help please, damage occuring

[Cavafish]

I'll attempt to keep this short and sweet;

I have 4 clown loaches (1½"-2"each) and 1 angelicus plec (3").

They all have adopted the same piece of bogwood as a home but it only has 1 hiding place and this is rather small for them all now. I have recently (Monday) coated a piece of pipe in gravel and placed this in the tank with a few plants around to try to give them somewhere else to go but none of them hav taken it up.

The real trouble is that the clowns are damaging each others tails as they try to bully thier way into the single hole in the bogwood. I thought of making the hole in the bogwood bigger for them but they are only ever out and about in the tank in the mornings (lights are still off in the tank) and the plec is in there then.

I need help with this one as one clown has a very ragged tail now and I just noticed that another is now damaged and THEY ARE DOING THIS TO EACH OTHER!




any suggestions???

 

[Dubby]

Simply remove the bogwood for a couple of days. I am sure they will then start using the pipe. You can then reintroduce the bogwood.

 

[Cavafish]

Thanks Dubby but there is hardly ever a time when there are no fish hiding in the wood. They are impossible to remove as the plec sticks like velcro and the clown loaches are buried up to thier tails inside their woody cave.

I think I am going to make it a mission to get them all out and then do as you say and remove the wood or turn it over and block the hole with gravel.

 

[Dubby]

If you lift the wood out of the water for a short while, I dont think they will want to stay in there for long

All the best

 

[Cavafish]

Okay. I got the wood out. Phew. I'm now busy making another piece of pipe up for them to give some choice but now need advice on the damaged tails - there are two injured clowns now.

Options:

1) Just leave it and see what happens
2) Treat the two individuals

Q. Treat them with what for what I don't want to add chemicals for no reason but then I do want to do the best/right thing. Aaaargh.

 

[Dubby]

If the fins heal themselves then thats best. Othewise you could try medication like Melafix. Its supposed help repair damaged fins etc.

 

[a1wonder]

I personally second Dubby comment Melafix it works great for prevent infection in thoughs raggy fins