Help Fast!!!

Paladindjinn · Post by **Paladindjinn** » 25 Jan 2005, 16:49

1 of my 2 iridescent sharks broke my glass heater, and i believe they may have electorcuted themselves, i was told that one was lying on it's side ealier, and now the other one is lying on it's side, while the one i was told was lying on it's side, is now swimming. What should i do?

O and a possibility they they may have swallowed a glass shard.

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 25 Jan 2005, 16:59

I'm not sure what to do about swallowing glass (in fish anyways). I guess you could go to a vet with the fish and they could operate on it, but it's most likely both expesnive and risky, and it may be better to just leave it in there. Try to get all the pieces of glass out of there and piece it back together.

Fish laying on it's side: It may be simply that the water has cooled down from the broken heater and the fish has gone "slow". I've seen this in Ancistrus (bristlenose catfish).

First step would be to rectify the problem: Fit a new heater (and make sure the fish can't break it by adding some sort of protection around the heater).

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Mats

Paladindjinn · Post by **Paladindjinn** » 25 Jan 2005, 17:16

Well there was 2 heaters in the tank, one 150 watt gaurdian, and an older glass one i think 75 watt, the gaurdian didn't seem to keeping the water warm enough for my 46 gallon, and the fish were non responcive, soon as i addded the second one for an couple extra degrees, they livened up and started eating again. I left it like that until last night when the broke the second heater.

I think i got most of the glass, and the shard was just a possibility.

As for the fish being electrocuted, what should i do?

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 25 Jan 2005, 17:25

I've never dealt with electricuted fish, so I don't know. But here's my thoughts "if I was in that situation":

I think you'd be best off just doing the same as with any other fish that's not well: make sure the water is extra fresh, and keep an eye on it. If the fish isn't dead immediately, chances are pretty good that it's going to get better if you keep it in good water.

150w should be sufficient to keep about 46 gallons (175L), but it's almost a watt per liter. It obviously depends on the temp outside the tank too, but I would have thought it would be OK, unless of course it's an unheated room.

I wish you the best of luck, and hope your fish will feel better very soon.

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Mats

Post by **Silurus** » 25 Jan 2005, 17:25

There's not really much you can do. An electric current will immobilize fish, and a strong enough one will kill them (this is the basis of electrofishing). Your fish may have been trying to recover from the shock (which may be why it was lying on its side). There may be neuromuscular damage from the shock, but that is incurable.

PlecoCrazy · Post by **PlecoCrazy** » 25 Jan 2005, 23:27

This doesn't help now but Marineland makes a new heater called the Stealth series that is made of a hard plastic that will not break, has auto shut off when doing water changes and works as good as any Visitherm. Might try one of those next time.

Chrysichthys · Post by **Chrysichthys** » 02 Feb 2005, 15:53

A broken heater will not kill fish by electrocution (or you, if you put your hand in the tank). Iridescent sharks are not a good aquarium fish; they knock themselves unconscious in a panic, and I think that is what happened.

That said, to be on the safe side you should plug your equipment into what is called, in Britain at least, a residual circuit device or RCD. They switch everything off within milliseconds of a short circuit. All hardware stores stock them.