Hi all!
I just went to go check on my fish and found my Red Empress cichlid jammed into a hole much too small for it. I tried to very gently remove him (which he obviously was not a fan of). I realized quickly that it wasn't going to work and actually had to break apart the ornament very carefully around his head so I could get him out.
I am not sure how long he was stuck in there (I did spot him swimming freely this morning) but it was long enough for him to damage himself quite a bit. He has lost all the scales just behind his head, his pectoral fins are a bit shredded, he's got scratches over his face, a few lost scales on the back left dorsal area and his eyes are scratched. He's not bleeding but I am worried and have no idea what I should do.
I have an 80 gallon mixed tank (mainly cichlids) there are 17 other fish in the tank with him. Any advice you could give me would be greatly appreciated. I have attached the best photo's I could get of him after he was freed.
I just went to go check on my fish and found my Red Empress cichlid jammed into a hole much too small for it. I tried to very gently remove him (which he obviously was not a fan of). I realized quickly that it wasn't going to work and actually had to break apart the ornament very carefully around his head so I could get him out.
I am not sure how long he was stuck in there (I did spot him swimming freely this morning) but it was long enough for him to damage himself quite a bit. He has lost all the scales just behind his head, his pectoral fins are a bit shredded, he's got scratches over his face, a few lost scales on the back left dorsal area and his eyes are scratched. He's not bleeding but I am worried and have no idea what I should do.
I have an 80 gallon mixed tank (mainly cichlids) there are 17 other fish in the tank with him. Any advice you could give me would be greatly appreciated. I have attached the best photo's I could get of him after he was freed.
