I have a 55g aquarium that currently contains 2 Siamese Algae Eaters, 5 Serpae Tetras, and a 3 inch YB Slider Turtle. I also had 5 Tiger Barbs, but they were meant for turtle food and lasted about 6 months, and were slowly eaten off. For some reason, he hasn't touched the Serpae Tetras and they've grown a bit. He did eat my $25 Bristlenose Pleco though after not giving it a second glance for months!
Anyway, today I went to check on the fish and the littlest Tetra has no back fins and a chunk missing out of his top fin, I think the turtle must have nipped them off! Normally I wouldn't care if he had killed him(They are there for turtle food, after all), but the poor guy is just swimming around awkwardly and the turtle doesn't seem interested. He does seem to be swimming pretty ok though, and the fish have a tendency to hang out in one corner of the tank, but when they see someone walk to the tank they swim to the other side because that's where food comes from, and he had no trouble following the other fish with this ritual. He is a bit slow and looks to be swimming cautiously (still moves his little stump where the fins would be).
So my question is, will he re-grow these fins? Is there anything I can do?
I do have another tank, a 15g that currently houses another SAE and a male Betta. They get along fine, the Betta will occasionally chase the SAE away from his food but I've never seen him even puff up at the other fish. Would it be less stressful for the hurt fish to be in the other tank, or would the Betta just destroy him more?
I can probably pick up a one galleon tank or something to keep him in if he needs to be alone and medicated, but where he's used to being in with other fish, I don't know if this would cause more stress on him.
Both tanks are heated and very well filtered.
Thank-you so much for any suggestions, I just don't want the little guy to suffer and get tortured by the other fish/turtle.
Anyway, today I went to check on the fish and the littlest Tetra has no back fins and a chunk missing out of his top fin, I think the turtle must have nipped them off! Normally I wouldn't care if he had killed him(They are there for turtle food, after all), but the poor guy is just swimming around awkwardly and the turtle doesn't seem interested. He does seem to be swimming pretty ok though, and the fish have a tendency to hang out in one corner of the tank, but when they see someone walk to the tank they swim to the other side because that's where food comes from, and he had no trouble following the other fish with this ritual. He is a bit slow and looks to be swimming cautiously (still moves his little stump where the fins would be).
So my question is, will he re-grow these fins? Is there anything I can do?
I do have another tank, a 15g that currently houses another SAE and a male Betta. They get along fine, the Betta will occasionally chase the SAE away from his food but I've never seen him even puff up at the other fish. Would it be less stressful for the hurt fish to be in the other tank, or would the Betta just destroy him more?
I can probably pick up a one galleon tank or something to keep him in if he needs to be alone and medicated, but where he's used to being in with other fish, I don't know if this would cause more stress on him.
Both tanks are heated and very well filtered.
Thank-you so much for any suggestions, I just don't want the little guy to suffer and get tortured by the other fish/turtle.
