Fin Nippers?

[guppiegirlie]

I have recently upgraded my tank from a 90l to a 180l (the jewel rio 180) in it I have some supposedly communal, friendly fish; guppies, platties, neons, a couple of killi fish, black khuli loaches, small albino bristle nose plec and a golden sucking loach.

All if these fish have lived quite happily together in my 90l tank for a good 12 months.

Since moving them to the rio, to keep my two male guppies busy I bought 4 females from my local pet store. They are good strong healthy females. I always pick my own fish.

I noticed the day after adding these to my tank a few of my other fish, including the new ones fins and tails were getting nipped.

I added some esha fin rot treatment just to be on the safe side and after completing the corse, my guppies especially, their tails still look like they're getting nipped!

This is especially so for my beautiful male blue cobra, his tail this morning has definitely been nipped through the night.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what could be bothering my little fishes! In the future I would really like to add some peacock gobys and some spotted blue eye rainbow fish but I'm concerned that they are going to be picked on by my mysterious fin nipper!!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[NickAu]

If its fin nipping.
 
My money is on the neons. How many do you have?

 

[guppiegirlie]

I have 7 neons, 6 adult guppies and approx 8-10 young, 8 young platties, 2 killies, 1 suckling loach, 1 plec, and 2 khuli loaches.

I would've never suspected my neons! They've all got on so well together in my smaller tank.

 

[NickAu]

 
2 khuli loaches

5 would be better, they feel safer in numbers.  I had 3 black Kuhil Loaches and 4 Striped Kuhli Loaches ( Long story why I don't have them now ) and they would all squeeze into a small cave that I made to sleep.  The more in a tight space the merrier.
 

 
I would've never suspected my neons! They've all got on so well together in my smaller tank.

Its just a guess. I remember reading some place that they can be nippy if not kept in decent numbers. Also the fact that they are in a new tank might have stressed them a bit.

 

[guppiegirlie]

Originally we had five, the two black and three striped. But when I upgraded I only found the two! I will in the future get them some friends but until I can totally eliminate the reason for their fins as not being fin rot I'm not keen on adding any more!

My platties, killie's and golden loach have not had any sign of nipped fins although my plecs tail looked like it may have had a pinch, but I thought that may have been my golden loach as I've noticed they can battle if the loach gets too near the plecs cave!

 

[LyraGuppi]

The other fish that could have done it is the golden loach, these guys are nasty carnivores. (Which is why they are not community fish, unlike their labeling) The Killifish (what breed are they?) might have done the nipping also.
 
Then again, since you moved all your fish into a new tank there may be some hierarchy arguments, which will settle over time.

 

[fluttermoth]

It could also be the guppies themselves. Male guppies can be very nippy, and if you've added females, they now have something to fight over.

I know it's not what you're asking about, but I feel I ought to warn you about your sucking loach. These can, depending on species, grow to around a foot long, and can get very aggressive as they get larger. You might also have a similar problem with your 'plec'; again, depending on the exact species, they can easily reach a foot long, or even more.

If you can get pics of the loach and the plec, we can positively identify them for you, so you can be prepared

 

[guppiegirlie]

The killies are gardneri killies, beautiful yellow with red markings I have one male and one female.

The plec is just small, I've had him since buying my initial set up, a 64l tank almost three years ago! He hasn't grown past 3-4 inches hes very placid, keeps himself to himself untill he meets the loach.

And my dad also warned me about my loach. We've had him for probably about two years and when we bought him he was barely 1-1/2inch now he's huge, I'd say hes around 5inches and still growing. We got him to help with alge control before I added snails and he's done a great job! But I am starting to come to the conclusion that he's just getting a bit big and boisterous for the tank, especially when I'm wanting to add the gobys in the future.

But, I know it sounds silly, but the thought of taking him back and almost abandoning him makes me feel sad!!
I will try and add some pics asap

 

[betta fish]

I'm thinking it may be the killies, have you tried sitting by the tank and watching them for a while, you may catch the culprits, I have had Gardneri in the past and I am sure they were fin nippers then too, beautiful fish but never really suited to a community tank, you could try placing them in another tank if one is available and see if it continues perhaps?

 

[RobRocksFishTank]

Fin nipping usually happens when the diet is lacking in bulk. Processed foods often lack it. Supplementing with frozen or live foods usually helps alleviate this.

 

[guppiegirlie]

I think it may just be the guppies fighting amongst themselves. I've sat watching the tank tge last few nights and only see the females chasing others away. Abd looking at the fish, its only really the guppies with nipped tails and fins.

Initially I thought it was my killies, but after a bit of research and watching my tank they only tend tp fight when fighting over a female.

I feed them a mixed diet, they get live brine shrimp once a week, I also give them frozen every now and again (tropical mix, daphnia, blood worm etc) and tropical grains, vegi flakes etc and all food is eaten within three minutes so they have quite a good varied diet.

Its only really started since adding the females so I am starting to think it is just them fighting amongst themselves.

I'll see how they get on over the next few days

 

[guppiegirlie]

Ok so quick update on my mystery fin/tail nippers. I removed my male guppies just until their taila grew back a bit, but had an extremely emotional phone call from my mom a few days ago concerning her beautiful little female honey gourami.

Now my dad got the killiefish as eggs and has reared them and they seemed to have lived quite happily for the last few months in his and my tank up until the phone call!

My mom as she does every morning sat down in front of her tank with a coffee only to find the killies quite literally ripping her beloved gourami to bits, she said in all the years her and my father have had tanks she's never seen anything so vicious! (And my dad once had a cichlid tank and they could be little buggers)

So we've since removed all killiefish from both tanks and so far so good. I've had more incidents of nipping and my little men seem to be settling back into the big tank just fine, to be fair, with eight female's to keep them entertained, they're in their element!

My mom has since replaced her little gourami, but we have both learned our lesson!

To be totally honest I think it may have had a lot to do with the male/female ratio as there were more male than female killiefish (my father thought he had more female than male but after removing them the ratio was 4 male/2 female) but regardless, they were stunningly beautiful fish but definitely not suited to community tanks!

Thank you all for your help and advice