A fishkeeper saved the life of his Clown loach when he found it close to death after its aquarium was smashed during a break-in at his home.
Brian Craze, from Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales, walked into his house to discover around 50 fish dead on the floor and the glass of his £2,500 aquarium broken, reports the Daily Mail. The burglar, Jason Hibberd, had also smashed televisions and slashed furniture during the break-in.
Mr Craze, who has been keeping fish for more than 30 years, spotted the Clown loach still inside what remained of the tank, laying in less than 2.5cm/1" of water. At first he feared this fish was also dead, but then realised it was just about breathing. He picked it up gave it emergency first aid, gently massaging its body before placing it into another tank where after a few minutes it slowly began to come round. It has since made a full recovery.
Hibberd, who has an extensive criminal record, admitted burglary and was sentenced to seven years in prison.
Why not take out a subscription to Practical Fishkeeping magazine? See our latest subscription offer.
Don't forget that PFK is now available to download on the iPad/iPhone.