Green Sunfish Needs Help

[Silvermist80]

Hello all,

I had a Green Sunfish (close relative to a Bluegill) jump out of my 100 gallon and wound up on the floor for a bit. I don't know how long he was out, but when I picked him up, he moved. I put him back in immediately and added some Stress Coat and Stress Guard. He looks to be doing ok except he looks to have perhaps a fungal infection on his side. I want to save this fish, he's got one hell of a will to live. These fish are amazing with what they'll survive. So I really want to get the diagnosis right the first time and what I should dose him with. I'm attaching a picture and please don't judge, he's currently in a drip box to convert him to my hospital tank, he's not staying in the small container. Please help! Thanks in advance!

 

[FranciscoB]

Perhaps better photos of the wound would help but I don’t see a fungal infection. I would provide the best water quality, and just observe for now. It has only been a few hours. I would stop adding stress coat and any other things. They don’t help and can harm. If he recovers from having been out of water, I would just add some salt and daily water changes with dechlorinated water at the same temp and pH. He should make it and in a few days be back to perfect. Good save!!!

 

[Silvermist80]

Perhaps better photos of the wound would help but I don’t see a fungal infection. I would provide the best water quality, and just observe for now. It has only been a few hours. I would stop adding stress coat and any other things. They don’t help and can harm. If he recovers from having been out of water, I would just add some salt and daily water changes with dechlorinated water at the same temp and pH. He should make it and in a few days be back to perfect. Good save!!!

I added 2 more photos, hopefully they're showing up. At first I thought he was just sloughing off his scales from drying out on the floor, but looking down on him it looks like some white growth around the edges. So I don't know if it's my original theory of him sloughing or if there's an infection.... which is why I'm seeking advice from you lovely people

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Hello all,

I had a Green Sunfish (close relative to a Bluegill) jump out of my 100 gallon and wound up on the floor for a bit. I don't know how long he was out, but when I picked him up, he moved. I put him back in immediately and added some Stress Coat and Stress Guard. He looks to be doing ok except he looks to have perhaps a fungal infection on his side. I want to save this fish, he's got one hell of a will to live. These fish are amazing with what they'll survive. So I really want to get the diagnosis right the first time and what I should dose him with. I'm attaching a picture and please don't judge, he's currently in a drip box to convert him to my hospital tank, he's not staying in the small container. Please help! Thanks in advance!

Might have possible brain/swim bladder damage.

What other fish do you have in the tank?

 

[Silvermist80]

Might have possible brain/swim bladder damage.

What other fish do you have in the tank?

It's a total just Bluegill tank. A 100 gallon. He's in a 10 gallon hospital tank currently so the other fish don't bother him. I should say a Sunfish tank though because I have Bluegill, some hybrids, and a few Sunfish. All the same family of fish though. He swims ok and seems to be mostly ok except for the damage to his side.

 

[GaryE]

It looks like a simple abrasion. I would go with daily water changes til it clears up. Give the fish a couple of hiding places, and dim lighting.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

It's a total just Bluegill tank. A 100 gallon. He's in a 10 gallon hospital tank currently so the other fish don't bother him. I should say a Sunfish tank though because I have Bluegill, some hybrids, and a few Sunfish. All the same family of fish though. He swims ok and seems to be mostly ok except for the damage to his side.

Gotcha, probably just a little disoriented because of the fall. Is he swimming/floating upright? Or leaning to one side?

 

[connorlindeman]

How did you get the fish in the first place? It's illegal to take wildlife out of nature and keep them as a pet in Colorado.

 

[Silvermist80]

How did you get the fish in the first place? It's illegal to take wildlife out of nature and keep them as a pet in Colorado.

It's actually not with Bluegill, it is legal to take them out of the wild and keep alive or dead because they are considered a bait fish. I did my research.

 

[Silvermist80]

Gotcha, probably just a little disoriented because of the fall. Is he swimming/floating upright? Or leaning to one side?

When I first put him back in last night he was on his side. Today he was swimming normal, but hiding in a corner of the tank, so made it hard to see his damaged side at first. So I moved him to a quiet 10 gallon to recover by himself with lots of fake plant cover (I don't do live plants in my hospital tank with potential meds being added) and the light off. He's just chilling out in there. All the other fish in the big tank are fine, so I think it's just his brush with death that caused everything.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

When I first put him back in last night he was on his side. Today he was swimming normal, but hiding in a corner of the tank, so made it hard to see his damaged side at first. So I moved him to a quiet 10 gallon to recover by himself with lots of fake plant cover (I don't do live plants in my hospital tank with potential meds being added) and the light off. He's just chilling out in there. All the other fish in the big tank are fine, so I think it's just his brush with death that caused everything.

That’s good, sounds like he just needs time to chill and recover.

 

[Silvermist80]

That’s good, sounds like he just needs time to chill and recover.

Well... now he's got a patch of white fuzz on his gill, so I think he's got a fungal infection. He's got white growth all over. Time to pull out the salt and/or meds. I've never added salt to Bluegill before though.

 

[connorlindeman]

It's actually not with Bluegill, it is legal to take them out of the wild and keep alive or dead because they are considered a bait fish. I did my research.

Good. Just checking.