ropefish

Question
hi,
i got my first fish tank about two weeks ago. i've had two crawfish in there by them selves since i set it up. i purchased a rope fish yesterday and it was in good condition. it was swimming around in the bag alright. but this morning i recognixed that its left eye was white and there was white fungus looking stuff on the left side of its head. i also niticed a red spot around its throat. i saw the big crawfish trying to grab it so i took the crawfish out. now the rope fish seems to not be able to move it's left fin. it was a long drive from the pet store, about an hour. could this be shock from the ride, infection from the crawfish or something else? And what should i do? get a cure for it or just wait till it passes?

Answer
Hey Raven,

It sounds like a combination of a bacterial infection and physical damage from the crawfish. I'd pick up a stress reducer and an anti bacterial and begin treating right away, and tell the fish store that the fish you purchased is sick, and see if they'll discount the meds.

My guess is, based on the severity of the situation, the fish was already ill, and the supreme stress of the one hour in a bag trip freaked him out to the brink of death. I dont want to sound too down on you here, but i forsee a trip to the petstore for an exchange / refund on the fish in a couple days.

Sorry to hear about your fish! hope things work out for you. best wishes.