Hi Sarah, I put a nylon knee high sock over the end of my python
becuase I sucked up one of my pearlscales once. If you have gravel you
will need to remove the nylon to vacuum the gravel but put it back on
while draining the water. My fish had a few little scrapes on her side
but recovered just fine. Keep a close eye on your water quality and
maybe add some aquarium salt or polyaqua to help heal any scratches or
scrapes he/she may have.

Maria