Dojo Emergency! :(

[starsplitter7]

Please help when you can.

My smallest Dojo is about 4" and about as big around as my ring finger.

He has been completely healthy, and I have had him about 2 month and he's been growing longer and fatter. All my other Dojos are fine.

I have no aggressive fish in his tank. Dojos, Tetras, African Butterfly (Absolutely non-aggressive-- even share the top of the tank with other fish -- no problems), and assorted non-aggressive catfish -- very easy going rubber lip, Bristlenose, Raphaels . . . A couple mollies. These fish have all been together for 6+ months with no problems.

I looked in the tank today and my smallest Dojo has a ring of missing flesh behind his pectoral fin. It rings his body -- about 4 mm wide and 2 mm deep -- down to white flesh (nothing red). It is exact like it was done with a knife. Like he has been reamed. He's swimming normally. He's also got some injury to his nose, but most barbels seem intact. I wonder if he got stuck somewhere.

I don't have a camera right now, but when I do, I will send a picture.

I will do a water change before I leave to my family to celebrate Christmas. My quaratine tank is in use, so I will see if anything is open so I can buy him a tank before I head home again today. I have a cycled filter, and I have a heater (I know he doesn't need a heater, but he has had one and I don't want to shock him). Can I put melafix in his tank? Will that really bother him, or should I use water conditioner to sooth him? The wounds look clean.

If no stores are open, can I use a bucket or plastic tub until stores open tomorrow?

Thanks, Tanja

[Tinman]

Yes or Pimafix...How did this happen, must be a cave or something then with sharp edges...is the gravel clean,check to see if your ph is lower than normal to rule out fin rot or poor conditions .You think it is a injury caused by a small hole somewhere then ???? A Rapheal is an armored cat and will defend its spot but not be outwardly aggressive usually,you said a ring,does it fit the Rapheals mouth shape??? The Bristlenose can be mean also at times to protect its spot....add acouple of hidey holes if ya can.

[starsplitter7]

Yes or Pimafix...How did this happen, must be a cave or something then with sharp edges...is the gravel clean,check to see if your ph is lower than normal to rule out fin rot or poor conditions .You think it is a injury caused by a small hole somewhere then ???? A Rapheal is an armored cat and will defend its spot but not be outwardly aggressive usually,you said a ring,does it fit the Rapheals mouth shape??? The Bristlenose can be mean also at times to protect its spot....add acouple of hidey holes if ya can.

The Raphael used to live wedged with 4 clowns, 2 tigers, two Yoyos and 4 Striatas. There are more hidey holes than fish. This ring goes all the way around the dojo starting behind the pectoral fin. (If it was caused by the mouth of another fish, wouldn't there be other damage?) I can see the injury on the nose being caused by another fish, but this one that rings the body, I just don't see how. Maybe it went into a small hole and this is the widest area of the body and to get out, striped off the skin. If it was fin rot wouldn't the fins show tattering? They are all perfect. (I am not qustioning you, I just don't know).

Do you have any idea about setting up a temp quarantine tank in a plastic bin? Would that work?

I changed out 5 gallons, and I will change out more when I get home.

When I get home, I will change out more water.

Here's the best two pictures I could get. This isn't the camera I usually use. I wish they were clearer. His fins are all perfect, and he was fine two days ago. You can see his dorsal fin and it is perfect. The barbels are fine.


Thanks, Tanja.

[Tinman]

He was stuck in something. Is that all the way around? He was head in and that caused the damage on the face possibly.
Question me all ya want.
I only keep fish as a hobby . Pump intake it looks like . Can this be possible in your set up? I would not QT .I would figure out where he/she went in and fix it...Could it be the thing in the left of the pic>?....the holes look similar in size.He was stuck somewhere IMO

[Diana]

Ditto- he was stuck in something. This is too clean and neat an injury to have been caught in another fish's mouth.
Check the nitrates in the tank. Infections more often set in when the nitrates are high. Do a few extra water changes. Each water change is reducing the bacteria count in the water, leaving fewer bacteria to invade the injured area.
If your fish will tolerate Melafix and Pimafix these will slow the growth of bacteria and fungus so the fish's own immune system can cope better. I would not use these with Bettas, Gouramis or any relatives in the tank.

Moving him to a Q-tank is stressful. He is happy with his tank mates, and is familiar with this tank. If you must move him, take along his favorite cave. Fill the Q-tank with water from the main tank for the initial move (you can do more water changes when he is settled in) Cover the Q-tank very well, these fish can escape very easily. (Makes a storage container not as good an option)

I prefer a tank, perhaps 10 gallons for a q-tank, then you can observe the fish with less disturbance. Filter or pump so the water is well oxygenated, hiding places, heater to match the current conditions, but some bacteria do better (worse for the fish) if the temperature is over 76*F, so a warm room temp would be my choice for treatment. If you need to lower the temperature do it slowly, over several days.

[shari2]

Looks like he went up an intake tube and got stuck at the fatter part. I agree with Tinman that the facial issues are likely due to thrashing around his head to get out.

Slightly cooler temps will lower his metabolic rate, and slow the reproduction of many bacteria. I'd keep him where he is for now, clean the tank really well, (not the filters!) but don't disturb the substrate too much and get gunk into the water column--stuff the gravel vac into the substrate and let it sit still while the mulm rises, then move it slowly to another place. Do the places he hangs out most often first. Don't try to do too large a section at once. No more than 30-40% of the water or as much as you can change without changing the water parameters dramatically. Double check your nitrate level.

Definitely use some Melafix. Don't use the Pimafix. Sometimes loaches will get frantic when you add that stuff to the tank. Remove carbon if you use Melafix and leave the lights off. It will biodegrade in light. That's part of the reason you add it every day.

Find that open intake! Put a sponge on it or something because it sounds like whatever fell off, won't stay on well anymore.

And Tanja, from what I can see in the pics you have a few items in there with rather sharp edges. You might want to consider redecorating a bit and go for smoother decor...

[mistergreen]

whao. that looks nasty. They're too curious for their own good.. Hope the little guy makes it.

[starsplitter7]

sorry

[starsplitter7]

When I got home, my Dojo was still hanging in there. Tough little guy.

I think I have figured out how he hurt himself. I check all the ornaments before they go in, and they have rounded edges and the gravel is rounded. The intake part of my filters have slatted, plastic basket barriers. I remove the ornaments when I vacuum so they get checked frequently.

I am afraid I hurt him by accident.

I have one piece of bogwood that is weighted down with a piece of slate and that is quite sharp. It sits on the bottom of the tank, parallel to the glass bottom with the gravel on top. I think when I replaced it, I accidental pinned him and when he spun to try tp free himself, he reamed withself on the sharp edge. I am not used to burrowing Dojos. Mine always lounged on the floating plants. I need to be more careful. I hope he makes it.

It appears that the consensus is to keep him in the tank with his buddies, keep doing small, often water changes. I know the Nitrates are higher than I would like -- I will continue with the water changes to reduce the nirtrates. Ammonia and Nitrites are okay. I will lightly feed them and turn off the lights. The lights were off all day. Looks like a small dosage of Melafix is in order.

Then I need to get back to work. Tanja.

[starsplitter7]

Changed out 30% of the water, added water conditioner and 1/2 dosage of Melafix. Should I do 100% and remove the carbon from my filters? Plus five gallons earlier. I can do that tomorrow.

He appears to be sloughing skin. Looks like only three barbels are left.

Wounds still look clean, clean edges. All other fish are accounted for, so it looks like he's the only one who suffered the injury. The dangerous bogwood has been removed.

I'll do more water changes tomorrow.