Black phantom tetra

[crookedfish]

My black phantom tetras always seem to have lumps out of their fins. At first I thought it might be fin rot, but treated them for three weeks and they didn't get any better. There is no sign of fin rot with respect to white around the wounds or blood.

They do seem to chase each other around alot and look like they lunge for each other. I have two males and 4 females in a 30ukg tank. I have just added 3 clown loaches to the tank as well.

I this normal? Do I need more tetras?

Cheers

Si

 

[ketyana]

My black phantoms often have lumps missing too, although I never see it happen

In a shoal of 7 black phantoms and 4 rosy tetra (also high finned tetra) there is always at least one you looks like he has been through the wars with split or missing a bit of the top fin, but they repair very very quicky, in about a day or two a split has healed and in about a week a missing bit is repaired.

If it is lasting longer than this you need to think of either that it isnt damage but rather return to thought it is an infection, that there is something in you tank decoration that is damaging them (plastics plants etc) or that the fish is being bullied and maybe you should move it.

The lunging movements dont sound normal in comparision to what I have seen in my fish, the high finned tetras tend to display to each other the pairs (same sex or opposite), in the black pantoms this is a side to side dance both facing the same way, with both fish turning on to their sides at the same time about 3 cm apart then swim a few cm and turn together then repeat for a few mins before one swims off eventually. In the rosy tetras this is a more circling dance ie one facing the others tail but still turning together and leaning to the sides, much like a sail boat cornering at speed.