My Ornate Bichir's Hurt!

[Ornate Bichir]

I left my ornate bichir with other bichirs and a few days later, it's pectoral fin is partially hurt and it's tail as well. I immediately separated it into another tank. So, I'm wondering if it's fin and tail will recover back to it's original form. Anyone can answer me?

 

[Tolak]

Fresh water will heal fin injuries better than anything I've found. 50% water changes daily for the first week, every other day the second. A little melafix helps as well.

 

[indigoj]

Bichir are very tough, fins should grow back fine.

I suspect they were just sorting out a pecking order as I have and know many other people do keep several types of bichir together with no problems in the long term.

If you put him back in then expect a bit of scraping again but then watch - as long as none are getting badly injured leave them to it and just keepp the water pristine - likely they will settle down after a day or two. Unless there is a big size difference.

 

[Ornate Bichir]

Perhaps I should change partially to pretty badly. It's pectoral fin are not even visible and does it really help using melafix?

 

[Tolak]

It doesn't hurt, it's a natural product with healing properties. For growing back fins there's no reason to throw chemicals in the tank, and actually the biggest thing is fresh water.

I've never done side by side comparisons, as it's near impossible to get two identical fish injured the same way, and if I've ever had two injured fish experimentation was pretty far down on the list. Most of my experience is with angels, fish caught in between two other fish pairing. There's been situations with a good 2/3 of the fins missing that grew back nicely.

 

[indigoj]

My lapradei bichir lost a fin right down to the bone and it has grown back to about 2/3 of 'normal' and causes no problems.

When I had senegals as 3" babies they tore into each other a fair bit for a week then settled down as best pals. All healled so you couldn't tell they'd been injured.

Melafix is essentially teatree oil for fish helps heal and preven infection.

 

[1411939]

that's why in the bichir's profile, they tell you not to mix them with any other bichirs, or they will fight against each other, u shouldn't need melafix or anything, usually the fins grow back depending on what you are feedomg it and if you keep the water clean, my angelfish usually got its fins torned off, then after 5 days or a week he would grow them all back

 

[indigoj]

Bichir of similar size can be mixed as long as there is plenty of room and hiding places.

 

[Ornate Bichir]

"My lapradei bichir lost a fin right down to the bone and it has grown back to about 2/3 of 'normal' and causes no problems." quoted from IndigoJ

So full heal is impossible?

 

[synodontisjack]

full heal is possible, lapradei have far longer dorsal fins than ornate as well so it should happen faster.

 

[Ornate Bichir]

What about my ornate bichir? Is it's pectoral fin and it's tail fully recover back?