Fin Nipper ID

Taratron · Post by **Taratron** » 19 Sep 2005, 12:36

In the process of cleaning up my 29 gallon, noticed some nipped dorsal fins on my elegans cories, and also on my guppy tails (no, I'm not a fan of guppies, but read somewhere that using livebearers in tanks, what with their continual breeding, might have enough leftover hormones in the water to aid in the spawning of other fish). So my question is...who is doing the biting?

Tank stock:
2 bristlenose plecos
1 clown pleco (to be removed to a tank at work)
1 spotted raphael catfish doradid
5 banjo cats (gods, these guys are freaking PIGS!)
2 female guppies
2 elegans cories
1 julii cory
2 peacock gudgeons
1 male betta (tail untouched)
1 nezzie swordtail male (to be removed as well)

sidguppy · Post by **sidguppy** » 19 Sep 2005, 12:50

Those common names will be the death of me one day

what on earth is a peacock gudgeon?

I'd say it's either the Betta (Betta's can be nasty critters) or the sworttail (less likely); what's a nezzie?

Post by **Silurus** » 19 Sep 2005, 12:57

what on earth is a peacock gudgeon?

Tateurndina ocellicauda

sidguppy · Post by **sidguppy** » 19 Sep 2005, 15:01

A those.

nah, that's no fin-nipper; those things are very peaceful.

my money's on the Betta.

YouTube · Post by **Jools** » 19 Sep 2005, 19:59

My money's on the Botia. I've seen hungry clown loaches reduce angelfish and siamese fighters fins in minutes. Also, the other suggestions would tend to be more noticeable-you'd be more likely to catch them in the act.

Jools

Post by **Marc van Arc** » 19 Sep 2005, 20:32

Jools, it's not a clown botia but a clown pl*co...
I'd go for the Betta as well.

mummymonkey · Post by **mummymonkey** » 19 Sep 2005, 20:49

Swordtails can be nippy.

YouTube · Post by **Jools** » 19 Sep 2005, 23:04

Marc van Arc wrote:Jools, it's not a clown botia but a clown pl*co...

Sorry, still not dried out all of that pina colada...

Jools

Taratron · Post by **Taratron** » 20 Sep 2005, 01:45

Swordtail is (spelling, please forgive): Xiphophorus nehuazocoyotl.

You know, I think from now on I'm going to keep a list on my desktop of all the fish I have, scientific name wise....cause you are right, sidguppy....stupid of me to roll my eyes at lfs workers who do the Dumb-Dumb stare when I ask for a corydoras aeneus, and they say, you mean the catfish not a algae eater?

Methinks it's time for the betta to leave the tank...it's odd, because he came from a friend's tank, and the fish actually would protect guppy fry, and try to keep them around his bubble nest. Males!

djw66 · Post by **djw66** » 23 Sep 2005, 21:34

sidguppy wrote:A those.

nah, that's no fin-nipper; those things are very peaceful.

my money's on the Betta.

Funny, I've read in old literature that Tateurndina ocellicauda was not to be trusted with other fish, and did all their damage during the night and mornings.

Dave

djw66 · Post by **djw66** » 23 Sep 2005, 21:49

Taratron wrote:You know, I think from now on I'm going to keep a list on my desktop of all the fish I have, scientific name wise....cause you are right, sidguppy....stupid of me to roll my eyes at lfs workers who do the Dumb-Dumb stare when I ask for a corydoras aeneus, and they say, you mean the catfish not a algae eater?

Common names frustrate me no end. For example, in the marine hobby, there are at least four, perhaps five, species of corals called 'meat corals' in the retail trade. That's why I order most of my animals off the internet, because with them, if I order a Trachyphillia geoffroyi , I know what I'm getting, rather than a Favia, or Favites, or Caulastrea or anything else that someone thinks looks like meat.

Dave