HELP EMERGENCY

[Mustang Boy]

one of my cichlids last night was severely attacked most of his fins are torn apart and his sides are beat up really bad but he is still alive barely and i need to know what i can do to help him get better at the moment i have separated him into a bucket with an air stone be he isnt looking good i need to know what i can do asap

[duke33]

That's a good start. A qt tank would be ideal.

[Rbishop]

What kind of cichlid?

What size tank and what other tankmates and their gender mix?

Water parameters?

[Mustang Boy]

this guy is a lab the aggressor is a rod zebra OB and male from what im told but these guys arent but 2-3in right now they are still juvies

and idk the water parameters yet i just woke up and found him this way

[jm1212]

keep the water in the bucket extremely clean. you will probably need to do water changes at least daily.

[mostlycichlids]

Keep the fish isolated. If you cant afford a qt tank and dont have one get to thew store and get a small rubbermaid tub. You can keep him in there if your room temp is steady you wont need a heater but you will need some type of filter.

I have taken a sponge from a filter before and wrapped it around a air pump stone and thathas worked for me. Keep the water clean. Adding some melafix won't hurt and if he is eating adding some garlic to his food will help to boost his immune system.

[Mustang Boy]

i just got back from the LFS and i picked up some melafix and some stress coat and an isolation box and i have him in that now in my smaller 10gal tank and i added some of the stress coat and melafix to the isolation box

and every few hours im just gonna take the box off the side and dunk it in the tank so that new water gets in it them in just gonna add a little more of each to it after i do that

and once i notice him starting to eat ill start giving him some garlic with his food

[Lady G]

You could also take a couple rocks or whatever out of the tank to add to the QT to help with the bacteria in the new tank. Adding anything from the established tank will help ;)

[Mustang Boy]

Well i just went to go check on him and he was no longer breathing or moving i guess he was just too messed up to survive the whole ordeal

[snoopy65]

Sorry that is tough.