Neon Dottyback large gash on side

[7five7]

So last night I get home late to find my Neon Dottyback dying with a large gash on his side. I’m trying to figure out what could have possibly caused this and the only thing I could think of is he went into my pistol shrimps burrow and was attacked. Everything I read is that pistol shrimp will usually not kill other fish so I’m a bit confused.

My setup is a waterbox 35.2 AIO that is a little over 2 months old, only live stock is a porcelain crab, wheelers shrimp goby, red pistol shrimp and a small clean up crew consisting of a few snails and 3 small hermits

Has anyone experienced anything like this with a pistol shrimp? I’m hesitant to add anymore live stock until I know they won’t be murdered.

 

[vaguelyreeflike]

Dottybacks do like to wedge themselves in crevices, pistol shrimp won’t usually hunt a fish but if something comes into the burrow, it’s getting shot for sure. A couple shots in the same spot would have opened up the skin, and if the fish was stunned on the ground it may have started picking away at the skin and consuming it. Hermit crabs and emeralds will often also pick at dying fish if they’re laying on the bottom, so that would explain the torn fins as well.

I would get him into a sump or breeder box, and do a nice 50% waterchange on the tank to prevent infection, or put him into a hospital tank with new water and dose methylene blue at 1 drop per gallon for infection prevention.

If you leave him in the tank the cleanup crew will eat him.

 

[Midrats]

Poor guy, something got him good. Neons can definitely hold their own. Usually they are the ones doing the bullying. I hope he pulls through!

 

[Midrats]

Upon closer inspection of the pic that's not looking so good.

 

[7five7]

Unfortunately he didn’t make it past an hour after I found him. It looks like what ever got him severed his spine because he was only able to swim with his two front fins.

I’m just fearful to add any other fish with until I’ve figured out the culprit.