Poor Guppy :(

[lordmoose]

OK yesterday I added a few new guppies to my tank. One was a really beautiful male, he had a slight rip in his tail but I wasn't too worried.
I woke up this morning and his entire tail has been eaten. There's some missing from one of my Corys too
I know what the problem is. I have a pair of diamond tetras keep nipping at fins. The problem is my LFS wont let me take them back, and now they've started nipping at the pride of my tank-my Betta Splendens.
I'm REALLY ****** off about this, he was such a beautiful little Gup, and these tetras are scaring the hell out of some of my other fish.

What should I do? I can't take them back and there's nobody I can give them to. If thi carries on I'm gonna have to get rid of them, and I can't bring myself to kill two healthy fish.
Also how long before this poor little guppie's tail grows back?

 

[Alien Anna]

What should I do? I can't take them back and there's nobody I can give them to. If thi carries on I'm gonna have to get rid of them, and I can't bring myself to kill two healthy fish.
Also how long before this poor little guppie's tail grows back?

You need to get those tetras out of that tank or you'll lose the lot! Any LFS that won't take back stock is an LFS to avoid - it is absolutely essential with fish-keeping that you can do this. I'm also very annoyed that they obviously gave you no good information - they should not have sold you incompatible fish! Phone other LFS's in your area and ask if they'll take the tetras off your hands - I'd be very surprised if one of them wouldn't. You are offering them free stock, after all.

In the meantime, put the tetras in a bucket with an air-stone. They'll be OK for a day or so, just don't feed them.

For future reference, most tetras are fin-nippers and incompatible with things like guppies. I've been told not to keep bettas and guppies together either, since the betta may well mistake the guppies tails for other betta's tails, and start to attack them. Bettas are very territorial fish. Come to think of it, are you sure it isn't your betta that is the culprit?

Another thing you have to bear in mind (if you ever have a tetra tank at some point) is that tetras can become very stressed if not kept in a school of at least 6. The same applies to guppies.

I suggest you put your betta in a fish bowl until you can set him up in more suitable accommodation. He can cope without a filter or heater for a few weeks in the summer.

 

[lordmoose]

Well I've called all my lfs and nobody will take them.
There's no way it's my Betta Splendens...Siamese fighters are extremely gentle fish, he wouldn't harm a fly. I've seen the tetras nipping at the guppies.

Anyone have any idea how long it'll take for the Gupp's tail to grow back?

I still have no idea what to do with these damn tetras.

 

[Alien Anna]

Well I've called all my lfs and nobody will take them.
There's no way it's my Betta Splendens...Siamese fighters are extremely gentle fish, he wouldn't harm a fly. I've seen the tetras nipping at the guppies.

Anyone have any idea how long it'll take for the Gupp's tail to grow back?

I still have no idea what to do with these damn tetras.

I love bettas myself and have had a few but Sumo, my last betta was a fiesty creature - he took on my large pearl gourami until the poor creature wouldn't come out of his cave for a week and spent his day chasing black neon tetras (the only exceptions I know of to the nipping tetra rule). He also tried to eat a 2" golden apple snail. I'll miss him and will definitely get another one.

As for your tetras, I'm really quite shocked that no other LFS will take him - I've never known that problem before. Maybe ask around if any other fish keepers in your area can take them? Diamond tetras can be wonderful fish, in the right environment and it would be terrible if you had to euthanise them just because they were incompatible with their tank mates.

Your guppies tail may never grow back, it may grow back within a few weeks or your guppy may well die. It's very hard to be sure in these cases. Some Melafix might help in this situation, as well as adding extra salt. But all of this will be accademic if you still have the tetras. Could you perhaps set up a little tank just for the tetras, until you can re-home them?

 

[bigfish]

How big are diamond tetras? Im based in South wales

 

[lordmoose]

As for your tetras, I'm really quite shocked that no other LFS will take him - I've never known that problem before. Maybe ask around if any other fish keepers in your area can take them? Diamond tetras can be wonderful fish, in the right environment and it would be terrible if you had to euthanise them just because they were incompatible with their tank mates.

Your guppies tail may never grow back, it may grow back within a few weeks or your guppy may well die. It's very hard to be sure in these cases. Some Melafix might help in this situation, as well as adding extra salt. But all of this will be accademic if you still have the tetras. Could you perhaps set up a little tank just for the tetras, until you can re-home them?

Well as I said in my first post I dont know any other fishkeepers who can take them off my hands, and I certainly don't have the money to set up another tank
Theres still about half the tail in tact. Is there a chance it could grow back? Could he really die?

