Help - Tail Shredded

[DaveyG]

Hi

One of my guppies which had an amazing tail has had it almost completely shredded overnight. He is now at the top of the tank unable to swim.

It now looks like this:

I introduced some female guppies a couple of days ago, 2 of which have already died but no signs of any disease, I put it down to stress.

Water levels are

ammonia: 0
nitrite: 0
nitrate: 20

Please let me know if there is anything I can do! There are about 20 other fish in the tank (200 litres) and I've checked all of their tails and they are all in perfect condition, but I'm worried at the speed this happened.

I have 6 blue tetras, 4 cherry barbs and the rest are mollies/platies/guppies. They have all been in the tank together for a few months now.

Please help if you can

Thanks

 

[glolite]

It looks more like damage than disease. Could he have caught his tail in the filter or something?
Have u got a spare small tank for a hospital tank? I would treat with melafix. If you've only got the main tank then treat the whole lot with melafix, it won't hurt them.

 

[DaveyG]

It looks more like damage than disease. Could he have caught his tail in the filter or something?
Have u got a spare small tank for a hospital tank? I would treat with melafix. If you've only got the main tank then treat the whole lot with melafix, it won't hurt them.

I don't have another tank unfortunately, not spare anyway.

I'll treat them all with melafix.

I'm now very worried - I've just lost another femaile guppy and one of the cherry barbs was upside down attached to the filter intake. I've rescued him now but he doesn't look as if he is going to last long, he can't swim properly. Scrap that, he's just died as well.

None of the fish have any signs of disease on them - nothing abnormal at all so I just don't know what's going on

 

[glolite]

Doesn't sound too good. Possibly the new fish had disease when u got them. Definately treat the whole tank.

 

[DaveyG]

Just remembered I put 2 leopard danio's in there because my LFS put them in with the female guppies as freebies. Will they be stressing everyone out?

 

[WILDER]

Don't bother with melafix you need an internal bacterial med.

Once guppys tails start to rot fast they rarely make it.
Also finrot can be a secondary infection.

Any fish look skinny or bloated.
What does it look like when the fish go to the toilet.

How long did you climatise the new fish for.

 

[DaveyG]

Don't bother with melafix you need an internal bacterial med.

Once guppys tails start to rot fast they rarely make it.
Also finrot can be a secondary infection.

What's an internal bacterial med? Can I use that in the whole tank for all fish? I thought glolite said it wasn't finrot?

Any fish look skinny or bloated.

no

What does it look like when the fish go to the toilet.

normal

How long did you climatise the new fish for.

about 4 hours floating the bag in the tank.

 

[WILDER]

Did you add tank water to the bag.

Anti internal bacteria med by interpet. or myxazin by waterlife.

 

[DaveyG]

Did you add tank water to the bag.

Anti internal bacteria med by interpet. or myxazin by waterlife.

Yeah added a couple of cup fulls every 15 mins or so.

I've got some General Tonic which I'm hoping will help for now. Are you sure it's a disease and not nipping?

Thanks for your help

 

[WILDER]

Tonic are not very good meds.
I would get one of the two meds I suggested.