Scissortails...

[nickward_uk]

Recently, my scissorstails have been changing. One of them has become lighter, a second, much darker, the third, no change at all.

Now, I'm still very new to all this but I'm guessing this is a dominence thing - but I've also noticed the darker one (which is also the larger) having more than an occasional nip at my clown loach - which is something like twice its size.

The loach doesn't seem overly bothered - but everything I've read suggests the scissortail to be somewhat more timid than this... Is this usual behaviour?

 

[WILDER]

Need to no water stats in ammonia,nitrite,nitrate,and ph, size of tank in gallons, how many fish and which type, being pale also can mean stress.

 

[Bignose]

It is exceptionally rare for rasboras to be fin-nippers. Unlike the tetras or barbs, not a single common rasbora has a penchant for nipping -- most are quite peaceful community fish.

Please give the info Wilder asked for, since it sounds an awfully lot like stress. If you don't have the test kits in your house, almost any good LFS will test your water for you. Also, the fish will be much calmer in a school, if you only have the 3 I'd consider acquiring at least 3 more if your tank has enough room for it.

 

[nickward_uk]

It is exceptionally rare for rasboras to be fin-nippers. Unlike the tetras or barbs, not a single common rasbora has a penchant for nipping -- most are quite peaceful community fish.

Please give the info Wilder asked for, since it sounds an awfully lot like stress. If you don't have the test kits in your house, almost any good LFS will test your water for you. Also, the fish will be much calmer in a school, if you only have the 3 I'd consider acquiring at least 3 more if your tank has enough room for it.

Alas, no room in the tank yet. All quite new to this, and have been given some dodgy advice on what fish will fit... The tanks 60litre, and 2 ft or so long, and I currrently have 5 neon tetras 3 dwarf gouramis 1 male guppy a small clown loach and a small gold nugget pleco. Thankfully both of the latter (And for that matter, the rest to) 2 are still pretty small, so the at the moment, the tank is gettin to its upper limit of stock, however I'm going to have to rehouse the loach and the pleco sooner, rather than later - so a new bigger home is currently being searched for

No test kits yet - thats on the shopping list for tomorrow...

two of the scissortails have been in tha tank since I finished cycling - so getting on for 3 months or so now, and the one that faded has done so slowly since then. The third scissor tail went in about 2 weeks ago, and darkened pretty quicky - and is this one that does the occasional nipping...

Once the loach and the pleco move to a bigger tank (and maybe the gouramis as well) in the new year, I was planning on atleast two more scissortails anyway...

 

[nickward_uk]

Ok... got the test kit and the readings are:

Ammonia = 0
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate = 110 mg/l
ph = 7 to 7.5

Incidently, also tested my tap water and the nitrate for that was also high.

I've done a big water change, but still have a highish nitrate readin of + 50 mg/l - which is not far off the level in the tap water...

Run down of the fish - 1 clown loach, 1 golden nugget pleco, 3 scissortails 5 neons and 3 dwarf gouramis and 1 guppie.

Yup, I know this is well on the way to being over stocked (the result of crap advice form the lfs)- thankfully all the fish are small, so I reckon I'm just within the 1 inch of fish rule. The new tanks coming today, so the pleco and loach will cetainly be moving home as soon as its cycled...

 

[Lateral Line]

110 is very high. Over 40 is high, but if your tapwater is there, then it will be awkward to drop it - you may want to look at de-nitrating ion exchange resins to help you there. If your light is good enough, some fast growing plants will also drop your nitrates.

Rasboras are not aggressive. If you have aggression problems with Rasboras then you have some seriously stressed fish. The nitrates and the small number will have contributed to this. These fish should typically be kept in groups of 6 or more.

After the water change, did the behaviour change?

 

[nickward_uk]

110 is very high. Over 40 is high, but if your tapwater is there, then it will be awkward to drop it - you may want to look at de-nitrating ion exchange resins to help you there. If your light is good enough, some fast growing plants will also drop your nitrates.

Rasboras are not aggressive. If you have aggression problems with Rasboras then you have some seriously stressed fish. The nitrates and the small number will have contributed to this. These fish should typically be kept in groups of 6 or more.

After the water change, did the behaviour change?

To be honest - its not really aggression - just the very occasional nip - and I've not seen it since to be honest, despite the still high nitrate levels...

Have also put some green-x in the filter - hopefully that will help...