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When I was doing my tank check yesterday morning, I noticed that one of my smaller tiger barbs is missing his caudal (back) fin is gone. I know it's from some of the other 8 barbs in the 20 gal tank - especially after I saw a bigger one nip at his little stub.
Anyone know if they can regenerate those fins?

Anyway, he's swiming a little slower, but can still get around & is still eating (I feed on both sides of the tnak at once so the slower ones get a chance). This morning I watch him come out of hiding in a tunnel & he doesn't look like he's been nipped at further, but ya never know.

My problem is that I broke my Iso tank's heater the other day & can't afford to replace it for a few weeks.

So, do I:
leave him be (perhaps put a better little cave for him to hide it) & hope he doesn't get eaten to death
-or-
put him in Iso, knowing that the nights will be way too cold for him w/o a heater
-or-
perform assisted suicide

Anyone have any ideas??

Fish tails are often a little like toenails, they should regrow , even if not perfectly, on the proviso that the tissue at the base of the tail is not severely damaged, its possible that quarantine would help, but I think a breeding net in the existing tank would be better than putting him in an unheated quarantine since the shock may kill him. Barbs can fin nip, even amongst themselves, so a segregation within the tank, at least until the social dynamic has changed or he has recovered a little might be a good idea.

That's a great idea, but I don't have one of those...

Perhaps I could make one. I could cut the sides off one of the small containers I use for tank/fish stuff so that just a frame, of sorts, is left. Using the netting from a few nets, I could attach it to the frame, then using the suction cups, attach it to the side of the tank.

I wonder if the aquarium epoxy would work for attaching the netting to the plastic container.

Good train of thought! Thanks for the inspiration
/:'

Breeding nets are extremely easy to find and some version is sold at just about any place that has fish supplies. It would also probably be cheaper than the cost of the nets you would take apart to make one yourself. Also there are other materials. For a couple bucks a roll of mosquito netting could provide you with all the breeder net material you could ever want or using fishing line to tie together a couple plastic canvas found in any store that sells crafts. Plastic canvas is fairly sturdy and would make a nice box with bigger holes for more water movement than a net. Nets sometimes get a big stagnant compared to the rest of the tank because the holes are made so small to keep fry in.

Last edited by sham at 04-Dec-2005 16:43

Perhaps some aluminium wire and some old ladies tights- thats really cheap!

Well, nice idea, but my wife says she's no old lady & I can't have any of her hose - until they run,

Last edited by Daddy Rick at 05-Dec-2005 15:32

ya or ya could use wire coat hangers and some netting cloth from the cloth store.....

Keep watching the fish too, if its finrot it could spread and the fish will continue to get worse. I dont think a bit of pre-emptive treatment is out of the question. Bit of melafix might be a good compromise.