Where'd his tail go?

[clutterydrawer]

In the space of about 4 hours one of my panda cories has mislaid half his tail. I say in 4 hours cos I was watching them earlier and I think I would've noticed it then if it was there.

My first thought was finrot but it doesn't look ragged, jsut as if someone had taken some scissors and snipped a piece off. Water conditins are fine, ammonia 0ppm, nitrite 0ppm, nitrate 10-ish. the only tankmates are tetras which i doubt could've bitten off that much tail - it's about 5mm of the top "fork" of his tail.

He is doing fine, he can still swim and is eating, I'm jsut wondering if anyone has any ideas? Should I worry? Should i do anything? I jsut don't get where that much tail could've gone ina few hours.

 

[Dwarfs]

As long as it isn't part of the base of the tail (part connecting body and fin) it should grow back

 

[clutterydrawer]

cool Its the tip...I'm just puzzled as to what caused it

 

[Dwarfs]

You've got me on that

 

[bubbs]

The same happened to one of my guppies about 6 weeks ago. no signs of re-growth yet. guppy seems ok otherwise. very strange. let us know if it grows back.

 

[SnowyzMom]

Ahem, my vote is for the tetras. Peaceful fish my aunt fanny in a basket! My daughter had some and while one, her gorgeous whiteskirt, was laid back and kinda regal, she had to remove the others for nipping at other fish's fins and being bullies, including to her whiteskirt. He got on just fine once they were gone and she ended up stocking a friend's tank for her. In my opinion they are more aggressive than you might think. I have those timid little glowlights...hah. They wait to ambush the guppy fry like you would not believe. Nothing timid about them then!

Mind you I don't think a glowlight would do it, too danged tiny. My black tetras are quite fast when they feel like it and the little carnivores just love freeze dried bloodworms so perhaps tetras like live meats when they can get it? Snowy's whiteskirt was dyed blue and the second one, (dyed pink!) was a right bully. Thankfully they both lost that unnatural coloring! I do wish people would leave fish ALONE. Grrrrr.

 

[Jimmy927]

They could just be catching there fins on the gravel what do you use gravel or sand?


James

 

[clutterydrawer]

sand! I switched it just the other day and this is how they thank me

I guess it's possible the could've caught it in some rocks though, there's a pile of pebbles in one corner of the tank. Seems unlikely though. I tend towards th "vicous tetra" hypothesis but for the fact that the missing tail is at least 7x as big as a tetra mouth, and it's been cut off totally straight, not nibbled-looking.

I guess I'll never know! Thanks for all your suggestions though.
Either way, the fish is doing fine and is his usual hyper self

 

[Jimmy927]

do you have eny kind of pump in the tank (ie powerhead)


james

 

[clutterydrawer]

I have an internal Fluval filter but I can't really imagine it being strong enough to damage him, it's sucked in fish occasionally but only ones that were already almost dead. Tailless Wonder is doing well, eating lots of worms and getting fat....mysterious....

 

[Jimmy927]

does the filter have the sponge compartment underneath it?
if it does NOT then his tail could have got caught in the prop and chop.

James

 

[clutterydrawer]

the wha?

the impeller is fully enclosed at the very top, you can't get near it without totally dismantling the filter