Canister filter carnage! Help!

[Duskfire Discus]

One of my blue diamonds in my grow out tank swam super fast after a bloodworm headed towards the canister filter intake, and got caught in it.
The guard had fallen off of it, and I didn't bother putting it back on and disrupting their feeding. The intake is only about an inch in diamitor, but he managed to get his head stuck in it. I immediately turned it off, but the was still stuck. I removed him but he seemed dead, I took him out and examined him and he started twitching, I put him in my QT tank with a double dose of stress coat. But having looked at his face its very very red. and one of his eyes is slightly puffy. He seems to want to swim around, but can only move his front fins, and lies near the top of the tank on his side.
What should I do? Try to medicate and heal him up in my QT (currently cycled but empty) put him back in the grow out with my other 4 discus, or put him down?
The last one will be the hardest for me to do, as he's my favorite. Always acting so much bigger then his size. (he's the smallest) and I'm not too concerned with having a 1 eye blind discus in my show tank. Makes a good story. But only if that story doesn't involve huge amounts of suffering. He seems to be swimming better, even by now almost upright.

[Duskfire Discus]

Update: It's been another 5-10 minutes and he's able to stay vertically level, but still swims with his face almost out of the water. Not sure what to do, don't want him in pain but also don't want to cut his life short, if he's making improvements. Any advice? More stress coat? Malafix? Leave him be? Kill him?
Someone say something!

[Bill63SG]

Let him be,no meds,and see how he is in the morning.Dont know how your qt tank is set up,but turn down the airstone so he dosent have to fight any current.

[Bill63SG]

If he still seems to swim with his face almost out of the water tommorrow,Id say his swim bladder is damaged,and would put him down.

[Duskfire Discus]

That's what I was thinking, I turned off the filters on the QT and left an air-stone on.

Thanks for the reply

[Bill63SG]

For future reference,You can get by with a sponge filter on a qt tank,easier to deal with.Hope it works out.

[Duskfire Discus]

Yeah I have 26 of them coming in the mail. One for the QT

[kareen]

if it is his swimbladder put him in a tank with some salt

[Duskfire Discus]

if it is his swimbladder put him in a tank with some salt

Would that be Epson salt, aquarium salt, or sea salt? And what would be the reason?

[Duskfire Discus]

Update: He's back in the grow out tank, having mastered the art of balancing upright again. He seems happier with his friends, but his face is super red still. Any idea what's causing it? Do fish bruise?

[Bill63SG]

Yes fish bruise,and I woul have waited until morning.Its injured,and you keep putting it from tank to tank.If your going to ask for advice,try to follow it.

[Duskfire Discus]

My QT tank is inadequate, only 5 gallons. My tanks are still in storage from a recent move. I do appreciate the advice.

He's doing well, face still red, and gills a bit red, but he's having no problem controlling his buoyancy, and tried to eat a bit with his buds this morning.

[Rudustin]

I would have waited as well.
Yes fish bruise,and I woul have waited until morning.Its injured,and you keep putting it from tank to tank.If your going to ask for advice,try to follow it.

[Duskfire Discus]

Update, he's all healed up

[Bill63SG]

Good to hear.