# Attacked Peacock!!!! HELP!!!!



## FishGal0908 (Apr 15, 2012)

I have a 4 year old 12-15cm Peacock that was attacked by a Bumblebee. They grew up together in the same tank and have never had an issue at all. In fact the bumblebee has been the lesser of the two evils for the last 4 years. I introduced 4 new large cichlids of various varieties that were all from the same breeder, same tank. I have had the 4 new fish for about two weeks now and there were no issues until a couple days ago.

I have a 55G tank with 6 large cichlids and 3 very small cichlids which were born into the tank. Never had any water issues in the last 4 years. Only top up H20 with tap water and do a full change once a year. (Please dont focus on the water as I have never had an issue and I know this is NOT the problem)

I started noticing my peacock stuck in plants and upside down under a wood branch thing. Seems like he was getting stuck in weird places. My bumblebee started attacking him in the last couple days, now he has a bunch of injuries.

His side fin by his gill on one side wasnt working for about 24 hours, and part of it was white in color(no abnormal appearance minus color) and he had scrapes/missing scales on either side of his body. At this point I removed everything from the tank minus substrate and put him in a smaller tank inside the 55G. The smaller tank has a mesh lid and I placed it under the filter outflow so he is getting a good water flow and O2 circulation. In the last 24-36 hours or 48-60 hrs post injury his fin started working again but the white "dead" part is now gone. His scrapes have developed a white slime/foamy thing over top and the edges of the wound have a thin red line surrounding them and he is breathing heavily. I put 1tbsp of aquarium salts/5 gallons in the tank and have given him an anti-fungal (turned the H2O green) recommended by the fish people at Pisces Pet Emporium. Now, 12 -18 hours post "partial fin loss" he is on his side/ upside down, and breathing hasnt changed, he is also trying to swim rather than just rest on the ground.

Please help! Is this a waiting game? Is he a gonner? Anything else I can do to help him? I would really hate to lose him as I got in when he was about 1.5cm and have had him in my tank for a long time. Such a beautiful and extremely colorful peacock. "FedEx" purple and orange!!!!


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## Robin (Sep 18, 2002)

Yes, often you do need to wait and see if a beat-up fish is going to recover making sure the injured fish is in perfect water conditions. Ideally you want the fish in a separate tank--much easier to observe and treat and then you don't need to subject your other fish to medications they don't need. They are also at risk if the injured peacock develops Columnaris as this bacterial disease is contagious.

Did the Bumblebee cause the problem or just attack the peacock after it was already injured? It could be one of the new fish but either way it sounds like you need to make some changes in the stocking of your tank. Sometimes adding fish will change the previously peaceful hierarchy of the tank.

Best of luck in healing your fish. Please post back with any additional questions/concerns

Robin


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## FishGal0908 (Apr 15, 2012)

He died yesterday afternoon.

I used a communal fungicide and I didn't have the option for a sick tank as I dont have another heater or filter so made the best of what I had by protecting him in his own unit inside the tank.

And when I said there was no issues with the hierarchy for two weeks prior to the incident, it really was not an issue.

I wont be coming back to this blog, no help. Just information I have already read and already knew. I was looking for additional information, not a critique.


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## Gags (Mar 23, 2012)

No one is critique you and robin helped in way he can.Everyone learns from mistake.


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## Robin (Sep 18, 2002)

Sorry for the loss of your fish. There may have been internal injuries, which you couldn't have done anything about and any fish with open wounds is prone to infection and if the right bacteria gets in there the fish can die in a matter of hours. It sounds like you did your best to save him. Again, sorry for your loss. 

Robin


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## brotherluv (Jan 31, 2012)

Personally I think anyone who doesn't have a sick tank available in times like this shoud not have fish in the first place...It's as important as proper research, and stocking as far as I'm concerned...Just my humble which could be construed as harsh opinion.


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