Also note in my first post I have Corys. Theres no way Im putting salt in the tank!

 

[lordmoose]

How big are diamond tetras? Im based in South wales

They're about 3/4 inch long. I'm based in North Devon

 

[AquaNut]

Well, as Alien Anna has said, even the most peaceful betta may become voracious if he thinks there is another male betta around and, unfortunately, bettas sometimes mistake the fancy tailed guppies as other bettas. In fact, I have found that there are few fish who can resist the lure-like appeal of a guppy's tail. Even a species tank of guppies often results in badly torn tails because they nip and challenge one another. Your guppy would have a much better chance of recovery if you had a hospital tank for him to convalesce in. I'm guessing you don't, or else you'd have put your tetras there. I agree; you have to get the tetras out of your tank or they'll kill your guppies and likely your betta, too. As for not putting salt in with your cories - I have approximately 1 tsp per gallon in my freshwater tanks, and my cories are happy and healthy; several of them are three years old. (All this said, I have guppies, a betta, and tetras all in one tank with no problems, but it's a 45 gallon tank with lots of plants and hiding spots)

 

[lordmoose]

Cory's dont have scales, salt will burn them.
As for my siamese fighter I know he's not the cause, I've seen the tetras nipping at the gupps.
Anywho I've seperated the tetras and finally found a store that'll exchange them for 2 more gupps.

 

[bigfish]

Get a product called 'Melafix' available in most fish outlet stores like Pets At Home, priced at £5 but it really good stuff and whats better it's safe on corys and scaleless fish too.

So get down there pronto.................

Should seen results in 3 to 4 days time, keep the water very clean if necessary seperate the affected fish into a seperate container.

 

[FrankSlapperinni]

well, I have no Idea why salt would hurt them. even though they have no scales, they are called armored cats for a reason. they have several interlocking bony plates that protect them.

 

[AquaNut]

I honestly have to say I think the 'salt burns cories' thing is a myth. I only say this because I've successfully kept them in downright brackish water (with mollies), and I haven't lost one yet. They're not just surviving in salted water, they're thriving in it. They shoal together with a Chinese algae eater in my 45 gallon tank; they're active, social, and peaceful.

 

[lordmoose]

well, I have no Idea why salt would hurt them. even though they have no scales, they are called armored cats for a reason. they have several interlocking bony plates that protect them.

Go here: http/fish.orbust.net/forums/index.php?showforum=14

Note the first pinned topic.

 

[AquaNut]

*shrugs* I cannot do anything about what is written by other people. I can only speak of my own real experiences with fish. All of my tanks have salt in them. My pleco and several of my cories are among my 'first' fish, and have been living happily in my salted tanks for several years now.

 

[Alien Anna]

well, I have no Idea why salt would hurt them. even though they have no scales, they are called armored cats for a reason. they have several interlocking bony plates that protect them.

Go here: http/fish.orbust.net/forums/index.php?showforum=14

Note the first pinned topic.

I've always noticed that whatever rule a relative newbie may learn, there are always experienced fish-keepers out there who break them.

For instance, people who successful keep corys in brackish tanks, people who successfully keep more than one betta in a community tank, people who's angelfish live compatibly with their shoal of neons and people who keep shoals of red-tailed sharks with no difficulty.

However, I think you have to consider the source and realise that sometimes these very experienced fish keepers may be doing many other things that affect the success of these "rule breaking" endevors; and that just because they can get away with it, it doesn't mean that we can. As a beginner, you do what is tried and tested and known to work. You can break the rules once you know what they are - and why they are!

It's like in the world of hamster breeding and showing: everyone knows that you should keep one Syrian hamster per cage, that Syrians are confirmed hermits and will kill another hamster soon as look at it, and that one reason they're getting rare in the wild is their tendency to kill a mate rather than mating with it. This is all true, but I could introduce you to several breeders, of many years standing, who swear they've kept same-sex pairs together without the slightest problem. Does this mean that little Timmy should buy a pair of hamsters to live together with his pocket money? Almost certainly not. The law of averages state that he'll end up with two dead hamsters, or one dead one and one very fat one.

People have given you their best advice. I understand that you feel salt would be more harm than good - that's fine, stick to the usual advice because that is the best thing to do when you're new to a hobby. However, you can't say that people with contrary advice are necessarily wrong - it's not as black and white as that. We're dealing with living creatures here and living creatures are not entirely "logical" in that way.