Odd fin things going on in my girly tank

[BettaMomma]

I had to take all my girls (all 6 of them) out the other night and do a 100% water change on the 10G because Gary (who's since been evicted) was leaving so much waste and slime everywhere the tank was just gross. SOOO... I took somewhere between 4 and 6 cups of seeded gravel out, and used the same filter as before - rinsed everything and put them back in w/the seeded gravel and filter. The tank looks fabulous. Quite possibly, this has nothing to do with the tank cleaning, but I noticed this morning that Millie has several rips and tears in her fins. Nobody else really has any. She doesn't seem to be ill or anything - but it's just that all her fins - top, tail and bottom - are just pretty ripped up.

Does anyone know of any illnesses that can make their fins just shred up like that - and these rips go all the way to her body...?? Everything else about her is perfectly fine and she is up to her normal antics of begging for food and attention...

I'm suspecting it's a big problem with the name of Cloey - she's such a complete hag. Those 2 duked it out when they first got together but the order had been established. Then Millie had to be pulled for treatment, and I am not positive they worked out all their issues when she went back in....

But I just thought I'd check and see if anyone has any thoughts if it might be something else... or just tormenting.

 

[WILDER]

Has the fish been flicking and rubbing on objects, as to much slime can be indication of parasites, fin problems can sometimes be second infections.

 

[OohFeeshy]

Aww, poor Gary... His mother obviously never told him to wipe his foot before coming into the water Where is he now?

 

[BettaMomma]

Naah - she's not flicking or rubbing, just being her usual self. Eating and everything. No color change, no spots or specs... I wish I had my camera here today - it basically looks like someone laid her down and took a scissors and made little lengthwise slits into her tail. I suspect she's getting chased around by the hag Cloey.

(poor, poor) Gary is in one of those plastic boxes that hangs on the side of an aquarium that you'd see in a lfs that they line with a bag so they can dump your fish in. He's hanging on the INside of the girly tank so he gets the warmth of the tank and all that stuff without sharing his dirtiness with them. I have been changing out his water (dumping out the goop filled water and replacing it with fresh clean tank water from the girls) each day but i'm going to be gone for 2 days.

Once I get back I have a little tank I'm going to set up just for him. He can make his own mess and live in it ALONE.

 

[BettaMomma]

Problem solved -
I just heard a HUGE splash in the living room and went out to see who had done it.
I walked over to the girly tank and there was Cloey waiting for some food. EVERYone else was hiding. So I opened up the top of the tank (cuz i knew that would bring everyone else out) and here they came on full speed - and she took after them like a shot. Chasing EVERYbody. And i noticed that Millie also has another hunk taken off her bottom fin. It must be Cloey's time of the month. lol

I took some plants out in lieu of giving them more caves and stuff. I guess that was wrong - I need to get some more plants back in there, cuz if they're swimming on high speed it must be easier for them to stop and hide behind a plant than to make it safely into a rock hard cave.

 

[BettaMomma]

grr - sorry, double post.

 

[WILDER]

Time of the month, lol, glad you found the culprit.

 

[Kiarra]

I figured it was something like that. I see some of that happen every now and then in my girly tanks.

 

[Saucy]

Geez! What a nasty little brat! Definitely her time-o-the-month. If she keeps it up, I'd probably end up taking her out (as she'd probably start attacking the others if Millie was removed).

At least my girls have fin rot and not a cat-fight problem. Phew... and I guess I won't be getting a snail when I get my 10-gallon...

Well, I hope they work out their little problems and that Millie feels mucho better soon.

 

[bettaboi]

glad you found the problem and fixed it good luck with the rest of em