Tank birthday, 47+ years

[Paul B]

Better than being run over by a school bus,,,Twice.

 

[atoll]

That's a shame Paul, I wonder if it has anything to do with the fish being constipated preventing the eggs being released, Have you noticed any signs of constipation in the fish at all?

 

[Paul B]

Yes, look at the female here with the swollen belly. She laid eggs after this but she used to get so pregnant that she would "leak" eggs so I know she was having some female internal problem and she didn't have an OBGYN that took her insurance so it is what it is. This sometimes happens to fish that spawn all the time, guppies get this also but for a slightly different reason because they are livebearers. If a pre born baby died, they would infect the entire batch. Fish need a few more years of evolution because they have a few design flaws.

 

[mcarroll]

I'd pay to have someone there with a video camera on your work while you do one of these autopsy's.

Something everyone should probably do with every fish that passes in their care. Personally I'd have no idea where to start though – Ebay for a scalpel....then?

(Nomoneyemptythreat. )

But wow, i'm a little surprised that there really are some guides out there already:
Performing a Fish Autopsy/Necropsy
Fish Necropsy - AC Tropical Fish
Fish autopsy - YouTube

 

[Paul B]

The fish is already dead and I eat fish every day so it's no problem. But everyone should at least look inside their gills with a low power magnifier instead of making a thread like: My fish died, Please tell me why, it was a blue fish. Then everyone comes up with these reasons. Like really

Unless it was run over by a school bus, you need to give more information.
A coroner was once asked in court, "How many autopsies have you performed on dead people?"
His answer was, "All the autopsies I performed were on dead people"

 

[Chasmodes]

His answer was, "All the autopsies I performed were on dead people"

A smart *** answer for that judge could be 2,843 out of 2,844 were performed on dead people , if the coroner had the gumption to risk contempt of court

 

[Paul B]

I am going to take down my worm tank because of the move. I have so many white worms now that I can use them for a while. I will set up the black worms in the new place if I have a reliable source for them. I wil also make another white worm tank as they grow very fast and are easier to take care of at least until I re build my workshop which will probably take a year or two.
I ordered red wood for my new stand. Redwood warps the least out of the lumber except for cedar which is very weak. The legs will be pressure treated 4X4s.

 

[ramona]

Paul, how would you release the pressure behind the eyes in popeyes fish? If think you mentioned in an earlier post, I can't find it.

 

[Paul B]

Thats easy. First check if the fishes insurance covers it.
Put the fish in a net just on top of the water. Take a small hypodermic needle and make sure the plunger is all the way in. Stick the needle just in the stretched membrane near the top of the eye. Don't go in to far although there are no organs in there but the optic nerve is in the middle of the eye. The bone will prevent you from going into the brain but you want to just pierce the membrane. Pull back on the plunger and the eye will go right back where it is supposed to be. If it doesn't go all the way in, do it again the next day, don't keep poking the fish.
If air comes out, don't worry about it.
If fluid comes out also don't worry but that means an infection and you may need to get a little injectable antibiotic. If you can't get it, don't worry, it will probably still go away.
If you can get injectible antibiotic. After you get the fluid out. inject a little antibiotic in the same spot, just enough to protrude the eye. then suck it out. The fish will thank you.

People tell me thats cruel. If your eye was hanging out so that you could see forward and backwards at the same time and your friends run away yelling MONSTER and I said I could cure you in 3 seconds with no pain, what would you do?

I doubt you would say " Oh No leave my eye like that, I could get on the cover of Weird Eye Weekly Magazine or star in a Monster flick"

There's pictures of it in my book, but you don't need it because I just explained it just the way it is so make believe there is a picture of a fish here.

 

[ramona]

Thanks a lot for details, the technique makes sense. Looks to me that, besides the skills of an electrician a reefer needs skills of a surgeon. I hope I won't need to apply it, as I do enjoy my morning coffee.

 

[Paul B]

I hope not also, but you asked.

 

[ramona]

I was quite curious. I have to get the book.

 

[Paul B]

I read it a few times and liked it. I did disagree with a few things though.

 

[fishybizzness]

Just came in the mail today! And the journey to my 40 year old aquarium begins!!

 

[Paul B]

Wow, that Jiboni on the cover is funny looking.

 

[Paul B]

That picture was supposed to be a joke. I put my camera inside my tank and took the picture of me outside the tank. The publisher loved it.

 

[fishybizzness]

Im sure it will be a great read! I am looking forward to learning alot on this journey. If I ever do stop learning, I feel that that will be my cue to retire from it. Hopefully I never get to that point!

 

[Paul B]

You mean you didn't finish it yet!
I am at the point where I am forgetting all I knew. That's why I wrote the book. So when I am in my stupor in a nursing home, I can brush up on some things.

Before you read that, look up the definition of "Avant-Garde.

 

[Paul B]

My wife is great. I see a lot of posts where men have trouble buying things because their wife has other plans, but so far, in 45 or so years, my wife has never said anything about what I spend on the tank or even my collection of Speedo's.

She even bought me many of the fish, pumps, ozonizers and other things and her Mother (rest in peace) bought me the tank. Of course we are moving soon and need to rent a tractor trailer to move her shoes.
Maybe she has a boy friend

 

[fishybizzness]

You mean you didn't finish it yet! [emoji14]
I am at the point where I am forgetting all I knew. That's why I wrote the book. So when I am in my stupor in a nursing home, I can brush up on some things.

Before you read that, look up the definition of "Avant-Garde.

Already did. It was definitely a good choice for a book written by you.