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About the tank:
Residents include: (4) 2" clown loaches, one small transparent knife (4"), 2 petricola cats and one 2.5" male sailfin molly.
A piece of slate (for the knife), two 8" or so pieces of driftwood, and a plastic/resin ornament - hollow inside (where the clowns hang out lots of the time), lots of anachris and other plants.
2 sponge filters and an aquaclear 30 filter the tank, which is 1' x 1' x 4'.
After searching in the tank for nearly an hour, I found one of the petricolas in the 3/4" pvc pipe of one of the sponge filters. I don't know what posessed him to go in there, but it didn't bode well for him. After I got him out (by pouring him into a clear plastic cup) I noticed some injuries. I think his injuries may have been caused by rubbing against the air stone in the pipe, or perhaps by my bumping the air hose going to it while vacuuming the tank.
He had what reminded me of of a 'bald spot' on the top of his head - like it is rubbed raw in one tiny spot, and on his belly he has a scrape - pretty bad, a piece of skin torn and hanging there. The scrape is round, the diameter about the same or slightly smaller than a plain wooden pencil eraser. He swims/acts fairly normal, nothing seems amiss with that but I am concerned with his injuries. I relocated him to another tank (10gal) with 2 sailfin mollies for company and moved the ornament and some of the plants from the other tank so he'll feel more at home (less stress I hope) and have a place to retreat if the mollies bug him.
Being a scaleless fish, will Melafix be ok with him? I've used it on other tanks with scaleless inhabitants, but usually to treat another "scaled" resident. In those instances I saw no ill effects from using it. Since this guy is the injured one, it concerns me a little more. Are they more sensitive to it and if so, what else could I use to aid healing and ward off bacteria and/or fungus?
What posesses a fish to get in those pipes?? Could someone whose fish have mastered communications with humans please ask one of them and let me know? My longfin baby bristlenose plecos' have done that too - although they were in a tank with a clear tube so I saw them quickly.
Anyone have any suggestions for preventing this? Hopefully without looking entirely tacky….
Residents include: (4) 2" clown loaches, one small transparent knife (4"), 2 petricola cats and one 2.5" male sailfin molly.
A piece of slate (for the knife), two 8" or so pieces of driftwood, and a plastic/resin ornament - hollow inside (where the clowns hang out lots of the time), lots of anachris and other plants.
2 sponge filters and an aquaclear 30 filter the tank, which is 1' x 1' x 4'.
After searching in the tank for nearly an hour, I found one of the petricolas in the 3/4" pvc pipe of one of the sponge filters. I don't know what posessed him to go in there, but it didn't bode well for him. After I got him out (by pouring him into a clear plastic cup) I noticed some injuries. I think his injuries may have been caused by rubbing against the air stone in the pipe, or perhaps by my bumping the air hose going to it while vacuuming the tank.
He had what reminded me of of a 'bald spot' on the top of his head - like it is rubbed raw in one tiny spot, and on his belly he has a scrape - pretty bad, a piece of skin torn and hanging there. The scrape is round, the diameter about the same or slightly smaller than a plain wooden pencil eraser. He swims/acts fairly normal, nothing seems amiss with that but I am concerned with his injuries. I relocated him to another tank (10gal) with 2 sailfin mollies for company and moved the ornament and some of the plants from the other tank so he'll feel more at home (less stress I hope) and have a place to retreat if the mollies bug him. Being a scaleless fish, will Melafix be ok with him? I've used it on other tanks with scaleless inhabitants, but usually to treat another "scaled" resident. In those instances I saw no ill effects from using it. Since this guy is the injured one, it concerns me a little more. Are they more sensitive to it and if so, what else could I use to aid healing and ward off bacteria and/or fungus? What posesses a fish to get in those pipes?? Could someone whose fish have mastered communications with humans please ask one of them and let me know? My longfin baby bristlenose plecos' have done that too - although they were in a tank with a clear tube so I saw them quickly. Anyone have any suggestions for preventing this? Hopefully without looking entirely tacky….