Nipped fins?

[xander_chookeypud]

Hey. I've just checked on my fish and have realised that most of my female guppys and couple of my male guppys have chunks missing out of their fins. As its mostly females I have taken a guess that someone is nipping fins and have only been able to put it down to either my male swordtail or another couple of the male guppys? I want to know if this is the case or whether you think its fin rot, so could someone please give me the likeliness that either some of the fish are nipping fins or some of the symptoms of fin rot? Or anything else that could have caused this for that matter...

Thanks Xander

 

[xander_chookeypud]

OK- with fin rot i was wondering if there was any other symptom apart from a nibbled looking fin?!

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Finrot effected fins usually have a slightly dis-colored edging to the affected fin like a white/grey lining and it can do alot of damage overnight, unless you see any aggression between the fish i would put it down to finrot- how many male guppys do you have to your females and also the gender ratios for your other livebearers?

 

[xander_chookeypud]

My guppy gender ratio is 2:1, my swordtail ratio is 2:1 and i have a singular female mollie. Im not seeing any dis-colouring although I dont see a lot of aggression either?!

 

[Annastasia]

Do you have any other fish, besides the Livebearers in the tank? Also, how many exactly of each kind do you have? Like how many Swords, male Guppies...etc.

 

[xander_chookeypud]

I have 12 female guppys, 6 male guppys, 2 female swordtail, 1 male swordtail and a mollie. Hmmm... I have a little shrimp in there also, not sure of its name though. Basically all the swordtails are fine, the mollie is fine but most of the female guppys look "nibbled" and a couple of males do.

 

[Annastasia]

I would bet either the Swordtails or the Molly. Maybe the Male Guppies would be nipping on each other, but it makes no sense for them to be nipping on the females, as usually when they are nipping, they are fighting over females.

My best bet would the the male Swordtail or female Molly , as I have seen both of these fish chasing Guppies before. But who knows. Also, usually aggression will go on at night, so that may be why you don't see it.

 

[xander_chookeypud]

Very true however on first thought my guess would be the male swordtail. He appears much more aggressive although I suppose you're right, anything can be happening overnight. So the obvious solution would be to remove the male swordtail and put him in another tank?

 

[Annastasia]

Well, what other tanks do you have? And what fish do they hold? It's hard to say if it would be better to move the Swordie of the Guppy, because if he's very aggressive, and you move him, he could just start nipping on the other fish.

 

[xander_chookeypud]

Oh right well, at the moment my second tank is a 90 litre but has a permanent glass divide down the middle and so hold 45litres each side. One side has 3 guppy fry in it and the other side has (temporarily might I add) 2 dwarf gouramis and 2 small clown loaches. I know the loaches will grow bigger and I intend on putting them in my bigger tank soon. So I can't really move him, so do i leave him or take him back?

 

[petecrab]

you sure you havent been nipping their fins?!

 

[Annastasia]

Oh right well, at the moment my second tank is a 90 litre but has a permanent glass divide down the middle and so hold 45litres each side. One side has 3 guppy fry in it and the other side has (temporarily might I add) 2 dwarf gouramis and 2 small clown loaches. I know the loaches will grow bigger and I intend on putting them in my bigger tank soon. So I can't really move him, so do i leave him or take him back?

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I'd say your only options would be to either take him back, or move him in with the Gouramis, and take the Loaches out. Maybe give the babies a little less room, and give them a little more room.