Hello, I am writing cause I saw one of my fish abuse another one, eventhough the bully was a bit smaller it kept nibbling at the fins of the other one and the abused one couldn't swim upright and kept spinning and just turning around, I took out both fish of the tank and put them in separate containers, was this a good decision? PLEASE HELP!
Abused fish, ripped fins. what can I do?
- Thread starter Keoky
- Start date
Im not an expert so dont rely on my opinion but here it is. Putting those fish in the containers may work for a short time but overall causes more stress. I think they have chemicals you can put in the water to help stimulate regrowth of fins and whatnot. Possibly the best option is to put more cover in the tank and leave the light off more often while making sure to feed your fish enough food. Basically do anything to reduce the stress on the fish. What kind of fish do you have and how big is your tank?
hope I could help but be sure to get other opinions
hope I could help but be sure to get other opinions
Yes, a little time out for the bully will reset his claim of the territory in the tank.
I had a blue gourami who bullys everyone around, and I took him into a glass bowl for about one day, and reintroduced him back to the tank.
as far as the one who is getting hurt, make sure it is not sick since they often would attack sick or weakened fish.
I have a fish that keeps getting its fins bitten, so I am thinking about getting a breeding cage to shelter him until he recovers. That way I don't have to setup a hospital tank.
I had a blue gourami who bullys everyone around, and I took him into a glass bowl for about one day, and reintroduced him back to the tank.
as far as the one who is getting hurt, make sure it is not sick since they often would attack sick or weakened fish.
I have a fish that keeps getting its fins bitten, so I am thinking about getting a breeding cage to shelter him until he recovers. That way I don't have to setup a hospital tank.
I noticed that the abused fish was having trouble breathing in the bowl I transfered him too, so I put him back in the tank, he just seems to rest upside down lying on the sand, he sometimes swims well but as he advances he flips upside down, maybe cause his fins are f**k up. Sorry for the word but I'm a bit desperate. The bully still is in another tank. Any suggestions?
Yeah, pretty much without knowing what type of fish is the abuser, or what fish is being abused, or the size of your tank, or the other tankmates, or how much cover you have, it is hard to offer you advice.
Some fish species are naturally fin nippers and aggressive. Tiger barbs are the most notorious. Unless they are in schools of 7+ they usually gang up and harass tankmates, nipping fins and poking out eyes, usually to the death of their tankmates. A tank with tiger barbs must be quite big to support a school of 7+ as well as very highly decorated to give tankmates a place to flee. Even then, it doesn't garuntee that one or two of the barbs won't become bullies.
Cichlids are also pretty notorious as aggressors. Territorial cichlids placed in a tropical community tank will kill the less aggressive fish. Cichlids require large tanks to feel comfortable in. They are a type of fish that likes lots of personal space.
Blind cave tetras are also a nasty notorious nippers. I've seen them even harass plecos. It is a feeding mechanism. Since they are blind, anything they sense that appears to be food gets a nibble.
Even "docile" fish can become aggressive nippers under certain situations. Mollies, swordtail and guppies that are overcrowded will dominate and kill tankmates. Males or females in breeding condition may get a bit ornery. Fish that are not kept in the proper schooling numbers, or kept with too little decor hiding spaces will chase each other mercilessly. So as you can see, lots of variables are involved in fish agression, or even stress-related aggression. So please, fill us in as to what fish and what type of tank/community you have.
~~Colesea
Some fish species are naturally fin nippers and aggressive. Tiger barbs are the most notorious. Unless they are in schools of 7+ they usually gang up and harass tankmates, nipping fins and poking out eyes, usually to the death of their tankmates. A tank with tiger barbs must be quite big to support a school of 7+ as well as very highly decorated to give tankmates a place to flee. Even then, it doesn't garuntee that one or two of the barbs won't become bullies.
Cichlids are also pretty notorious as aggressors. Territorial cichlids placed in a tropical community tank will kill the less aggressive fish. Cichlids require large tanks to feel comfortable in. They are a type of fish that likes lots of personal space.
Blind cave tetras are also a nasty notorious nippers. I've seen them even harass plecos. It is a feeding mechanism. Since they are blind, anything they sense that appears to be food gets a nibble.
Even "docile" fish can become aggressive nippers under certain situations. Mollies, swordtail and guppies that are overcrowded will dominate and kill tankmates. Males or females in breeding condition may get a bit ornery. Fish that are not kept in the proper schooling numbers, or kept with too little decor hiding spaces will chase each other mercilessly. So as you can see, lots of variables are involved in fish agression, or even stress-related aggression. So please, fill us in as to what fish and what type of tank/community you have.
~~Colesea