Sailfin Pleck What To Do For The Best

[teaker1s]

hi all, have spent a terrible day sorting out a neglected tank at a seperated couples house.
the filter was practically solid with black goo and nitrates were off the scale.
I've done a 50 % water change and cleaned the filter and hoovered the gravel.

my concern is the plec's sail fin has become damaged, the soft tissue has partially disappeared and the cartilage has erroded a bit-will this grow back with care and treatment or will it be permanantly deformed?

the fish are eating and appart from looking rough nothing looks like it's at deaths door, I put a little aquarium tonic in the water and they are feeding ok.

tomorrow I'll return and do another partial water change and a fin rot treatment

 

[WILDER]

Keep up with the daily water changes, if you have slacked off with maintance smaller ones are better, as you do not want to alter water stats to fast as it will send the fish into shock and stress. good luck.

 

[Trance2006]

Being only 16 I would take a wild guess and say that the catfish will be diformed. Since I have never read anything about cartilige growing back. Just like it is on human beings. If the skin and muscle tissue don't grow back, you might have to induce euthanasia. Also since you can't use aquarium salt you may have some problems finding a medicine to help the fish grow back the tissue.

You cannot use salt on fish like catfish or cories since they are quite sensitive fish when it comes to salt.

 

[teaker1s]

not my tank have posted mine recently and general view on cat fish was they are not affected by low salt levels-I personally never had trouble -only bad in high dose and not mixed when put in tank.

 

[morgan]

Hi, I read a story on the internet where a Pleco jumped out of it's tank. When it was found the person picked it up to dispose of the body and the Pleco moved! The Pleco was damaged by being roughly picked up, it's fins were badly damaged. After some time the fins grew back and the fish recovered. Obviously I don't know if this story is made up or not but I have quoted it before and other people have known of similar recoveries. Hope the fish will be ok and well done for rescuing it.

 

[teaker1s]

thanks-i've done another water change and nitrates test 20 ppm no nitrite or amonia and ph 7. I'm visiting daily and I've agreed to continue until either someone has the fish when they are better or I have room to take the tank