Apistogramma Cacatuoides Losing His Tail

[KittyKat]

When you come back, do try to see what happens if you completely stop feeding frozen foods.. fish can be picky #19###s sometimes, but a well fed Apisto in a planted tank can normally go for two weeks without food and not even show signs of it. Maybe your Apistos are well fed enough that they are just waiting for the frozen to come back onto the menu.. but don't take this experiment to the point where they start looking thin!

Okay, so a bit of an update: I don't think this was fin rot at all. His tail recovered in places and then just split in others, it got better for a long time but this last few days it's gotten worse again and I have no idea why. Water params are 0-0-10. Same tank inhabitants and haven't added any since. Today his tail went from having a couple of minor splits to having part of it completely split down the middle and I have no idea why, I feed him a mix of frozen bloodworm, frozen brineshrimp and frozen daphnia as he doesnt eat anything else is this an acceptable diet as I've read that it could be due to a vitamin deficiency?

Could it be finrot induced by fighting when you are not watching? That would explain the splits as well.

 

[mikeyy_lol]

When you come back, do try to see what happens if you completely stop feeding frozen foods.. fish can be picky #19###s sometimes, but a well fed Apisto in a planted tank can normally go for two weeks without food and not even show signs of it. Maybe your Apistos are well fed enough that they are just waiting for the frozen to come back onto the menu.. but don't take this experiment to the point where they start looking thin!

Okay, so a bit of an update: I don't think this was fin rot at all. His tail recovered in places and then just split in others, it got better for a long time but this last few days it's gotten worse again and I have no idea why. Water params are 0-0-10. Same tank inhabitants and haven't added any since. Today his tail went from having a couple of minor splits to having part of it completely split down the middle and I have no idea why, I feed him a mix of frozen bloodworm, frozen brineshrimp and frozen daphnia as he doesnt eat anything else is this an acceptable diet as I've read that it could be due to a vitamin deficiency?

Could it be finrot induced by fighting when you are not watching? That would explain the splits as well.

I'll give it a go when I get back, seems to have gotten a bit worse, overnight this time though. Which do you think could be the culprits if it is fighting? I've never noticed any especially on him as he's the boss of the tank! I've just done a 50% wc and started dosing melafix a couple of days ago, going to do another 50% tomorrow and hope he starts to get better!

 

[KittyKat]

It's most likely the female.. domestic disputes, sort of thing.. but I'm not trying to say that it definitely is!

 

[mikeyy_lol]

just thought I'll check in and tell you how it went!
I came back from holiday and sunday and everyone was alive. The fin split on the apisto healed but the colouring where it split has gone, still dosing with melafix as now he has a big delve in the same fin, really no idea what's causing it! Started coaxing the apistos onto dried foods and having a bit of success, got him to eat some zoo med aquatic frog and tadpole bites which I hope are more nutritous for him! and then i bought some more higher quality flakes today which he ate quite a large one off aswell as some pellets!

 

[kyleb2003]

I had a similar problem with my cacatuoides male, he was getting chased around by a male krib (who is now rehomed) and kept tearing his fins. When I quarantined him they healed over night but happened again when I put him back in with the krib. Try watching the tank from across the room and see if you notice any of the other fish chasing him around, might be the cause of the tears.

Oh and his fins will get their colour back in time once fully healed.

 

[mikeyy_lol]

I had a similar problem with my cacatuoides male, he was getting chased around by a male krib (who is now rehomed) and kept tearing his fins. When I quarantined him they healed over night but happened again when I put him back in with the krib. Try watching the tank from across the room and see if you notice any of the other fish chasing him around, might be the cause of the tears.

Oh and his fins will get their colour back in time once fully healed.

Theyre pretty much directly in my eye line all the time and no one chases him or even tries to show any form of dominance to him I don't think it can be finrot as the water params are fine, and this has been occurring for quite awhile. Thanks for the reply though! It's good to know the colours will come back eventually!

 

[KittyKat]

At least in my experience, colour never comes back quite the same after damage. It can look very similar, but the fins usually remain more translucent or a slightly paler colour.

 

[kyleb2003]

That matches my experience from finrot, but with my cockatoo who had quite tatty fins when I got him and bad tear right the way down the middle (horizontally, obviously) after being chased, there is no sign of it now. Perhaps because he is a young fish and still growing, I'm not sure, but he looks good.