Missing Swordtail Tail!

[mojo_dragone]

Today when I looked into my tank, one of my swortail's tails was missing. This was my favorite swordtail out of the two because it's tail was so long. here is a picture of what he looks like now.
http/rizza.hopto.org/swordtail.jpg
There is at least an inch missing.

I dont know what to do! Is this normal... do swortail tails just fall off like that? It seems like an odd location to be cut off.

In my tank i have 2 swortails, a platy, and 2 pictus cats. I know pictus cats are aggressive but i've never seen them go after the swordtails. They were actually in the same tank in the store. The swordtails and the platy generally stick in a group, while the catfish hide out underneath the log.

Please give any feedback you can.

 

[WILDER]

Pics not loading up, once a fish losses alot of the tail sad to say they die.
What are your stats in ammonia,nitrite,nitrate,and ph.
Is the fish struggling to swim.
Any red edges to the tail or whiteness at the end.

http/petfish.net/kb/entry/31/335/

 

[mojo_dragone]

What are your stats in ammonia,nitrite,nitrate,and ph.
Is the fish struggling to swim.
Any red edges to the tail or whiteness at the end.

The picture should be working, i just checked it.
i dont have a nitrite test kit.

nitrate is about 5 ppm
ammonia is about .2 ppm
ph is about 7.2

I just put in some stress coat. i dont really know what else i can do.

There is some whiteness at the end of the tail. the picture clearly shows it, im sorry that its not working for you. I attatched it this time.

 

[WILDER]

Bad water quality you need to get that ammonia reading down, sad to say that fish in a cycling tank will get ill as it takes it toll on them as they are stressed and desease set in so easily.
Finrot is caused by poor water quality as the fins don't get the blood throw going through them in long finned fish.
I would do some water changes as a med will just put you back and the fish might not make it anyway.
Best to get a cycle done with quickly, a cycle can kill fish fast.
If you didn't have them catfish i would of said add some salt.
But you could do a salt bath on the fish.

Bad water quality you need to get that ammonia reading down, sad to say that fish in a cycling tank will get ill as it takes it toll on them as they are stressed and desease set in so easily.
Finrot is caused by poor water quality as the fins don't get the blood throw going through them in long finned fish.
I would do some water changes as a med will just put you back and the fish might not make it anyway.
Best to get a cycle done with quickly, a cycle can kill fish fast.
If you didn't have them catfish i would of said add some salt.
But you could do a salt bath on the fish.

http/ukdiscus.com/ken_thomson_salt.htm

 

[mojo_dragone]

sorry, now that i think of it that sounds like a typo. it should have been
.02

I'll check again when i get back home.

I really try to keep on top of things in my tank, thats why this thing bothered me so much, i dont really understand why it happened.

 

[WILDER]

If ammonia isnt 0 and nitrite isnt 0 it can still cause desease on a weak fish.
It dosnt take much with livebearers to get finrot.

 

[mojo_dragone]

thanks for the help. I have isolated the fish and he is getting frequent water changes. Im going to go out today to get some fin rot medication.

Are you positive that this is what is wrong? It seems like fin rot would be a gradual disease.... not instant. one day the fish had an amazing tail, the next, it was gone.

also, hes not swimming abnormally.

 

[xJake]

It seems like fin rot would be a gradual disease.... not instant. one day the fish had an amazing tail, the next, it was gone.

Finrot isn't always the same bacteria. Sometimes the bacteria takes weeks even months to become very noticable, and sometimes the bacteria can "eat away" a fish's fins and tail in 6-12 hours.

also, hes not swimming abnormally.

Fish with finrot don't swim around abnormally unless they've developed a secondary infection which means that the fish probably won't make it.


As for meds, I would try a melafix/pimafix combo. Melafix will treat the finrot and pimafix will help prevent secondary infection. I've used it before and it works rather well.

 

[mojo_dragone]

As for meds, I would try a melafix/pimafix combo. Melafix will treat the finrot and pimafix will help prevent secondary infection. I've used it before and it works rather well.

I looked up some more info on those meds and it sounds like a great combination.

Should I continue to isolate the fish? The medication treatments would probably be good for the other fish in the tank, because i may not see it but they could have it too.....right?

also, are there any precautions i can do to protect against finrot?

 

[WILDER]

No your tank cycling this is why there coming down with it, excellent water quality for livebearers.