What happened to my guppy?

[Kyanite14]

I had JUST finished feeding my fish and was putting my black worms back in the fridge, when I came back, one of my guppies tails had been ripped and had some sort of red stuff on the tear (blood?)

It was hard to get a clear photo. My smallest blue guppy also has tears in his tail, more so than the black one. I’m assuming one of the other guppies nipped their fins and tore them, but why did they do it and how do I get them to stop? I added Melafix at half strength to prevent fin rot, only half strength because I have a Gourami in there.

He is my biggest guppy and also the calmest, he doesn’t bother with the other fish much. The other smaller guppy kind of follows the others. I have 5 males in total and no females. What can I do to stop the nipping? Do the tails grow back?

 

[Colin_T]

Someone is biting them. What other fishes are in the tank?

 

[Kyanite14]

Someone is biting them. What other fishes are in the tank?

5 male guppies, a dwarf gouramis, a nerite, and 6 neons

 

[emeraldking]

It must have been nipped by one of the other fish if it happened that fast. Sometimes a moment of aggression can occur (also in friendly fish).

 

[Kyanite14]

It must have been nipped by one of the other fish if it happened that fast. Sometimes a moment of aggression can occur (also in friendly fish).

Do the tails grow back? I’ve seen the guppies chase each other sometimes, but the fin tearing started within the last month. Would sexual maturity/breeding season stuff have anything to do with it? I’m just worried they’ll continue shredding each others tails and cause fin rot or other infections.

 

[Slammin’ Aquascaping]

Do the tails grow back? I’ve seen the guppies chase each other sometimes, but the fin tearing started within the last month. Would sexual maturity/breeding season stuff have anything to do with it? I’m just worried they’ll continue shredding each others tails and cause fin rot or other infections.

Yes. Sometimes the guppies will nip each others fins (I cannot tell but mine seem jealous of the other males). Couldn’t have been the gourami in my experience they are very slow. The tail rips will grow back

 

[Falling_Petal]

I had JUST finished feeding my fish and was putting my black worms back in the fridge, when I came back, one of my guppies tails had been ripped and had some sort of red stuff on the tear (blood?)
View attachment 314973
It was hard to get a clear photo. My smallest blue guppy also has tears in his tail, more so than the black one. I’m assuming one of the other guppies nipped their fins and tore them, but why did they do it and how do I get them to stop? I added Melafix at half strength to prevent fin rot, only half strength because I have a Gourami in there.

He is my biggest guppy and also the calmest, he doesn’t bother with the other fish much. The other smaller guppy kind of follows the others. I have 5 males in total and no females. What can I do to stop the nipping? Do the tails grow back?

Yes. Sometimes the guppies will nip each others fins (I cannot tell but mine seem jealous of the other males). Couldn’t have been the gourami in my experience they are very slow. The tail rips will grow back

I'm not sure if this is helpful but my guppies fight for certain foods and don't fight for other foods. They get aggressive depending on the food I'm feeding - I'm guessing they fight for the good tasty food.

 

[Slammin’ Aquascaping]

I'm not sure if this is helpful but my guppies fight for certain foods and don't fight for other foods. They get aggressive depending on the food I'm feeding - I'm guessing they fight for the good tasty food.

Normally the male guppies fight over jealousy and looks (my nicest males are targeted because they look so nice the females chase after them), or because they mistake the other guppy tails as food (I think)

 

[Kyanite14]

I'm not sure if this is helpful but my guppies fight for certain foods and don't fight for other foods. They get aggressive depending on the food I'm feeding - I'm guessing they fight for the good tasty food.

I switch between pellets, algae wafers, and black worms, they go the most crazy for the black worms which I was just feeding them. Maybe one fish got greedy and tried to take a worm from the black guppy?

 

[Kyanite14]

Yes. Sometimes the guppies will nip each others fins (I cannot tell but mine seem jealous of the other males). Couldn’t have been the gourami in my experience they are very slow. The tail rips will grow back

Ok, good to know. That red stuff on the lining of his tear, was that blood? It’s gone now, but it’s weird to think that fish bleed when they’re always suspended in water.

 

[emeraldking]

Do the tails grow back? I’ve seen the guppies chase each other sometimes, but the fin tearing started within the last month. Would sexual maturity/breeding season stuff have anything to do with it? I’m just worried they’ll continue shredding each others tails and cause fin rot or other infections.

The fin tissue will grow back but most of the time, they won't get their color back at that spot. There's no actual breeding season. Breeding can continue whenever they want. But if males tend to mate with a female, they can try to chase away other males by nipping for instance.

 

[Falling_Petal]

Ok, good to know. That red stuff on the lining of his tear, was that blood? It’s gone now, but it’s weird to think that fish bleed when they’re always suspended in water.

From my experience of watching "Jaws" & Sharknado anything can bleed suspended in water

 

[Sgooosh]

there is like a heirarchy in the tank. my male guppies get too rowdy sometimes and get nippy.
and when they are bothering females the females will try to fight back as well.
so i see a lot of nips on males, and less on females.
i think the competition is really big in my tank since there are only 2 males

 

[biofish]

Guppies have hierarchies! The aggression you’re experiencing is probably just them figuring out the pecking order and will calm down when it’s figured out! The tails DO grow back- it just takes time. Clean water helps prevent infection. The more male guppies you have the less the injuries there will be, simply because the aggression has a wider distribution. Five male guppies is a good minimum to have. Also make sure to check your decorations to make sure there’s nothing sharp enough to tear their fins

 

[Sgooosh]

The more male guppies you gave the less the injuries will be simply because the aggression has a wider distribution. Five guppies is a good minimum to have.

i see, that makes a lot of sense.
there are a few males that are almost mature so ill wait until then