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Someone in my 55 is attacking my new bleeding heart tetras! When I left for work last night all 7 were fine. When I came home one was half eaten, and 2 were completely missing their tails! I moved the injured into my 20 containing a gentler group of fish. I put in some Nov Aqua, but that is all I have on hand. This morning one more was dead in the 20 and another was missing it's tail in the 55. I have moved all into the 20. What can I do for these poor fish? Will they survive the shock? Should I put in antibiotics? Will the tails grow back? The area around the base of the tails has gone from translucent to white in all cases of tail munching. I have absolutely never had anything like this happen before. Please help.

- Meow -

What other fish do you have in the 55 ?

A bala, an angel, a pictus cat and 3 serpae tetras.

The 3 serpae tetras are the same size as the BH tetras, no one has ever messed with them. I don't know if they get left alone because they are more fiesty or because I have had all of those fish except the catfish together for about 6 years.

I have moved all the BH tetras out of the 55 for now. I just want to try and save the ones that are hurt.

- Meow -

I think that the Pimelodus Pictus is the likely terrorist in your aquarium. It is not a scavenger unless you define "scavenge" as eating tetras. It is a very active predator. The fact that it is the newest addition to the tank also leads to proclaiming it, "Guilty"!

Secondary choices would be the Hyphessobrycon Eques or Serpae tetra. These fish can get nippy if you have fewer than 5 or 6 of the fish. However, you would also see the fins on your angelfish getting munched...

The fins will regrow on your Hyphessobrycon Erythrostigma, Bleeding Heart, tetras, but not if the cat stays in the same aquarium!



__________
"To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research."
researched from Steven Wright

Thanks for the insight Bob. I had wondered about the catfish...

I think I'm going to lose a third tetra. It's been laying upside down for most of the day. I suppose I should have been more specific, when I said their tails were gone I meant they had been chomped completely off. Not just a case of fin nibbling. All these fish have is stubs. They were bit down to the bone. The area closest to the damage went from a pinky translucent color to a whiteish color.

I hope to save the other two that have been snacked on. One has the entire tail missing but seems to be quiet and is holding up. The other only had half the tail eaten, so I definitely think it will be okay. I bought some Melafix and some daphnia. I thought that I had read that daphnia was good for helping medicate fish. Do you just medicate the water and feed the daphnia or do you soak the daphnia in a solution of medicated water?



- Meow -

If you are dealing with an internal infection, you would consider medicating the daphnia. However, you will be medicating to prevent an external infection. In that case, I would medicate the tank.

However, I would not medicate the tank until I felt that it was necessary. Until that time, I would keep the fish in a clean hospital tank and perform large water changes while putting the fish on a week long fast. The large water changes keep the water as clean as possible. The fast reduces waste production from the fish and keeps the water as clean as possible. Clean water reduces the potential for infection.

If you do treat the fish at this time, you do not know what illness to treat. Be patient and use the Melafix. I don't know that it will help but it won't hurt and it will make you feel better.



__________
"To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research."
researched from Steven Wright

Thanks

I need to set up a hospital tank. The problem is that I don't have a third filter running to put on it. Perhaps if I put a new filter on the 20 that I have running now it would be okay? Then I could use the old established filter on the hospital tank. I have had that tank set up for about 6 years so the bacteria in the gravel is very well established. Plus I have some Cycle. Would this work?

I held off on the melafix for now because the Bleeding Hearts are in w/ my glowlights. I don't want to medicate fish that aren't sick. Honestly, I swear by that Nov Aqua stuff. It really seems to help stressed out fish IME. So I have been doing small daily water changes and dosing w/ the Nov Aqua.

I will go get a 10 gallon to use as a hospital tomorrow.

(fingers crossed )

- Meow -

Nevermind

All the tetras that had sustained damage died during the night. I guess the experience of being eaten while alive was a little too much for them. Now there are only two left and one of those has gone into hiding.




I guess I need something larger and/or faster as tankmates for the pictus.

- Meow -