Pleco Bitten / Roting ? Help Plz

[witse]

Hi I have,
2 Synodontis acanthomias,
6 Platties,
6 Bleading Heart Tetras,
6 X-Ray Tetras,
3 Rams,
1 Butterfly Fish,
1 Blue Crayfish,
3 Clown Loaches
and a Pleco in a 42G tank with good water quality (i have checked)

The other day I looked in the tank and to my horror saw that my Pleco had a sextion of its dorsal fin missing! The section missing is quite large and I dont think that It is down to any kind of finrot as im sure that it has not been that way for long as i bought the fish about 2 weeks ago and im sure it was fine. I have uploaded a crappy picture i have drawn so that you can see what the Pleco look like and maybe give me some advice on how to treat him.

[img=http/img226.imageshack.us/img226/935/damagedfin4dg.th.jpg]

Also it seems that one of my Sydontis acathomias seem to have a small section of its tail missing (about 1/4 of the lower section). I dont think the crayfish is to blame as he is usully very calm and only eats cockles but has attacked a clown loach once cutting him with his claw accross the back but not killing him (healed no scar) but has never showed any aggression to any other fish for around 6 months and is never starved. I suspected that the fish had velvet/slime illness as them looked a little white across the back and were rubbing so I treated them with Interpet no7 and they seem a little better now. After that treatment is finished I am going to Do a 30% waterchange and then treat for a week with Melafix to help the fins regrow. Please if anyone has any advice on how this may have happened and how I may stop such things happening in the future aswell as any advice on treating the fish.

Thanks everyone
Witse

 

[Bloo]

to TFF !
Your plec problem will probably best advise in the emergency section and perhaps one of the mods can move it across there if they see it.
In the mean time - is there any chance of isolating the plec (in a small filtered and heated hospital tank ?)
My guess would be that the blue crayfish was the cause of the injury. Crayfish should not be kept with fish - and as these share the lower section of the tank, you can almost be certain that this is where the injury stemmed from.

It sounds like the nip got infected and you're now sitting with a fish with a fungal infection. You will need some medication and start treatment as soon as possible.

Ah - I just read your stocklist properly and see that your syno's are "Black-Spotted Synodontis" - they reach 12" (and that's in the tank - they are known the grow twice as large in the wild!) and are also know for their aggression - especially when house with their own kind (and you have two)

You will have to make a plan with them and your crayfish if you want to keep a peaceful and happy tank I'm afraid. Stressed and harassed fish are not nice
I further hate to tell you this, but your clown loaches will ideally need a 75 gallon tank as these lovely fish also grow to around 12".

You have a very diverse range of fish their and a very heavily stocked tank that you will need to sort out - either by upgrading to a much larger tank, or rehoming some of your incompatible tank mates.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but wish you the best of luck

 

[smithrc]

IT'll be the cray fish.... nothing else in there will be capable of the damage described - get another tank for him quick

as for treatment - get some antibacterial treatment (we use eSHa products) and treat for a few days - then do a 50% water change to keep the water clean... if needed repeat the treatment as per instructions...

let us know how it goes.

 

[Bloo]

I see from one of your other posts that you are also battling white spot (ICH). This will no doubt be due to stressed cramped conditions and/or bad water quality. Never mix medications (this can be fatal) and remove all traces (with carbon and a water change) before switching meds.
Be very careful what you use with the crayfish - I know nothing about treating them, but do know that certain meds (that are fine for fish) are fatal to crayfish.

What exactly is your ammonia, nitrite and nitrate readings ?

 

[rdd1952]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

As best I can figure, you have about 120" of adult fish in your tank, about triple the normal stock. Unless you are very heavily filtered, at least 400 gph, you are way overstocked. I would imagine all your problems are coming form over stocking, poor water and incompatibility. I too would point a finger at the crawfish for the damage to the pleco. Once the lights go out, they will grab anything that comes buy, especially slow moving fish.