PLEASE Help with my Rope Fish :(

Hi Everyone,

I was feeding my fish in the main tank now now, and when it came time to feed with the lights off for the nocternal fish, I was looking for my rope fish, and then realised he was in the overflow box on the filter wool... I thought the worst and frantically got the air grate out and reached for him with a net and he was still alive, so I put him back in the water but he is not looking that great, and also, unless I am mistaken, it appears that his gills are completely closed with skin (trying to describe it as best I can)... could this be due to him being out of the water, do they adapt, I know they can survive out of water for about 8 hours, but does anything change iro their gills when this happens? I have been trying to look at videos on the net of Rope Fish to see if I am losing my marbles of if his gills do look different now, and I came across this one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geJLh9n8KFs&feature=related which clearly shows the gills are not completely attached, as is now the case with mine in this video where you can see he is clearly battling to breathe to the point that his eye looks indented as if his head is swollen....:cry:

Does anyone know what is happening and what I can do? please? I have and am still searching the internet for information, but have not found much as yet, and since there are so many knowledgeable people here on TASA, I am hoping someone can help :cry: I alrealy lost the other rope fish while I was in JHB at the expo - he also got into the overflow box but all the way into the sump and didnt make it problem is I am using perspex on that side of the tank to accomodate the inlet as 2 pieces of glass broke due to a part being cut out creating a weak spot, so this was the next best option. It bends after a few days and I have to turn it around to bend back and this is how it goes over and over, so it's not possible to keep it completely covered at all times, not matter how hard I try. I will be thinking of another option here to avoid this happening again ofcourse.

I hope someone can help or has experienced something like this and can tell me what to do and if he is going to be ok...

Thanks so much
Candice

 

Oh and he is also not moving much, he would usually move if someone came close, be it a person at the tank or another fish, but he is just staying where he is struggling to breathe...

 

@Aqua, I'm so sorry to hear about this mishap with your ropefish. I, unfortunately, can't offer much advice as I don't know too much about them, but I do hope that he will be ok...

 

Thanks Skye, appreciate it He is still alive this morning but still not himself... will keep an eye on him closely today.

 

Thanks @Reedfish, I had 2 of them (are you suggesting I need to have more than 2 and if so how many?), but as mentioned the one passed away while I was at the expo, also due to being an escape artist..I would replace him but I have not seen any available for a while around my area...

I will do as you have suggested and treat with a general treatment (my preference would be Bio-Elite) and see how it goes. Thanks again... Candice

 

Fingers crossed he makes it through..

From my limited knowledge of rope fish I think they do best in groups of 5 to 6.

 

hi @Aqua, i have very little experience with this, but i would suggest my cure all, daily 10% water changes for a week.

 

Thanks @mydummyname

 

Thanks @Reedfish, I will phone around and see if anyone has stock of Rope Fish, hopefully I can source another 3...

 

@Reedfish, sorry can you please clear something up for me. On their gills, does that part open or is it closed with skin? I seem to recall that it was open, but may be mistaken, please clear that up for me, thanks!

 

Thank you @MHD, I hope so too

 

Hi @Reedfish,

What I was trying to explain is that there is nothing damaged on the gills, it is as if a the skin is closed around the gill and I can't recall it being that way. I have now found out (thanks @Altum) that when surviving out of water, these fish create a mucous membrane around the gills to aid breathing out of water... this mucous layer then has to separate or disolve (for want of a better word) once in water again... I have noticed that the bottom of the gill slit is starting to separate now, so I think he should be fine This is what was stressing me out, I was not sure why it was closed and if it was meant to be and if it would come back to normal, thanks for all the help everyone

 

@Aqua - Try the LFS in Bergvliet (PM if you don't know the one I'm refering to :smile1. I think they had rope fish the last time I was there.

 

@Aqua, glad you got some info to help you, fantastic stuff from @Altum, i suspected @azurekoi or @Altum would be some of the few people who might be able to assist you in this.

i would still suggest the 10% daily water changes for a week. pristine water conditions will help tremendously to help the little guy cope with the stress. keep us updated please

 

@MarcHawke i saw some there too about a week ago.

 

Thanks Everyone I called and they said they have, but I am just waiting for one @Altum to get back to me on availability which is my first option

 

Aquatic Vission in Brackenfell have some