Plant stuck in it's eye

[johnhammond]

I finally move my goldfish into a nice big tank with a few plants and one of the fish goes and gets something stuck in his eye - it's worse than looking after kids!

It seems like something has lodged just behind the eye. Question is - how do I get it out? It kind of looks like it should just pull out, but the fish isn't exactly cooperating. I tried to get a picture, but not much success. I've attached the best one I managed to get.

Any ideas?

PS - Do those couple of spots on the tail look like anything to worry about? They've come and gone a couple of times over the year or so we've had this fish so I've not worried too much about it.

[Dave66]

Use a clean rubber glove; you can get them at drug stores. Usually they have corn starch or talc on them for easy on and off, but rinse one thoroughly under the tap until it's just the rubber.
Wet your gloved hand in the tank, net out the fish, place it in you palm, and hold it gently but firmly with your fingers. In your strong hand, use a pair of tweezers to very, very carefully remove the 'plant'. If there's a wound, very carefully dab a tiny, tiny bit of Neosporin on the wound. That'll prevent fungus from attacking it.

Just tip the fish back into the tank after treatment. It takes a steady hand to do the treatment, but as long as you're careful and quick, the fish tolerate it very well.

Dave

[johnhammond]

Thanks, that seems to have done the trick. Much easier than I thought it would be!

[smaug]

Use a clean rubber glove; you can get them at drug stores. Usually they have corn starch or talc on them for easy on and off, but rinse one thoroughly under the tap until it's just the rubber.
Wet your gloved hand in the tank, net out the fish, place it in you palm, and hold it gently but firmly with your fingers. In your strong hand, use a pair of tweezers to very, very carefully remove the 'plant'. If there's a wound, very carefully dab a tiny, tiny bit of Neosporin on the wound. That'll prevent fungus from attacking it.

Just tip the fish back into the tank after treatment. It takes a steady hand to do the treatment, but as long as you're careful and quick, the fish tolerate it very well.

Dave
I have done similar surgery on my pond fish to clean up a wound or pull off an anchor worm.As Dave stated ,do it quickly and surely.

[cocoa_pleco]

i did that surgery on my red devil. he swalloned a 3" green terror alive and whole, and the green terrors spines caused the carcass to get lodged in the red devils mouth. i tried what dave suggested and it almost worked but the carcass was too far down and the red devil made me always pry open his mouth. he worked the carcass down after 2 days and his mouth healed without any infection

[Gemstone]

i did that surgery on my red devil. he swalloned a 3" green terror alive and whole, and the green terrors spines caused the carcass to get lodged in the red devils mouth. i tried what dave suggested and it almost worked but the carcass was too far down and the red devil made me always pry open his mouth. he worked the carcass down after 2 days and his mouth healed without any infection

please remind me never to get into any fighs with you...OK???...Sounds like you got some major fish there...might just get eaten....

[cocoa_pleco]

lol, the red devil doesnt go after any other fish anymore

[Gayle]

I had to do this too. My moms goldfish swallowed a piece of bright blue gravel. I used tweezers to pull it out, fish was fine.

[Abbeys_Mom]

I had to use tweezers to pull a cat hair out of a guppy fry. It was in it's mouth and out it's butt. The fry made it.

[Gayle]

I had to use tweezers to pull a cat hair out of a guppy fry. It was in it's mouth and out it's butt. The fry made it.


Whoa, thats deep...... LOL

[johnhammond]

His eye is better now, but I think the stress has allowed him to develop ich. Before I dump a bunch of meds in the tank can someone confirm? I think it's pretty obvious, but (touch wood) haven't had many problems with sick fish so am a bit clueless. (Hastily reading the forums now....)

[cocoa_pleco]

yeppers, thats ich. if you can, isolate him and treat it with aquarium salt

[johnhammond]

Thanks. Isolation's not an option so it looks like I'll be treating the whole tank. Which is I think what I'd have to do anyway.

[johnhammond]

Well a couple of days in and he seems to be getting worse. Has a big red patch on his stomach (probably from scratching) and has lost one of his anal fins. Is there anything I can do other than dosing the tank and hoping for the best?

Despite all this he seems to be doing okay. Is eating well, swimming around normally, always pops up to say hello when I go over to the tank. Seems like i just have to wait it out. Anything else I should be doing?

[cocoa_pleco]

red patch sounds like septicemia, which is a almost always fatal disease

[johnhammond]

Jeez - this poor guy cannot cut a break. So the ick wouldn't cause blood steaking in the fins? I'd assumed that was related to the ick. I'm thinking septicemia too now.

So with no quarrantine tank, would my (male) betta hassle my tetras too much if I bumped him into their tank for a week or so so I can use the 5g betta tanks as a hospital for the goldfish??

[cocoa_pleco]

what kind of tetras? i would be more worried about the tetras harrasing the betta

septicemia is nasty, it rips apart the circulatory system and is a common goldfish disease. if hes lethargic, euthuanise him. The disease will eventually get to his heart and its a painful death. sorry you have to deal with the disease, ive had some fish get it and its nasty. ive never had one come out alive but some people have successfully treated it

[johnhammond]

They are albino neons. I have 6 in my 12g.

Here's a recent pic, you can see the blood streaks in the tail, and the mark on his belly. The mark on his belly looks a little bigger, but less red. I'd say he looks better tonight than this afternoon, but maybe thats just because I want him to look better.

I'll check him out in the morning and then decide whether to move him or not. He is still very perky so maybe I'm lucky and it's something else. Or he's got a mild case of it (clutching at straws now I know....)

[cocoa_pleco]

blood streaks in his tail is it too. popeye is also a common secondary infection. keep the water extra clean and hopefully he will make it

[johnhammond]

I'll give that a shot. Thanks! Fingers crossed.

[johnhammond]

Just an update. The ich has cleared, as have the red marks on his belly. He still has blood streaks in his tail but still seems to be doing well. Fingers crossed he is through the worst of it :19:

The only medication I've used is Rid Ich+. I was going to treat with Melafix when I was suspecting septicemia, but decided to give him a nights rest and he seemed to be improving so decided against it. So I'm thinking he is either strong as an Ox and could fight septicemia and Ich at the same time, or maybe it really wasn't septicemia after all. Every web reference I could find pointed at septicemia so who knows!!

He has lost an anal fin. Not entirely sure how, but it is gone right down to his body - looks like there was never one there. Any opinions on whether this will cause any long term problems - or even grow back? He is swimming fine without it and not showing any signs of infection. I'm not planning on worrying or doing anything about it - anyone want to weigh in?!

John

[cocoa_pleco]

if hes a young fish, the fin will probably grow back. if hes a older fish, it may grow back partways or not at all