Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

HELP! My Angel is hurt!

Collapse
X
Collapse
 
  • Page of 2
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
Previous 1 2 template Next
  • #1

    HELP! My Angel is hurt!

    I have some plastic grate from a 4'x2' flourecent light fixture against the back wall of my tank with plants attached to it. Last night when I went to feed the fish, one of the angels was missing. I found him between the grate and the glass. I thought he was dead at first, but then saw his mouth moving. I got him freed and he was able to swim a little, but was shaking, and having trouble swimming. He would sink about 4" below the surface, then try to swim back up, but was facing straight up, and barely reaching the surface. He would try resting against the moss in the back, or against the glass, but when he wasn't against something to keep him upright, he'd lean over on his side. I moved him from the main tank into a butter bowl to keep anyone from picking on him over night. This morning he's still alive, but on his side. Is there anything I can do to help him?

    thx
    Jerry
    75gal heavy planted tank
    pea gravel on soil substrate
    DIY CO2
    3 zebra botias, 9 glowlights, 2 yoyo loachs, wild guppies

    55gal planted
    same substrate
    DIY CO2
    1 gold, 1 zebra, 4 koi, 2 dark zebra angels, ghost & amano shrimp
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: HELP! My Angel is hurt!

    I think it was a great idea to move him out of the main tank. Do you have anything other than a butter bowl, maybe a small aquarium in which to keep him? I think that the most important thing to do now after isolating him from the others is to provide him with good water quality and good filtration, which might be difficult in a small bowl. This will also allow you to view him from different angles. Does he have any visible abrasions or abnormalities, or does the problem seem to be internal?
    "Millennium hand and shrimp!"

    Comment

    • #3
      Re: HELP! My Angel is hurt!

      His color is real faded, with a couple of darker spots above his head. He's light gold to start with, but he does look a little "scuffed-up". I do have a 2.5 gal I can put him in this evening when I get home. What about adding anything to the water (slime coat, etc)?
      75gal heavy planted tank
      pea gravel on soil substrate
      DIY CO2
      3 zebra botias, 9 glowlights, 2 yoyo loachs, wild guppies

      55gal planted
      same substrate
      DIY CO2
      1 gold, 1 zebra, 4 koi, 2 dark zebra angels, ghost & amano shrimp

      Comment

      • #4
        Re: HELP! My Angel is hurt!

        Hmm, I always hesitate to add anything to the water until I am completely sure what is wrong. Even after that, good water quality is a lot of the time even more beneficial than medications, especially to a stressed out fish (that's probably part of the reason he's lost color). I'd take a closer look at him when you put him in the 2.5 tonight, which I think is a wonderful idea. Is it just a tank, or is it a system with built in filtration?
        "Millennium hand and shrimp!"

        Comment

        • #5
          Re: HELP! My Angel is hurt!

          The 2.5 is one of those systems from Wally World. It has a little carbon bag filter that hangs inside the tank. I used to keep ghost shrimp it it to feed the eel when I had the marine setup. I'll need to pick up a new filter bag on the way home.

          btw, does anyone know a good source for bulk activated carbon for my canister filters?
          75gal heavy planted tank
          pea gravel on soil substrate
          DIY CO2
          3 zebra botias, 9 glowlights, 2 yoyo loachs, wild guppies

          55gal planted
          same substrate
          DIY CO2
          1 gold, 1 zebra, 4 koi, 2 dark zebra angels, ghost & amano shrimp

          Comment

          • #6
            Re: HELP! My Angel is hurt!

            Here's a picture of the Angel before the accident. You can see the grate in the background.



            Click here if picture doesn't show-up
            75gal heavy planted tank
            pea gravel on soil substrate
            DIY CO2
            3 zebra botias, 9 glowlights, 2 yoyo loachs, wild guppies

            55gal planted
            same substrate
            DIY CO2
            1 gold, 1 zebra, 4 koi, 2 dark zebra angels, ghost & amano shrimp

            Comment

            • #7
              Re: HELP! My Angel is hurt!

              I haven't actually looked for bulk activated carbon, but I recently found a website that is so much cheaper than any of the LFS, even with shipping. It is bigalsonline.com. I would check them out.

              I felt like such a fool when I looked there. I had bought a Freshwater Master Kit to test my water. It was 31.99 on sale for 21.99, so I thought what a deal. On this webite it was around 12.50! Your shipping is based on how much you spend so it is worth getting a bunch of things, instead of only one thing. I placed an order on Friday and they shipped it on Fri.

              I hope your angel gets better. It sure is pretty.

              Comment

              • #8
                Re: HELP! My Angel is hurt!

                If you place your BigAls order on Wednesdays you get double points.  Your accumulated points can be used as credit against future purchases.
                Reasoning with some people is like trying to nail jello to a wall...

                Comment

                • #9
                  Re: HELP! My Angel is hurt!

                  When I got home last night, the Angel had gone to heaven.  

                  Any suggestions on how to secure the edges of the grate so this doesn't happen again?
                  75gal heavy planted tank
                  pea gravel on soil substrate
                  DIY CO2
                  3 zebra botias, 9 glowlights, 2 yoyo loachs, wild guppies

                  55gal planted
                  same substrate
                  DIY CO2
                  1 gold, 1 zebra, 4 koi, 2 dark zebra angels, ghost & amano shrimp

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Re: HELP! My Angel is hurt!

                    Could you explain the grate a little more? Is it flush against the back of the tank? What are the dimensions of the holes? Does it cover the entire back? I know there are a few adhesives and such that can cure underwater, but I don't quite understand how the grate is in there, and it might not be possible.
                    "Millennium hand and shrimp!"

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      Re: HELP! My Angel is hurt!

                      Oh, and I'm really sorry about the angel.  :(
                      "Millennium hand and shrimp!"

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        Re: HELP! My Angel is hurt!

                        The grate is the ones you find in offices on the 2'x4' flourecent lights. I got it at Home Depot, and cut it to fit. Because my 4' long tank has a brace in the middle, I had to cut down the length to about 3' in order to bend it into the tank, and rotate it around to the back of the tank. I have the bottom wedged about 1-2 inches into the substrate, and the top oon the left side is against the side glass of the tank. But the right side is only held in by the canister filter intake tube, which is suction-cupped to the back glass.
                        There are several pictures on this page that might be worth 1000 words.
                        http://users2.ev1.net/~jbicb3/photography/07-10-06/07-10-06.html

                        The holes are between 1/2" & 3/4" square.

                        thx
                        Jerry
                        75gal heavy planted tank
                        pea gravel on soil substrate
                        DIY CO2
                        3 zebra botias, 9 glowlights, 2 yoyo loachs, wild guppies

                        55gal planted
                        same substrate
                        DIY CO2
                        1 gold, 1 zebra, 4 koi, 2 dark zebra angels, ghost & amano shrimp

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          Re: HELP! My Angel is hurt!

                          Perhaps I'm being a bit thick here, but what is the grate for? I only thought it was used to separate to parts of a tank or to keep fish from jumping. Why is it against the back wall?

                          Comment

                          • #14
                            Re: HELP! My Angel is hurt!

                            Maybe you could try to use screen material, the fabric type, not the metal type (like I still have on some of my windows)  instead of the the grate?  I've seen it used and with suction cups placed through screen material you will probably get a tighter fit to the back of the tank.
                            Reasoning with some people is like trying to nail jello to a wall...

                            Comment

                            • #15
                              Re: HELP! My Angel is hurt!

                              Jerry - So sorry about your angel. I'm sure that you will figure out a way to fix the grate problem.

                              Comment

                              Previous 1 2 template Next
                              Working...
                              X