Cardinal Tetra - Tail Injury Help

[N M Oakley]

One of my Cardinal tetras has somehow managed to loose the top half of its tail fin and about 1mm of bone (spine?) is now visible. It looks awful but the fish does not appear to be distressed. It is shoaling around with its mates and eating but I am concerend that I should be doing something.

Does anyone have any suggestions - can it heal or is it likely to get worse and the fish may suffer.

Many thanks........

 

[tttnjfttt]

what do the edges of this open sore look like?

Also, how big is the tank, what other fish are in it, and what are the water stats (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH?)

 

[N M Oakley]

It is not a sore it is either a bite or fight injury - and they had to be relocated on Wednesday night due to a leak in their old aquarium (all the fish lived together and got moved all at once to a slightly larger home). It may have been inflicted by me during the move.

They share their 220 litre tank with
clown (x3) and polkadot (x2) loaches all less than 3 inches long,
cuckoo synodontis (x3) less than 4 inches long,
cloud mountain minnow (x6),
common pleco - small (3 inches long),
zebra danios (x2) small,
peppered corydoras (x2)

No water stats sorry - I am a dreaded newbie. I have kept my fish for a year so far and they got a bit of ich in the first week but nothing else has happened apart from my tank getting a leak.

So I have not really got too hung up on the whole water stats business. I take sample for testing to the fish shop each month but he just takes my pound and says it is fine. Should I be doing more or panicing?

 

[WILDER]

Could be the common pleco, i would add some melafix for now, good luck.
Get water tested quickly as the fish need tip top water quality to heal.

 

[N M Oakley]

Could be the common pleco, i would add some melafix for now, good luck.

Many thanks - I will get some Melafix tomorrow first thing and I will keep my eye on the pleco.

 

[WILDER]

http/www.aquatics-online.co.uk/listsecti...tp=122&rets=262

The master kit is a bargain.

 

[tttnjfttt]

I agree about the pleco. I also second the melafix, its kinda like a cross between a liquid bandaid and liquid neosporin. watch out for signs of infection, such as the edges of teh sore turning red, white, or black.

You say you are a newbie, how long has your tank been up and running for? Are you familiar with the cycling process? Also, your fish are still small, but eventually you will need a much larger tank, as some of your fish will grow to be very large and at adult size your tank will be over stocked.

a test kit is really a must for newbies

 

[morgan]

Hi, are Common Plecos known for attacking fish? I know they don't like their own kind that's why my Pleco will be the only Pleco. I have a 12" Common Pleco, 9 Mollies and loads of fry of varying sizes and 10 Cardinal Tetras. I have never seen my Pleco attack anything. All he does is barge the other fish out of the way when I put the catfish pellets and wafers in. He never actually makes contact he just rushes in and they move (they have their own food at the surface). Perhaps they get quarrelsome if they are not in a large enough tank? Mine are in a 300 litre (65UKgals). PS Sorry I have since checked your post and see that the Pleco is 3". I was just trying to think it through. I am sorry for your fish but also thinking if my Pleco is about to turn nasty!

 

[N M Oakley]

I agree about the pleco. I also second the melafix, its kinda like a cross between a liquid bandaid and liquid neosporin. watch out for signs of infection, such as the edges of teh sore turning red, white, or black.

You say you are a newbie, how long has your tank been up and running for? Are you familiar with the cycling process? Also, your fish are still small, but eventually you will need a much larger tank, as some of your fish will grow to be very large and at adult size your tank will be over stocked.

a test kit is really a must for newbies

I bought some melafix today and the tetra is looking completely happy and eating flakes - which I am very happy about. The edges of the wound are red, but it is pigmentation, generally the wound is looking very neat and tidy.

My pleco is actually a bit of a wimp, usually hiding away but who knows what it gets up to when the lights are out.

I am a bit phased by your comment that I will need a bigger tank than 220 litres as I have only just upsized and the fish look very small and I was thinking that I should get some more. I know my pleco will get much bigger (although I have had him for a year and he is still only 2.5 inches long) - a friend thinks he may be some other type and that he may only grow to 4 inches. However, I acccept that my loaches should get much bigger (although I have had them for year as well and they are still small).

I am concerend that I may have misunderstood about my Cuckoo synodontis - they were about 1.5 inches long at Christmas and now they are 4.5 inches long and they are dwarfing my other fish. I was told that they only reach 5 inches long but that does not appear to be true. I would appreciate if you could suggest how big a tank I may need for the fish I currently have in the long run.

I will buy a super test kit tomorrow too and stop relying on my fish shop owner (who also sold me the synodontis - maybe he can rehome the mini-monsters?)

And finally I was hoping to introduce a golden nugget plec - will it fight with my existing plec and am I just asking for trouble or will it be okay?