posted 02-18-2004 08:00 AM         

To prevent future injuries, you can get a prefilter for the intake (basically a sponge that covers the intake) or just take some pantyhose and put it on the intake. That way the fins can't get caught.

posted 02-18-2004 08:43 AM         

Also, I really wouldn't leave it in a bowl for more than a few hours. Ammonia will build up very quickly w/o any filtration. After you get the intake covered, the fish would be better off back in the tank. You can treat the whole tank with Melafix; it won't hurt the other fish.

posted 02-18-2004 09:36 AM         

When you cover the pump opening, make sure that it won't either get sucked into the pump or block the intake. Without knowing what kind of filter it is, I'd recommend the pantyhose in the short term.

The stress coat will not help with ammonia unfortunately. However, I wouldn't necessarily put her back in the tank as will likely be harrassed and is apparently unable to swim against the current of the pump. The bowl is too small.

Get a 5 gallon pail, or equivalent, and make sure it's clean (washed and rinsed very well). Add some gravel from your tank to the bottom, an airstone and one of the little air pump controlled sponge filters you can buy from Wal art for $8-10. This is your hospital tank! You will have to change the water (1-2 gallons) frequently (2 days or so) for a little while while the pail cycles.

Stress coat is good to treat it with. I've never used MelaFix, but it is fairly popular and has a good reputation. Read intructions carefully.

Lastly, how big are your goldfish and how big is the tank? Are there also guppies present? GF are not aggressive, but if they're overcrowded they may get defensive.

posted 02-18-2004 10:02 AM         

quote:

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Get a 5 gallon pail, or equivalent, and make sure it's clean (washed and rinsed very well). Add some gravel from your tank to the bottom, an airstone and one of the little air pump controlled sponge filters you can buy from Wal art for $8-10. This is your hospital tank! You will have to change the water (1-2 gallons) frequently (2 days or so) for a little while while the pail cycles.

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That's what I do for hospital tanks too. I don't know why I didn't think of mentioning it.

posted 02-18-2004 08:19 PM         

I put the fish with the damaged fins in a small tank. I think it holds only a gallon but I will change out the water every day. She recommended keeping the fish in there for only a few days and then putting her back in the tank with the other two. This I'm not too sure about. She seems to be doing a little better actually since I added the Melafix and she ate a small piece of the bloodworm (yuk), maybe it's just my imagination.

The other two goldfish are about 1 1/2" and 2" in size. Not too big, I think they all get along fairly well except the larger one has had an obsession with the anal area of the fish that's hurt.

I almost put this hurt fishin the freezer today and had it not been for this board and the advice from Chelle, she would have been long gone. You saved a life today! lol. I happened to find this board this a.m. as a google search. Glad I did.

posted 02-18-2004 08:54 PM         

quote:

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I was also told to buy some bloodworms to help the fish poop in case the hurt one especially had taken on some air and that's why she was floating on her side so much. The clerk told me to make sure I stir the flakes in the tank as the fish can get air if they have to gulp the flakes from the top. She said the blood worms would help the fish poop and allow any air to be released that way. And I thought these fish pooped enough already, but we'll see.

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I've never heard of bloodworms being a laxative before, but other than that, it does seem the clerk knew what she was talking about. Fancy goldfish tend to get constipated and when that happens, they can't release gas from their swim bladders so they end up floating. Shelled peas are a good laxative for fish. Just take a couple frozen peas, microwave them for a few seconds, remove the shells, and feed. And soaking their food in tank water before feeding allows the food a chance to expand outside of the fish rather than inside.

And for future reference, never euthanize a fish by putting it in the freezer. It's not considered humane.

Good luck. I hope she get's better quickly.