Mbu Puffer Attacked :( Help Needed Soon

[swaylight]

Hi all,

Ok I've got a 5" Mbu in a 4x2x2 tank. I know he will need a bigger tank eventually and i'm already pricing up some new tanks. Anyway he's in there with 2 catfish a torpedo barb and a checked barb and a figure 8 puffer. (this was rescued from a friends tank after his fin had been nipped.)

He's been in the tank for around 2 weeks now and everything has been fine. I decided to go away for new year for a few days, i've just got back to find my mbu is missing about 3 of his fins. when i say missing the 3 look like they are missing about 80% of his fin I'm really upset that no one in my house has called to tell me and that i've come back home to this. I'm not sure what i can do as his fins look so damaged.

Please please please can someone help me as i really don't want to lose this puffer.

Anything else you need to know please ask away.

Tank stats are

No3 Nitrate - 25
No2 Nitrite - 0
GH Hardness - >21
KH Carbonate - 6
PH Acidity - 7.2
Cl2 Chlorine - 0

in 4 weeks the only change has been the nitrate which has been in the range of 10-25

 

[ZoddyZod]

what catfish are they exactly?

The only current possible culprit is the figure 8 (which will need brackish water), but I'd be surprised if it decided to attack a Mbu. What is the size difference between the two of them?

Also, by the looks of your water test results you appear to be using test strips......these are very innacurate and they also do not test for ammonia, probably the most important thing to be testing for.

 

[swaylight]

i'm not sure what catfish they are excatly. they was in my dads tank and when they got too big (he has a 35L tank) a quick google search brings me to a guess of spotted featherfin catfish (it's brown with black spots)

The size difference between them is...

Figure 8 - 2.5"

Mbu - 5"

I've put in some Interpet - Anti Fungus & Finrot.

Is there anything that is better? Or anything else i can do.

I'm sitting here watching him now, and for the first time today i've seen him swim a little, which has picked me up slightly. But i'm so upset about his fins. he looks really bad. I really want to do something for him as soon as possible.

Yes you are right i'm using test strips as they was given me for christmas. They are the JBL ones.

I'm planning on going to get some medication for him or something to help later today so any suggestions are very welcome.

 

[ZoddyZod]

I would advise against any mediaction unless you are sure there is actually something to be treated. If his fins have been nipped by someone else, plenty of water changes to keep the water in top quality will help to heal them. Medication would only be used to stop secondary infection.

He MAY have an infection on his fins, but it's impossible to tell without pictures. Are you able to post any via photobucket, flikr, etc?

 

[swaylight]

Zoddy Zod thanks for your replies, your the only thing thats keeping me sane at the moment. the mbu keeps hiding at the moment, but soon as he comes back out i'll take some pics and upload them somehow.

So if his fins are just bitten, i won't need to treat with any medication? just more frequent water changes?

 

[ZoddyZod]

no medication will help his fins grow back (if bitten/damaged), they will only prevent infections. Keeping the water top quality will help the fish heal itself.

is there anything else in there that could damage the fins? Sharp rocks, poorly covered powerhead?

 

[swaylight]

there isn't any rocks in, power head is covered, that was the first thing i thought it could be.

Thanks alot Zoddy, He's actually managed to come to the front of the tank to each now too, Which i'm happy about

A friends suggestion melafix? Said it helped with his amazon puffer to grow his nipped tail back, what do you think?

 

[ZoddyZod]

melafix claims to 'promote regrowth', but I'm not sure it actively does anything to aid the growth, just prevents infection setting in.

Someone else may have a different opinion on that though.

 

[swaylight]

Just wanted to say that i've been out and brought some melafix. Took carbon out of filter, and will let this take it's course for the next week. Since some fish have been taken out of his tank, he seems to be moving, can't really call it swimming due to the loss of fins, but he's still eating which is a plus. Thanks alot for your fast response Zoddy.