My guppy has lost his tail..........

[campion]

I am having lots of troubles with guppies.

My Green Moss Barbs have managed to belt the living daylights out of a few new guppies that we intoduced to the tank.
They just pick on one and give it hell, and leave the others alone.


So far things have settled down very well. all are living in a happy fish tank..BUT....... one little guppy has lost his tail.
All the long colorfull tail fin has gone and its just a stump. It is still swimming but it always near the surface.

Have the moss babrbs nibbled his tail away, or has something else happend?


TIA.

residence of my 85L tank
4 mollies
4 moss barbs
6 tiger barbs (2 large, 4 small)
4 black neons
4 guppies
1 platty

 

[Angry_Platy]

I am guessing that since you have noticed it before, your barbs have eaten the guppies fins....long-finned fish aren't compatible with nippy fish like barbs.

SUGGESTIONS....add some salt to the water to help the healing....possibly some stress coat

Remove the guppies and put them in a tank on their own with salt until the tail damage heals

Remove the barbs and put them in a tank of their own

If you can't have another tank, I would check if your LFS would trade in the barbs for some other fish....IMHO, barbs aren't comaptible with a lot of fish and will restrict the choices of future tankmates for the other placid fish you have

Your main problem now is to treat the guppies damage.....chances are that there will allready be an infection which you need to treat straight away.....you need aquarium salt from your LFS (not regular tbe salt as it contains additives which are bad for fish)...add this in the does indicated on the container. IF there has been no improvement within 3 days I would add a general purpose remedy such as Bactonex (available in Australia, I too am an Ozzie)...or alternatively you might like to use this in conjunction with the salt before waiting......

Whatever the case the guppies have to be separated from the barbs somehow....

HTH

 

[Phorte]

Great reply, Chooklet!

Just adding my little experience. I too have been told that barbs are all fin nippers so my tiger barb's terrorised all my guppies back when I used to have a few. I ended up separating them...

 

[puppyjess123]

Just a tip - I've heard when your introducing new fish change some plants and ornaments around it makes them think that the place isn't completely theirs anymore. If u tihnk i'm talking a load of rubbish i might be not sure just read it on a website.