How to save a lemonpeel?

[aquarookie]

Hi all,

I saw a potentially beautiful lemonpeel angel at an LFS. The trouble is, the fish had a good size sore by its head, and bulges on its side. The price was marked as $30 and when I pointed out the sore, they said "it's not for sale then". But it is being picked on by a large wrasse and who knows what else, and they do not have a quarantine tank (neither do they care). They would not give me the fish nor would they trade it for anything. I didn't particularly want to give them money and promote their less than ideal fish husbandry, but I kinda want to save the poor bugger...

Any thoughts?

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Be sure to never go to the dog pound!

 

[aquarookie]

Oh Gee, that's just where I was gonna go next! :lol: But honestly, I bet whoever works at the dog pound has more humaneness in them than the folks that work at the forementioned LFS.

 

[dailydriven911]

Lemonpeels are beautiful fish but are notorious clam and coral nippers just add with caution if you decide to get it.

 

[ronj]

i have talked my lfs down on sick tangs before.. they know it will die and they don't want a total loss, so a lot of times they will drop the price considerably

 

[aquarookie]

Hmmm... maybe I will try to talk to them again... IF I do get the fish, I am sure it will spend a couple of months in quarantine (provided it lives that long to start with). We'll see...

 

[returnofsid]

There's 2 different opinions on this subject...probably more than 2 actually.

1...buy the fish at a reduced cost and they'll buy another to replace it, which will also get picked on and eventually sold at a reduced cost. The store still makes some money...which continues the cycle.

2. As hard as it is, allow the fish to die in the LFS tank instead of yours. Eventually, the LFS will learn to either not buy this fish or give it appropriate housing to keep it healthy. This way, the store loses money AND hopefully learns the needs of their fish so they can make money in the future and provide healthy tank conditions for their fish.

Up to you.

 

[spongebob lover]

ohh come on girl you know you want that cute little one .
if you got a qt to take care for it, i say go for it and get it healthy, once that's done may be you can start another tank OR you can just sell it to someone who would truthly take good care of him/her

 

[WPH]

Sounds like the lemonpeel has the bends. It doesnt sound like the LFS is at fault for the fish having bulges on it's side. On the other hand a fish in that condition should be kept seperately from other tank mates Harrassing it due to it's injury. The Bulging sides are due to the fish getting the bends which is caused by the diver who caught the fish at (origin) before it was even shipped to the LFS. When Diving Every 33 feet has a pressure increase of one atmosphere. When bringing the fish to the surface it needs to be given the proper decompression time to adjust them for the pressure change. Angel fishes do not decompress well if collected below 33 feet unless the diver has a lot of patience and spends a lot of time doing it. The fish needs to be properly secured to a floating decompression line that has knots tied every six feet of line. It takes 20 minutes to bring up the fish one knot (6 feet) Bringing the fish up too fast is a result of The lemon Peel at the LFS having a bloated stomach (other symptoms could be a bloated or popped eye). Sadly it happens when an inexperienced diver or a diver who just does not care for the fish. There are some divers who do not even use a decompression line and I say it again its SAD!!!. I really frown on divers who use a hypodermic needle. Instead of using a decompression line a hypodermic needle is used to release pressure in the fishes gas bladder through the fishes anus upon ascent. If the lemon peel at the LFS has redness around his anus area. He has developed an infection as well as being bent and the chances of this fish pulling through is slim. It will starve itself to death. This is why you see some really expensive fish out there. The Reason is not because a certain fish species is rare. It is because of the dangers of the diver goes through to get the fish to the surface safely without injuring himself or the fish. For example Im going to use a (Holacanthus arcuatus) This fish is caught a depths of 200+ feet. they are not rare fish in fact at that depth all you see is Black and White Bandit Angelfish everywhere. But you do the math you catch a fish at 200 feet and you only can bring it up to the surface 6 feet every 20 minutes on a decompression line. It literally takes the diver all day to bring up these beautiful fish without harming them, and Presto you have a fish with a $500 price tag at an LFS. Crosshatch triggers are also caught very deep. Anyways I just thought I put in my 2 cents. I hope I didnt bore anyone.....Aloha!!!

 

[aquarookie]

Thanks for all your input, guys and gals. Returnofsid, the two points of view are both ones I've considered, which is why I haven't bought the fish yet... I just wish the LFS was more reasonable about dealing with a fish that is obviously doomed in their tank. Another store had a dying anemone which they gave to me as they knew it wouldn't make it in their tank. Sadly it died minutes after I got it, so it was too late...

WPH, thanks for clarifying the fish price subject, as well as suggesting what's wrong with the fish. By the way, I wasn't saying that it's the store's fault that the fish is sick, I was just saying that they made it clear they'd rather let it die for sure than give it to me or sell it at a discount, and I think it is rather careless of them. Oh well...

 

[WPH]

no worries....I didnt take it the wrong way. I agree with you that atleast the LFS can give or sell the fish to someone who will put a lot of attention to a fish that needs it.....I admire you for wanting to take on that responsibility. I have an orphan tank at home....it seems like I get atleast 1 call a week from people who don't want certain fish anymore so they give them to me..and I try to nurse them back to health and rehome them.....I had a snowflake eel that had a spear head stuck right through its body that I found in a tidepool one night.....6 months later a vuuuualllla.....

Thanks for all your input, guys and gals. Returnofsid, the two points of view are both ones I've considered, which is why I haven't bought the fish yet... I just wish the LFS was more reasonable about dealing with a fish that is obviously doomed in their tank. Another store had a dying anemone which they gave to me as they knew it wouldn't make it in their tank. Sadly it died minutes after I got it, so it was too late...

WPH, thanks for clarifying the fish price subject, as well as suggesting what's wrong with the fish. By the way, I wasn't saying that it's the store's fault that the fish is sick, I was just saying that they made it clear they'd rather let it die for sure than give it to me or sell it at a discount, and I think it is rather careless of them. Oh well...

 

[aquarookie]

Wow, a spear through its body! It looks pretty good now

 

[WPH]

6 Months In An Isolation Tank....salinity .012...20% Water Changes Every Other Day....had To Basicaly Force Feed Him For The First Few Weeks Then He Started Taking The Food On The Stick.....thats When I Knew He Would Be Okay.... HE HAS BEEN MOVED TO A 180 GALLON TANK NOW.....sometimes They Just Have A Strong Will To Live.....right?....aloha!!!

 

[NaH2O]

WPH - thanks so much for describing how fish should be brought up from deep waters! I've often wondered.