Gravid Kuhli got stuck, did not make it. Pic´s off eggs

[wasserscheu]

... I seem to have murphie´s series in my tank (lost here a few months ago, my sewllia male a few weeks ago and my clowns accident a few days ago - I really hope that´s it for a while. The was not young anymore, and she knew the Box very well, that she got stuck in (see picture). It´s a box with various sized and shaped holes. She picked the wrong one, or perhaps underestimated her increased width due to her eggs. I put the box in for gravid females to assist in sqeezing out their eggs...was told that would be helpful, as hardening eggs could kill them...

Does anyone know about how to deal with that, is that really necessary?

also the box was helpful when I put in small quit thin Kuhlis, helped in feeding them...

My question is, wether I could have avoided that accident. She was only stuck for about 2 hours, by the most. That was the time between taking looks at the tank. I do not know for how long she really was in there...

Kuhlis can get stuck everywhere, or is it possible to avoid gaps and slots...?

Here the last picture of here



That indentation was enough to kill here



Regarding the pics of the eggs, I only want to show them via links. It is very interesting how efficiently they are packed and have a nearly hexagon shape, but the pic´s also show the animal punctured and cut open, so if you don´t like to look at this, perhaps unpleasant sight, please do NOT click the following links.

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o143 ... spunct.jpg

even more eggs after opening

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o143 ... cut250.jpg

[mikev]

Sorry for your loss...and thank you for fascinating photos.

I don't know if the squeezing idea makes sense. The females here seem to be able to dispose of the eggs somehow themselves...a fish may be round and green one day and then I see it emptied out with loosened skin... This even happens to the female who is a solo kuhli in her tank.

It is really difficult to imagine kuhli getting stuck... but I lost a couple of barbs this way: when they were smaller, they swap through a passage inside driftwood but as they grew they got stuck in it.

[wasserscheu]

Sorry for your loss...and thank you for fascinating photos.

... This even happens to the female who is a solo kuhli in her tank.

Thank you for sharing your experience, that sounds very interesting. I was also surprised that such a fish gets stuck, the box inside is open and should allow to build up "motion", perhaps she was to old already. I looked very carefully, but could not find any injury in the facial area or below, I don´t think other´s took advantage of her being stuck.

Sorry about the barbs, looks like such things may happen in nature as well... that should make us feel less guilty...

[loachmom]

Thankyou for sharing the picture and the links. The eggs in the second link are a beautiful shade of green.
I'm sorry for what happened to your kuhli; she was a beauty with those dots down her sides.

[Martin Thoene]

Shame about the loss, but at least educational. Thanks for the excellent pictures.

Martin.

[mikev]

Sorry for your loss...and thank you for fascinating photos.

... This even happens to the female who is a solo kuhli in her tank.

Thank you for sharing your experience, that sounds very interesting. I was also surprised that such a fish gets stuck, the box inside is open and should allow to build up "motion", perhaps she was to old already. I looked very carefully, but could not find any injury in the facial area or below, I don´t think other´s took advantage of her being stuck.

I doubt it was too old.... TBH, I have a feeling that the device is unsafe. Putting two rounded stones next to each other will give the animal a safer way to squeeze between them, since most of the body will be on the ground and it can always move up....

Not that it is really needed.

Incidentally, I had to squeeze kuhli out a few times. Not eggs, but air. Sounds bizarre, but this was the only way to keep the animal alive...one very peculiar case.

Sorry about the barbs, looks like such things may happen in nature as well... that should make us feel less guilty...

Oh, I'm certainly guilty, it happened twice and I did not fix the problem. Cannot be easily fixed since a loach lives inside the passage and it does not want to be extracted and I cannot block the package with him inside.

[Mark in Vancouver]

Sad to lose a loach, but very good photos, and good on you for having the will to go that extra step. Bunch of green eggs wasted. Too bad!

[wasserscheu]

I doubt it was too old.... TBH, I have a feeling that the device is unsafe. Putting two rounded stones next to each other will give the animal a safer way to squeeze between them, since most of the body will be on the ground and it can always move up....

Not that it is really needed.

Thanks mike for advice, I´ll open up the holes. I do agree, just a unnecessary risk. I have a friend who uses a pile of round stones, that is indeed smarter, they love that... I did not expect fish to get stuck that much, perhaps something frightened her and she had no time to determine which way out, so it turned out to be trap...

I had to squeeze kuhli out a few times. Not eggs, but air. Sounds bizarre, but this was the only way to keep the animal alive

Another friend... she gave a catfish a tummy massage The cat was unable to keep on groud and was floating already on the surface, ... I was not really expressing much hope for the cat - however she still has it. I saw it a week ago, (invited myself "... need to see your tank ") and the catfish was in great shape - unbelievable... perhaps just air enclosed, as you state above...


@Mark

Bunch of green eggs wasted

... well... I could not just waste them... red neons enjoyed them, I took the time to feed the eggs almost piece by piece, making sure they are swallowed before hidding the ground...

The kuhli was buried in the woods... formal celebration...(I am serious), as a youngster I did not care, I was of the opinion "...I would not care either what happens to my body..." but nowadays, ... I get lots of joy from my little friends... so a funural shows some respect ...

Sewellia male is still in the freezer, In case I decide for an analyse at a university... or in case of questions re their anatomy... (I did not tell my "wedlock-colleague" yet )

[mikev]

I had to squeeze kuhli out a few times. Not eggs, but air. Sounds bizarre, but this was the only way to keep the animal alive

Another friend... she gave a catfish a tummy massage The cat was unable to keep on groud and was floating already on the surface, ... I was not really expressing much hope for the cat - however she still has it. I saw it a week ago, (invited myself "... need to see your tank ") and the catfish was in great shape - unbelievable... perhaps just air enclosed, as you state above...

This is fascinating to know that I was not the only one with this problem.

The full story, incidentally, is this: this particular Kuhli had an earlier nematode infection, and the worms caused serious physical damage, including a cut in his belly, perhaps 5mm long. This did not heal properly, so once every few weeks he somehow absorbed air, possibly through this extra hole. The first time I saw it, he was struggling on the surface, exhausted and unable to come down... I anchored him inside a plant and eventually he expelled the air and was ok. The next time I tried squeezing it: hold it by the neck with one hand and very gently stroke from head to tail. Worked very quickly.
I lost him eventually when he had an air episode while I was not around, but he did outlive the worms by about six months.

[Graeme Robson]

Sorry to hear of your loss.

I would recommend avoiding ornaments in all tanks regarding Loaches.