Who Is Nipping Fins?

[jmain]

Who is doing my fin nipping? I noticed a different black skirt tetra has a nipped fin now (the other one is about 99% healed)

I have 3 black skirt tetra, 1 tetra serpa, 3 red eye tetra, 2 cory cats, 1 pleco, 3 red eye tetra.

I don't think its fin rot or anything like that because like I mentioned the last guy who got nipped I can only tell there is about half a cm missing still thats it though

 

[arobinson1984]

I'd personally guess at the serpa

Andy

 

[meguro]

Like all tetras, the black skirts would be nipping each other. The red eye tetra could also be doing it (do you have 3 or 6? you said them twice). But like andy, I'd guess the serpae tetra too. It's probably acting rather skittish as it's by itself, all tetra species are shoaling fish and prefer to be in large groups, 6 is a good minimum number.

 

[jmain]

Like all tetras, the black skirts would be nipping each other. The red eye tetra could also be doing it (do you have 3 or 6? you said them twice). But like andy, I'd guess the serpae tetra too. It's probably acting rather skittish as it's by itself, all tetra species are shoaling fish and prefer to be in large groups, 6 is a good minimum number.

Sorry I have 3 red eye tetras I accidentally said them twice. The problem with the tetra serpa he killed the other two that I started him off with so I figured I couldn't get anymore and if he is still being a bully I guess I'm going to have to bring him back.


But here is the correct tank count
3 dalmation mollies
3 red eye tetra
3 black skirt tetra
2 cory cats
1 pleco
1 tetra serpa

 

[Gill]

Could be Any of Your Tetras as they are all known to be Nippy. I would say that the Sepae and Red Eye are the worst for Nipping. I do think that you need to increase the number of Serpae you have, as they do best in groups.

 

[jmain]

Could be Any of Your Tetras as they are all known to be Nippy. I would say that the Sepae and Red Eye are the worst for Nipping. I do think that you need to increase the number of Serpae you have, as they do best in groups.

Originally my plan was to increase all of the tetras to at least 6 and then the mollies to around 8 or so but when the serpa killed the others I figured I couldn't do that. You don't think if I add more serpa he's going to try and kill them too?


Also should I add some stress coat to the water now even though I'm not doing a water change or any of that? I planned on doing a water change next Tuesday and was going to add stress coat then but should I do it now?

 

[nmonks]

You can add the Stress Coat you want, but if the fish are nipping each other, then you have the potential for finrot.

For what it's worth, black skirts (by which I assume you mean Gymnocorymbus ternetzi) are nippy, but less so when kept in big groups, and may even be viable community fish in the right tanks.

Serpae tetras (Hyphessobrycon spp.) on the other hand are notorious fin-biters, and do so in the wild as part of how they feed. They also have a true "feeding frenzy" that makes them a liability around slow-moving fish (guppies, angels, etc.). I wouldn't keep them in anything other than a single species aquarium. Some years back in a TFH article I put these fish close to the top of my "ten worst fish" list. May even have been at the top; can't remember.

As for red-eyes, assuming you mean the South America species Moenkhausia sanctaefilomenae rather than the African one, well, these are fairly good fish but can't be kept with slow-moving tankmates. They do need to be kept in big groups though, otherwise they become more nippy than otherwise.

Since mollies more often than not need brackish water, and certainly will be nipped by nippy fish, I'd scotch that idea right now. Concentrate on upping the numbers of tetras you have, and perhaps rehome the serpaes if you can. They look great in Amano type tanks where you can have 20 or more schooling about, biting each other if they want, but otherwise doing no harm.

Cheers, Neale

 

[jmain]

You can add the Stress Coat you want, but if the fish are nipping each other, then you have the potential for finrot.

For what it's worth, black skirts (by which I assume you mean Gymnocorymbus ternetzi) are nippy, but less so when kept in big groups, and may even be viable community fish in the right tanks.

Serpae tetras (Hyphessobrycon spp.) on the other hand are notorious fin-biters, and do so in the wild as part of how they feed. They also have a true "feeding frenzy" that makes them a liability around slow-moving fish (guppies, angels, etc.). I wouldn't keep them in anything other than a single species aquarium. Some years back in a TFH article I put these fish close to the top of my "ten worst fish" list. May even have been at the top; can't remember.

As for red-eyes, assuming you mean the South America species Moenkhausia sanctaefilomenae rather than the African one, well, these are fairly good fish but can't be kept with slow-moving tankmates. They do need to be kept in big groups though, otherwise they become more nippy than otherwise.

Since mollies more often than not need brackish water, and certainly will be nipped by nippy fish, I'd scotch that idea right now. Concentrate on upping the numbers of tetras you have, and perhaps rehome the serpaes if you can. They look great in Amano type tanks where you can have 20 or more schooling about, biting each other if they want, but otherwise doing no harm.

Cheers, Neale

well the first one to be nipped was the serpa but now over the 3 weeks 2 of the black skirts have been nipped and luckily everything has been ok. Thanks for the info

Also what fish would you suggest to put with the tetras then? I guess I'll give it a shot and buy like 5 tetra serpa (so I don't add a bunch of fish at once since the tank has only been running for a month by the time I add more fish) and hope he doesn't kill them. Once I get that at 6 I'll get the black skirts and red eyes to 6 then I got to find some more fish to add but the mollies seem to be doing good but have had them for 2 weeks.