I have an established 5 gallon tank with three small cory cats and two small algae eaters. Everything has been stable for many months. Today I came home and one of the catfish was missing a tail. I have two issues.... 1) What caused this? 2) What should I do? He seems strong and otherwise healthy, but is pitiful when laying on his side. Should I send him to an icebath or try to treat him?
Cory Cat - No Tail!
- Thread starter mollyb615
- Start date
LauraFrog
Fish Gatherer
When you say 'everything is stable' do you mean that you've checked the water stats (ammonia/nitrite/nitrate) and they're fine?
Is there any tail fin left at all? If there's some fin left, if you treat the cause the fin will slowly regrow. If the damage has taken some of the flesh from where the fin grows out, there's no hope for him. If he can't swim without his tail (lying on his side sounds very uncomfortable) I would euthanise him personally.
If there is some fin left, what do the edges look like? Black, white, red or ragged edges may be finrot. This can be bacterial or fungal, either way it might be treatable. Are there any signs of white patches on the body or mouth, a slimy coating on the body, or any other spots, patches etc? Red or inflamed looking gills, mouth or skin? Any damage at all on the other fins?
Cories and algae eaters are peaceful fish and if they've lived together for months there's no reason why they should suddenly turn on their tankmate. Is there anything sharp he could have torn it on or any way that a bird (or an inquisitive cat or dog) could have gotten at the tank?
Is there any tail fin left at all? If there's some fin left, if you treat the cause the fin will slowly regrow. If the damage has taken some of the flesh from where the fin grows out, there's no hope for him. If he can't swim without his tail (lying on his side sounds very uncomfortable) I would euthanise him personally.
If there is some fin left, what do the edges look like? Black, white, red or ragged edges may be finrot. This can be bacterial or fungal, either way it might be treatable. Are there any signs of white patches on the body or mouth, a slimy coating on the body, or any other spots, patches etc? Red or inflamed looking gills, mouth or skin? Any damage at all on the other fins?
Cories and algae eaters are peaceful fish and if they've lived together for months there's no reason why they should suddenly turn on their tankmate. Is there anything sharp he could have torn it on or any way that a bird (or an inquisitive cat or dog) could have gotten at the tank?
Hawkins
Fish Herder
this happened to my Julii catfish!
it was lying on its side, and when it tried to swim, just kept swimming in spirals
i put it in a hospital tank at 10:30am and it didn't die until the next morning..
slow and painful death, i guess
it was lying on its side, and when it tried to swim, just kept swimming in spirals
i put it in a hospital tank at 10:30am and it didn't die until the next morning..
slow and painful death, i guess
Thank you for the great info. I enjoy the satisfaction of nursing something back to health, but (more info than you want) my Mom died last month and I'm still an emotional wreck. The long battle ahead may have been worse for me than him, so he took the ice bath this morning and he'll have a funeral in the flower garden soon.
Again... thanks for sharing your knowledge!
Molly
Again... thanks for sharing your knowledge!
Molly
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