FishProfiles.com Message Forums

Hi there,

I have one male guppy in my tank who used to have a lovely big tail. Two weeks ago I noticed a tiny bit was missing from it and yesterday I noticed that another bit of his tail was missing :-(
I've never seen any attacks taking place and when I bought the fish I was told they would all be ok together.
In my tank I have:

1 male guppy
2 female guppies
2 female platys
10 neon tetras
5 albino glowlight tetras
3 head and tail glowlight tetras


Does anyone have any idea as to who is attacking my guppy?

Thanks,

Vicky

might be fin rot, or he is getting damaged by the filter or something. the tetras i am not good at knowing anything about them, so i couldn't tell ya.

Fin rot sounds like a possibility, but there is the possibility of him getting too close to the filter and getting his tail caught...so the question is, what kind of filter do you have? If it is an HOB then that is your probable culprit, turn the setting down and all will be well again...if it is fin rot, I would expect more of the fish in this tank to be affected...in either case get some melafix and treat the tank for a week. if it is fin rot this will get rid of it, if it is the filter it will repair the damage...One other thing you might want to take a look at is your water parameters? When was the last time you had them checked? What are your current readings? Bad water conditions can also do this to the finnage of fish...heidi

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

Thank you so much for your help! I'm new to fish keeping so need all the advice I can get!
I'm not sure what an HOB filter is...but I guess its one of the power filters that sucks the water in? I have a biorb that uses a chemical filter so theres nothing he could have got stuck in...if it was finrot would he not have white bits in his tail?
I don't know my water parameters, I wouldn't even know how to check them! But the last time I did a partial water change was 10 days ago and the other fish seem healthy. His fin just looks like someone has cut a bit out of it, its not really shredded either, just....cut

What do I have to buy to check the water parameters?
Thanks again for your help!

Vicky

based on personal experience, I'd have to say that it could be the tetras doing it. If there continues to be a problem after trying what the others already suggested (I've tried those methods before, they work if it isn't the tetras doing it), I highly suggest you keep an eye on the tetras. My past ordeals with tetras and any fish with long fins has shown that some tetras tend to be notorious for fin-nipping. One of my friend's neon tetras had the gual to start nipping at his Betta. The outcome was the murder of said tetra at the betta's mouth.

If in fact it is the tetra's my only solution is to separate them. I've never found a way to stop fin-nipping without separation

Welcome to FP!!!

In order to check your water parameters you can either buy a kit at your lfs (local fish store) or just take in a small sample of you water...not even as much as a cup (ziplock bags are great for this) and ask them to check it for you and they should do it free of charge...HOB filter is the type that hangs on the back of the tank, and has an intake tube that is in the water, and the output usually acts like a waterfall putting the water back into the tank...I hesitate to use too many chemicals in a tank, because they are just that chemicals, and there is nothing natural to them...I hope that helps some, let us know...heidi

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle