Broken Gill?

mytank

mytank

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Hi all,

Today woke up made some coffee :) went to my tank to have a look. The lights were off and the fish were out already.

Lights came on and the GF was watching the fish and doing some parameter tests for me when she noticed something on our blue (dotted) cheek sand sifter. At first I thought he might have munched on a bristle worm but at closer inspection I wasn't sure.

Test 1:

Was he still sifting sand - YES a lot of it

Test 2:

Made some food with garlic and vitamins dropped it into the tank, in his usual fashion went for everything and chowed

Test 3:

Put some DD food paste on the window quite high up to see if he had strength to swim. Munched all of it (see pics below)


Then I thought could it be some parasite like a fluke or something?

So the GF and I went about catching him. From having to catch my clown a month ago I knew that you have to use your brains. I blocked their cave (have a pair) and put two nets outside. The bugger still came around the rock and tried to pull the rock (its the nori feeding rock with some rope) away from his hole.


Eventually he swam into the net. I managed to get him out and get a good picture of what it was. It seems one of his gills has BROKEN at the bottom (still attached at the top) and is sticking out of his gill. I had a TINY when I mean TINY I mean SUPER TINY tug on it and it is still fastened at the top.

I notice two things:

1. He has become a bit more agressive than normal (can't blame him being p1ssed off)
2. He is trying to get it out by rubbing it on the sand.

He is still FEEDING and still SAND SIFTING

PICS below.

Questions:

1. What could of caused this?
2. Do I need to put him in the hospital tank?
3. Will he be ok?


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Just so that I understand correctly, you were still in bed and your GF was up already and doing work on your tank? She's a keeper:thumbup:. I don't think there's much you can do about your fish though. Just make sure it gets enough food, because it probably won't sift as much anymore if the gill is bothering it.
 
Mudshark said:
Just so that I understand correctly, you were still in bed and your GF was up already and doing work on your tank? She's a keeper:thumbup:. I don't think there's much you can do about your fish though. Just make sure it gets enough food, because it probably won't sift as much anymore if the gill is bothering it.
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Yup :) - taught her well. It's all about getting them into it with you. For that she gets loads of sh1t to make her happy, ipad's, phones bla bla bla and her own little 130l nano very soon.

You should see when she goes to the LFS and starts talking PH, Po4's and Nitrates, knows all the names of the corals and fish. She is brilliant :) :) :)

I am just lost of what the hell did this to him! He is eating ALOT and shifting as much as he usually does. Even carrying little rocks and things to their little den they have. I am sure the female is preggies she has a HUGE preggy tummy


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She is the one on the right...

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Have you got a cleaner wrasse in the tank? Maybe he, or perhaps a crab or predatory shrimp has had a bit of a tug on the gill and it has torn as the fish swam away? Apart from that I don't know.
 
viper357 said:
Have you got a cleaner wrasse in the tank? Maybe he, or perhaps a crab or predatory shrimp has had a bit of a tug on the gill and it has torn as the fish swam away? Apart from that I don't know.
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@viper357 no cleaner wrasse, my worse nightmare is marine crabs, been looking every night all hours of the night with my red torch to see if I can find one. I think tonight I am going to do the glass and lance fish trick. I just hope my cleaner shrimp don't attack it!
 
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The only other thing I can think of is maybe he picked up a piece of sand or rock that was just too big to sift and he forced it through causing the gill to tear like that?

Good luck with your crab hunting.
 
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viper357 said:
The only other thing I can think of is maybe he picked up a piece of sand or rock that was just too big to sift and he forced it through causing the gill to tear like that?

Good luck with your crab hunting.
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That's what I was thinking, hope it doesn't turn out to be fatal :( He is still eating like a monster.

Thanks
 
@Nemos Janitor, maybe Keith can help, he's got all sorts of microscopes and experience and what not. :)

Good luck though, hopefully it won't cause any harm to your fish.

Not sure who else might be able to help, perhaps @Achilles or @SteveZi
 
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