Shark Trouble

[JesseJ]

When I got up this morning I noticed my bala was not moving much. It didn't look like he was in trouble but he was a lot less active then normal. Then he turned around :eek: . His right gill was whiter then normal, almost transpearent (sp?) and the same thing on the side and tip of his nose. his right side had a big kind of rough looking area with small scraps of flesh hanging down. This had to have happened at some point in the last 12 hours cause he was fine when I went to sleep. From what I can see I think that one of my plecs attacked him and he ran right into the side of the tank. I know plecs will do that to slower fish like discus but I didn't think it would happen to a bala.

What do you guys think? maybe?

Tank Specs:

50 G

Equipment:
Fluval 304
Ebo-Jager 250W
Elite 801 Air pump
DIY CO2 2L Bottle
Twin Tube 48" Fluorescent Lighting

Plants:
1 12" Amazon Sword
2 Hygrophilia
1 Crypt. Wentii
2-3 small Java Fern
floating clumps of Water Sprite and red Ludwigia

Fish:
4 Bala Sharks (1 5.5", 3 4")
2 Sailfin Plecos (10")
2 Columbian Sharks (4")
1 Red Tailed Black Shark (3")
2 Siamese Algae Eaters (4.5", 4")
5 Boesmani Rainbows (3")
2 Turquiose Rainbows (3")
4 Congo Tetras (3.5")
8 Red Swordtails (2.5")

[travelinman1969]

I highly doubt it's the pleco. My plecos could be at a full sprint and I don't think they could catch my bala. He probably got into it with another bala and ran into something. It happens.

If you can quarantine him, do it. Add some melafix and he should be okay. Don't panic, he'll be fine.

[JesseJ]

thanks for trying travelinman but I found him dead on the bottem of my tank about 10 min ago. sigh....

with small schooling fish it's not so bad but it's really depressing when bigger fish die.

[travelinman1969]

Sorry to hear that. Boy he must have really been truckin when he hit whatever it was he hit to get that much damage and die.