"Tanks" first gill curl massage a success

[Wet Whiskers]

what exactly do you do when you " massage " the gill. just flip it over and rub it down kind of? cause my guy got his when he was smaller

The skin on the inside of the gill cover becomes thick, and, as it gets thicker, the gill starts to curl, exposing the inner tissue. I would suspect that this is due to inflammation that leads to scar tissue, as it is almost a water quality issue. If it is left, it starts to warp the gill plate as well (in which case, surgery is your only option to clear it up). Gently rubbing the thickened tissue (the inside of gill cover) seems to remove a few layers of it, and the gill cover is able to lay back down. Early detection with lots of water changes can reverse this if you catch it before the tissue actually starts to harden.

Water quality needs to be extremely good to keep the now damaged tissue from re-curling or getting infected. Make sure your hands are clean and free of any potential irritants before you do this. I kept broad spectrum antibiotics as well as anti-parasite medication on hand in case there was any breakout of disease after the procedure.

G/L and keep us posted.

 

[dragonsong]

Early detection with lots of water changes can reverse this if you catch it before the tissue actually starts to harden.

This is what happened with my rtc when I first got him, one of the gills was curled and I did 50% water changes for a week and he was cured. He was only just 3" when I did this.

 

[Mosdefenate]

The skin on the inside of the gill cover becomes thick, and, as it gets thicker, the gill starts to curl, exposing the inner tissue. I would suspect that this is due to inflammation that leads to scar tissue, as it is almost a water quality issue. If it is left, it starts to warp the gill plate as well (in which case, surgery is your only option to clear it up). Gently rubbing the thickened tissue (the inside of gill cover) seems to remove a few layers of it, and the gill cover is able to lay back down. Early detection with lots of water changes can reverse this if you catch it before the tissue actually starts to harden.

Water quality needs to be extremely good to keep the now damaged tissue from re-curling or getting infected. Make sure your hands are clean and free of any potential irritants before you do this. I kept broad spectrum antibiotics as well as anti-parasite medication on hand in case there was any breakout of disease after the procedure.

G/L and keep us posted.

thanks for the info. ill keep that in mind. sadly i didnt catch it when he i first got him cause he would always hide out in a cave then as he out grew the cave i noticed it now while hes in my bigger tank ill try to make sure and keep up with the water quality and what not. but i will keep up with this thread before attempting to do the massage myself.

 

[Bgonz]

I'm sorry, I should probably keep my mouth shut but I'm gonna chime in. Putting your fish under using clove oil should only be done in extreme emergency conditions, not weekly or even monthly. You'll do way more harm trying to do good than just leaving the gill alone. You'll stress him out for sure and thats not good. I've had RTC's with gill curl and they survive just fine. It's also my opinion it can not be cured or reversed and happens in the beginning due to water quality issues, mainly ph issues. Again........... This is only my opinion. I've had a few RTC's in my day. Do that little guy a favor and stop the messaging, your doing more harm than good.




jmo...............




bob

 

[haywood]

Bob, I see your point.... to an extent. Just because your fish lived "fine" doesn't mean it wasn't struggling. The fish was not completely sedated and he was outta the water for a minute tops. You say he may get too stressed... he ate within FIVE MINUTES. How stressed could he have been?

 

[Gobrian44]

i named my RTC tank too lol

 

[haywood]

i named my RTC tank too lol

haha nice... my last ones name was Moby. Had to sell him when I went to college. I love these things. I wish I lived in Florida so I could have an in-ground pool with a bunch of them, peacock bass, and arowanas and go snorkling with them.

 

[basstank]

you have a beutiful fish... your a lucky man...

 

[haywood]

me?

 

[Wet Whiskers]

Bob, I see your point.... to an extent. Just because your fish lived "fine" doesn't mean it wasn't struggling. The fish was not completely sedated and he was outta the water for a minute tops. You say he may get too stressed... he ate within FIVE MINUTES. How stressed could he have been?

FYI, I did my TSN in a plastic tub and kept her under water. I'd only massage it for about 15 seconds at a time allowing her to breath in between. She was not sedated for this at all and was extremely cooperative with me.