Frayed fins

Hi my pearl gourami has developed a frayed tail.
It looks slightly tatty but not discoloured.
I noticed yesterday she is occasionally flicking.
Tank size 132 litres 3 foot long lives with
5 black neons
3 albino Cory cats
1 gold spot pleco 5 inches long at minute
0 ammonia
0 nitrites
20 or 30 nitrates
6.5 - 7 ph
Water changes 24 - 30 litres approx twice a week
Could this be fin rot ? If so I don’t understand how this happened. Any advice welcomed

Maybe the tetras are nipping at her?

I’d say something is nipping but I’d watch for fin rot I’d Use disease clear that also repairs damaged fins to be safe

FishFinatic77 said:

Maybe the tetras are nipping at her?

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Thank you for your reply. Possibly they are but do black neons nip? I thought these weren’t nippers.

Guyb93 said:

I’d say something is nipping but I’d watch for fin rot I’d Use disease clear that also repairs damaged fins to be safe

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Thank you for your reply I haven’t heard of disease clear can you buy it in UK. Also could I apply it to my tank or would I have to isolate her?

The black neon also known as black widow and black skirted tetra are known to be fin nippers.

Susietwig said:

Thank you for your reply I haven’t heard of disease clear can you buy it in UK. Also could I apply it to my tank or would I have to isolate her?

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Yes you can buy in the uk I’m in West Midlands and my local pet store sells it I don’t like using medicine would rather go natural but iv used this and had positive effect

I don't see anything in the pic that suggests infection. Plenty of clean water and it should heal itself without mediciation. If she is being nipped yoou may need to separate her from the nipper(s).

Retired Viking said:

The black neon also known as black widow and black skirted tetra are known to be fin nippers.

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Think she means these guys, not black skirts

Retired Viking said:

The black neon also known as black widow and black skirted tetra are known to be fin nippers.

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AdoraBelle Dearheart said:

Think she means these guys, not black skirts
View attachment 112077

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Yeah black neons aren't skirt tetras. Ive found them to be very peaceful and don't bother anyone, but every fish is different.

I would increase water changes to 50% or more each week, instead of the small percentage you are currently doing. Get the nitrates as low as possible, 30 is a bit too high and could be agitating your fish.

I concur with members who said to monitor and not use any "treatment." I cannot see any benefit to using the "Disease Clear" and such additives will impact fish negatively so best forgotten.

Clean water, and that brings me to your water changes. As mentioned above by another member, a larger volume change once a week is considerably more effective and beneficial than smaller volume changes even if twice weekly. I would aim for a 50-70% change of the tank volume once a week. This will make quite a difference over two 30 liter changes. And reducing nitrates as far below 20ppm is important and this should help (unless nitrate occurs in the tap water on its own?).

Also, increase the Black Neon group; shoaling fish like tetras will be less likely to fin nip sedate fish if there is a larger group, and you have the space so another five or six (totaling 10-11 or 12) would be good. Also the cories need more, same species or different doesn't matter, but a group of 8-9 up to 12 would be preferable. Cories will certainly not be nipping fins, but they are a highly social little fish and will be less stressed with more of them, and that is always a plus.

seangee said:

I don't see anything in the pic that suggests infection. Plenty of clean water and it should heal itself without mediciation. If she is being nipped yoou may need to separate her from the nipper(s).

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I did say I’d rather go natural but this has had good results for me healed my red tail shark within a week or two but that could just of been natural and it was a waste don’t know I would use again though