I have had plants get destroyed during shipping to the point of only a small sprig surviving, that have been nurse back to become healthy vibrant plants. This has happened with myrio, frogbit and with pennywort or 2 sperate occasions. I'm currently trying it with some Anubias and Java fern
Aquarium saves
Since there is this rather amusing thread going on about Aquarium confessions, I thought I would start a thread to share our best "saves". That can be beating fish, disease, algae, tanks breaking, fish jumping, etc.
I will start with a story from a late friend of mine:
He had a cichlid that jumped out of his aquarium and was out of the tank long enough to have it's body begin to dry out. He saw it still breathing despite it's scales being bone dry, so he put it in the tank and held it upright and moved it with his hands for a while (to help get water through the gills). It apparently lived for years after that event.
I would like to believe that we have as many good saves as we do bad habits/ confessions...
I will start with a story from a late friend of mine:
He had a cichlid that jumped out of his aquarium and was out of the tank long enough to have it's body begin to dry out. He saw it still breathing despite it's scales being bone dry, so he put it in the tank and held it upright and moved it with his hands for a while (to help get water through the gills). It apparently lived for years after that event.
I would like to believe that we have as many good saves as we do bad habits/ confessions...
1 - 8 of 8 Posts
I caught a large crabro named Nibs with a juvenile duboisi named dotcom halfway down it's gullet. I managed to grab him with my hands and proceeded to tug gently on the duboisi's tail...stuck. So I took them out of the tank and of course the crabro freaked out and slipped out of my hands and they fell about 4 feet to the carpet. I don't know if he spit that fish out during the fall or if it was the impact that did it, but he spit it out either way. They're both fine now, I think the crabro's pride was hurt more than anything and the duboisi is too big to fit in his mouth now. Sometimes I think dotcom looks up to me as some kind of hero, but he doesn't know that I'm just a regular aquarist who happened to be at the right place at the right time. He also doesn't know that it's not always the best idea to add juveniles to an established tank. Or that I'm prone to poor decision making. In fact, this could be more of an aquarium mistake than a save, depending on how you look at it.
I caught a large crabro named Nibs with a juvenile duboisi named dotcom halfway down it's gullet. I managed to grab him with my hands and proceeded to tug gently on the duboisi's tail...stuck. So I took them out of the tank and of course the crabro freaked out and slipped out of my hands and they fell about 4 feet to the carpet. I don't know if he spit that fish out during the fall or if it was the impact that did it, but he spit it out either way. They're both fine now, I think the crabro's pride was hurt more than anything and the duboisi is too big to fit in his mouth now. Sometimes I think dotcom looks up to me as some kind of hero, but he doesn't know that I'm just a regular aquarist who happened to be at the right place at the right time. He also doesn't know that it's not always the best idea to add juveniles to an established tank. Or that I'm prone to poor decision making. In fact, this could be more of an aquarium mistake than a save, depending on how you look at it.
I would call it more of a save...
I had bought some plants at my LFS which unbeknownst to me contained a hitchhiking amano shrimp. I was pulling the plants out of the plastic bag as I was walking toward the tank and then spent a few minutes planting. When I was done and walking away from the tank, I fortunately saw the shrimp moving on the floor before stepping on him. Scooped him up and tossed him in the tank. He survived and lived happily ever after.
I tell you now the story of Gracie the Wonder Fish!
Abbey (about 5 years old then) had this big beautiful goldfish named Gracie that lived alone in a 10g tank. We were going on a 2 week vacation, so I setup an auto-feeder a few weeks before to ensure it's operation and did a partial water change and filter maintenance before we left.
When we returned, I scooted in the house to check on Gracie before Abbey came in. I was shocked to find there was only about 2" of water in the tank, with Gracie on the bottom not breathing. (It's a mystery because there was no water on the stand or the floor and the tank was sound - I guess evaporation).
I went back to the garage, almost in tears because I thought I knew how upset she'd be. Surprise #1 was that when I told her Gracie had died, her response was 'Can I get another fish?'.... Then 'I need to say goodbye'.
We came inside for Abbey to say goodbye to Gracie. As she did, as if by some miracle, Surprise #2: suddenly Gracie began breathing and moving! I quickly got her into temperature appropriate water, cleaned and reset-up her tank. She was fine, as if nothing had happened!
I guess she had been in a sort-of suspended animation until our activity 'woke her up'.
Gracie lived for several years after that incident. She's gone now, but was/is always referred to as 'Gracie the Wonder Fish'.
Granted, this is less a 'save' and more a marvel of nature and the will to survive.
Abbey (about 5 years old then) had this big beautiful goldfish named Gracie that lived alone in a 10g tank. We were going on a 2 week vacation, so I setup an auto-feeder a few weeks before to ensure it's operation and did a partial water change and filter maintenance before we left.
When we returned, I scooted in the house to check on Gracie before Abbey came in. I was shocked to find there was only about 2" of water in the tank, with Gracie on the bottom not breathing. (It's a mystery because there was no water on the stand or the floor and the tank was sound - I guess evaporation).
I went back to the garage, almost in tears because I thought I knew how upset she'd be. Surprise #1 was that when I told her Gracie had died, her response was 'Can I get another fish?'.... Then 'I need to say goodbye'.
We came inside for Abbey to say goodbye to Gracie. As she did, as if by some miracle, Surprise #2: suddenly Gracie began breathing and moving! I quickly got her into temperature appropriate water, cleaned and reset-up her tank. She was fine, as if nothing had happened!
I guess she had been in a sort-of suspended animation until our activity 'woke her up'.
Gracie lived for several years after that incident. She's gone now, but was/is always referred to as 'Gracie the Wonder Fish'.
Granted, this is less a 'save' and more a marvel of nature and the will to survive.
I rescued a ripsaw catfish(imagine a 14+" long Raphael type catfish) from a less than desirable home. It had a hole in its side, where I could see bones and the internal organ sac, the flesh had gone away. It was about the size of a dime.
Some melafix, some blackwater extract, quality food, and frequent, heavy water changes, and within a month, it healed up to the point of not even being noticeable by me, let alone someone who never saw the fish before.
Some melafix, some blackwater extract, quality food, and frequent, heavy water changes, and within a month, it healed up to the point of not even being noticeable by me, let alone someone who never saw the fish before.
I had an old 55 gallon with a removed center brace that started coming apart. I was watching tv late at night and I heard a trickle. I noticed my aquarium was leaking so I walked over to see if it was a filter or something but it was the corner seam and it started opening up in front of me and I bodily had to hold it together. My roommate was asleep in the recliner but he's such a deep sleeper I had to whip the cover of my AC70 at his head like a frisbee because he wouldn't wake up. He was real mad for a second until he saw how frantically I was waving for him to come over. He held the tank together as best as possible while I grabbed a cam buckle type tie down from the truck to tighten around it. Then we drained 80 percent of the water down well below the damaged area and I replaced the tank the next day. Big time save.
1 - 8 of 8 Posts
- This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
The Planted Tank Forum
A forum community dedicated to Aquatic tank owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about flora, fauna, health, housing, filters, care, classifieds, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Explore Our Forums
Top Contributors this Month
View All
Kwyet
138 Replies
Creature From The Tank
65 Replies
Goodwood
47 Replies
Recommended Communities
