L260 with fin issues

[MarcW]

Hi Everyone,

Yesterday I noticed a fluffy patch on my young

L260

. One pectoral fin and the centre of the caudal fin are mostly missing.

I think the fluffy patch was some mulm as the young fish loves to hide in a crevice in bogwood which tends to collect muck.

I have performed a 50% water change with 90% RO to 10% tap (our tap water is very hard), the current parameters of the tank are pH ~6.5, Ammonia 0ppm, Nitrite 0ppm, and Nitrate 20ppm (40ppm out of the tap).

I am hoping the cause is a scuffle with one of the adults, this youngster was hiding in a cave for a while, I hope that one of the males tried to trap, or evict the young one from the cave causing the damage, rather than it being an infection or disease of some sort.

The only other inhabitants of the tank are 4 adult L260, the tank has been running in the same configuration for 18 months with 50% water changes weekly. This fish is the sole offspring of the adults and has spent its whole life in this tank.

I have removed the fluff from the pectoral, it came off very easily and just looked like it was caught on the tiny odentodes rather than growing from the fish. It is now in the same tank but in a floating breeding ring, while I figure out how to treat it.

I've added pictures below, any suggestions would be appreciated!

Thanks for your help.

[Jobro]

It's a young female. Looks like a bad spawning attempt to me. You can keep her in private shelter but you should add some space for hiding. I would not do any medications. Give it rest and it should recover. Best luck to you and the fish.

[MarcW]

Thanks Jobro, the fish is only small, 4.5 to 5 cm TL, but this does seem to have the hallmarks of a breeding attempt.

I'll​ add a bit of cover to the floating trap for it to hide in, and add a few more caves to the main tank when it's recovered and reintroduced.

[Jobro]

Thanks Jobro, the fish is only small, 4.5 to 5 cm TL, but this does seem to have the hallmarks of a breeding attempt.

I'll​ add a bit of cover to the floating trap for it to hide in, and add a few more caves to the main tank when it's recovered and reintroduced.

she is big enough. This female is producing fry for me for a few months now. Only like 3-6 eggs per spawn. But they spawn


With L260, females and males both cave, so adding a few more smaller caves is good.

[MarcW]

Wow I had no idea she would be large enough to breed!

Yes, my females certainly spend just as much time in caves as the males. I'll get a few more small caves in there before I put the small female back in.

She seems to be doing OK in the floating trap, how long do you think it will take to heal? I've not had one damaged this much before, usually it's just a graze along the side of the fish where the male has mouthed it.

Thanks for your help.

[Jobro]

It will surely take a few weeks for the pectoral to be fully recovered. But she should be ready to take care of herself in a view more days I think.

[MarcW]

Thanks again for your help.

I have added a small cave made from 1/2 inch pvc with a cap on the end into the floating trap with a small piece of bogwood to try and give the fish somewhere to hide.

While doing that I notice the fin has become red, I'm worried it may be a bacterial infection. Do you think I should treat it? All I have for bacterial infections is some melafix. I'd rather avoid medications unless necessary, so maybe it would be best to keep going with regular water changes?

Redness around pectoral fin

[Jobro]

That's looking nasty. I think you will need to medicate it. I have no experience with melafix, but after a short read up it should be the right choice.

[MarcW]

Thanks Jobro, I'll treat with melafix now, then report back with any changes.

[Jobro]

How is it looking, Marc?

[MarcW]

Just had a quick look, the redness has receded slightly, and I think there are signs of the fins healing and possibly some very small re-growth.

I dosed a half dose of Melafix from a syringe yesterday, and tried to direct it over the wound, it seems to have helped, although maybe it would have gotten better on its own anyway!

I just managed to get a picture, it looks like things are on track at the moment.

[Jobro]

I would reaply the treatment once more. I don't like the redness, still.

[MarcW]

I'll add another dose this afternoon, around 24 hours after the first.

Thanks for the feedback, hopefully she'll be back in good health soon.

[Jobro]

Any good news, Marc?

[MarcW]

Hi Jobro, she appears to be doing well, the redness has gone and I'm seeing more signs of re-growth on the fins. I dosed API Melafix at a half dose, for three days, each time using a syringe to direct the medication onto the red areas. I have just done a 50% water change and plan to stop the medication and monitor for a few days.

Fingers crossed she will make a full recovery.

[Jobro]

Looks good

I agree you can stop medication now, unless she will get red again.

[MarcW]

She is improving steadily, there is definite re-growth on both the pectoral and caudal fins, it is translucent and doesn't have any patterning yet, but she is getting there. No sign of the redness returning either.

[Jobro]

Marc, how did the fish go? all good now?

[MarcW]

Almost! I'm doing a water change on the L260 tank in the morning, so I'll take a picture and post an update then.

She is still in the breeding trap, but the fins have mostly grown back and have regained colour and pattern.

If she looks good tomorrow I think I'll release her back into the main tank, and also add a few more hiding places.

[MarcW]

She appears to be completely healed.

I have added her back to the tank along with some smaller 1/2 inch pvc pipe to the tank for her to hide in, which the adults are too big to fit into.

It has been 19 days since I first noticed the issue, the fins have grown back quite quickly.

Thanks for everyone's help.

[Jobro]

Wow! very good progress! You saved her for sure! At some point I almost lost hope myself (when her fins turned that red). But you did great and the fish as well. Congrats!

[MarcW]

Thanks Jobro, I was worried too, I'm very pleased she has healed. Hopefully she'll grow larger before any more spawning attempts!

[b.reder]

MarcW-
API Melafix at half dose. Why half dose?

[MarcW]

I was just being cautious with the half dose. I try to avoid using medication unless it's really necessary.

I was also using a small syringe to apply the Melafix onto the affected area as closely as I could, my thinking was if the medication coated the affected area then the amount in the rest of the tank water wasn't as important.

I could be wrong but it seemed to work ok.