and badly damaged. I immediately put him back in his rightful tank and he stayed suspended rightside up. His breathing is better but is still not normal. Breaths are short and far between. Is there any hope for my fish and if there is what should i do to help his recovery. I would expect that if he lives he will be permanantly blind.


----------



## ICEE (Feb 3, 2007)

YEs their is hope

Salt and melafix now to improve breathing


----------



## Red Eyes (Nov 25, 2003)

I would also keep the tank dark (towel over it) since he is probably still super stressed.


----------



## NeXuS (Aug 16, 2006)

hope-fully he pulls threw best of luck


----------



## ICEE (Feb 3, 2007)

keep us updated and yes turn the lights off and have surface agitation


----------



## Aaronic (Apr 22, 2005)

pics?


----------



## ICEE (Feb 3, 2007)

Aaronic said:


> pics?


Ya that would help us


----------



## skool-of-death (Apr 25, 2004)

I have melafix and already added salt. It is completely dark but I will throw something over it. I would post pics but im not sure how. never had to before. The right is is completley protruded and battered. The left eye is partially protruded but is gray all over. He had beautiful red eyes but they are both grayish-white with a hint of a red ring around the outside. I thought he was dead when i found him but his gills were just barely moving. When i got him in the net he started flapping a little so that was a good sign. I will add melafix now, hopefully that helps reduce infection. The tank is clean at least.


----------



## ICEE (Feb 3, 2007)

Surface agitation and you upload your pics at the bottom of your post buy hitting browse then finding your flash cards pics


----------



## skool-of-death (Apr 25, 2004)

define "surface agitation"


----------



## skool-of-death (Apr 25, 2004)

Hopefully pics will show. pretty gross....


----------



## ICEE (Feb 3, 2007)

Surface agitation is like a powerhead or pump blowing air into tank so its easier for fish to breathe

Ya that is pretty gross and bad salt and melafix and evry 3 days water change


----------



## wundwasser (Apr 1, 2007)

i think u need something stronger than melafix and salt in this case, but i am not sure what maybe tetracycline would be a good choice...good luck


----------



## Grosse Gurke (Jan 3, 2003)

If it were me...I would do daily water changes. Any disruption in the cycle from the tank move could be very detrimental to your fish. I dont think you need anything stronger then you are using at this point....and to further med the guy would just cause more stress. I doubt his eyes will make it...you just want to guard against infection.


----------



## wundwasser (Apr 1, 2007)

i'd try everything to save his eyes cuz the most wonderful thing on piranha's especially rhoms are the eyes...i'd try tetracycline or maracyn 2 (expensive but a positive improved medication) in addition with aquarium salt.


----------



## skool-of-death (Apr 25, 2004)

It sucks because its been my favorite fish for 3 years. Im positive he will lose at least one eye (the one pictured). The other eye is partially protruded but like i said he gets skittish when i walk by so i know he has some vision at least. I will try maracyn or whatever my LFS has that would best suit the condition. I have a couple questions though. If he does lose one or both eyes, will they scar over with skin tissue or will it just be a large vacant hole in his head? Also, could the fish survive without sight? I would assume feeders are out of the question because he cant chase something he cant see. I regularly feed him raw shrimp almost everyday. Could he sniff it out and eat it? I would think that eye sight is their primary source sensory.


----------



## odyssey (May 30, 2006)

yeh he would have small pits where his lost eye/eyes were. he would need to be fed sinking meaty foods like fish fillet and he would have no trouble smelling them. they have big nostrils!


----------



## wundwasser (Apr 1, 2007)

try and think POSITIVE and go and get some maracyn 2 or tetracycline tomorrow, maybe you are able to save his eyes and raise the temp to 82-84 and add some aquarium salt...and turn the lights off that he won't hit the glass and hurt his eye even more...oh and remove carbon before adding medication and make a water change with gravel vac if possible...good luck!


----------



## P-Dee (Jun 1, 2007)

awwww...poor little guy

hope he pulls through


----------



## skool-of-death (Apr 25, 2004)

I keep getting in arguments with people that i told this story to. They seem to think that the piranha should have "won the fight" simply for the fact that it is a piranha. They have no understanding of how much stress is put on a fish by simply netting it out of one tank and put into another, especially since this is a completely solitary fish and has no socialization skills except with the goldfish it crushes from time to time. Let say i put the red devil in my piranha tank (before the injury), turned the lights off and left it overnight. I can only imagine the results although i would expect the only thing to be left of the red devil is its head. its good to be able to come to a place like this where people are educated on things like this and that i can talk to on a similar level. well, its been almost 3 days and hes still alive. I put a small powerhead just below the surface and left a air line sticking out so it blows air. Its pointed at water coming in from my filter so it pushes the air down and circulates. It seem to be working well.


----------



## skool-of-death (Apr 25, 2004)

The rhom is not eating. I put in a raw shrimp this morning which is his normal everyday meal. He doesnt even notice it. Its been 6 days so i figured he would be hungry by now. If he doesnt eat it by later tonight sometime im taking it out before it starts to rot. Then i will try again in 2 days. The eyes are still gross looking. Now they have some white fleshy stuff on them. The one eye is really disgusting and i wonder if it will fall out soon. I do a water change every 3 days and melafix everyday still. I hope he comes out of it.


----------



## wundwasser (Apr 1, 2007)

i'd let the shrimp not longer than 15 min in the water...he will eat again when he's doing better. i'd try every day to throw something in (try different things like beefheart, smelt or salmon but don't let the smelt and salmon longer than 5 min in the water cuz it wil mess up your water) then turn the lights off and wait 15 min.


----------



## ICEE (Feb 3, 2007)

Hes not gonna eat when hes sick. Updated pic plz?


----------



## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

good luck with the recovery,

it is always a wise idea to have a seperate tank where he can be solo or a divider for the 90 so when you add him in he will be seprate from the other large fish


----------



## GN121406 (Jul 28, 2007)

Thats pretty bad. best of luck for your fish


----------



## Mattones (Jul 9, 2006)

that pic is gross. I hope he gets better because i would hate for my fav ifsh to die


----------



## skool-of-death (Apr 25, 2004)

One eye has fallen out. The other looks like it might stay, not sure yet. The fish is not eating at all. Ive been offering raw shrimp, which is his usual daily meal but hes not eating it. Its been 10 days so I think he should be hungry. At least there is no sign of infection and seems to be healing. If I can get him to eat I think he might make it.


----------



## odyssey (May 30, 2006)

any update bro?


----------

