Anybody able to ID fish

[Mike Charlie]

Hi all,

Got this fish given to me by LFS as he couldn't give it the space. Somebody had brought it in as it's tankmates had attacked it and shredded its fins.

So far I just matched the water from the tank he had it in and put a low flow filter in a 100 litre tank to keep it going for the last week

However I want him to he's faster, his fins look really damaged and he keeps swimming sideways when I watch him. He eats whatever I feed him so not I'll as fair as I know.

Please someone help ID so I can give him the best setup for him, also any ideas on ways to heal other than just waiting

 

[Edvet]

Looks like an unhappy Heros severum

 

[Mike Charlie]

Cool had a look at what they normally look like and looks gorgeous, so only concern is how do I make the tail fin grown back, does medication for this actually work?

 

[Edvet]

Clean water, good food and time

 

[Mike Charlie]

Assuming we are talking months.

I've had a read through care sheet of him and it recommends 45 gallon tank, but can't do that at moment, do you reckon he will be ok should only be until next month as I'm moving tanks around so should free up a 60 gallon

 

[mort]

That caudal fin is very cropped back and looks like it's healed over (you can norally see fin ras still present from where the fins regrow and from the picture i can't). If that is the case it might not grow back or worse could be a deliberate manipulation of the fish. I tend to ignore the Asian market because of their cruelty but they often trim the caudal fin to give a heart shaped appearance. These don't make it over here very often thankfully but be aware that it might not grow back due to human, not piscine interference.

 

[zozo]

Assuming we are talking months.

Don't know about this spp. But 2,5 years ago i bought a batch of sick parasite infested Corydoras pygmaeus, a few turned blind with it.. I reared then back to health, so i thought, the parasite was gone.. But they were already rather very weakend. Months later they started suffering finrot. while all other fish with them were perfect health.. So i gave the Cory's a Kanamycin treatment. All survived that, but in a few months time again some still were at their end and disseapered. The few that survived till today, took over 2 years to grow their fins partialy back. Still not completely everything.

Tho i notice one growing longer narrower fins back then they originaly have. Seems like natural over compensation with repairing fins..

Always wondered how breeders managed to breed long fin variants of what doesn't excist with long fins in nature. Could it be long term slow, fin distruction with chemicals, so the fish repairs this with over compensating fin growth? And over time get a genetic strain out of that?.. Dunno, it was my first time experiencing finrot on my fish.

 

[Mike Charlie]

God zozo I hope this isn't how long finned are bred it sound so cruel. 2 years is a long time for it to grow back on pygmy corys, wonder if that may mean the severum won't ever grow it back properly seeing as its fin should be so much bigger. (If that makes sense?)

Mort I agree it does looked healed over and short but I hope you are wrong as I would love it to grow back. If that is the case would there be nothing to start the growth again?

 

[Edvet]

I think it wil grow back in 6-12 months

natural over compensation with repairing fins

This doesn't occur, it grows till it's genetical length is reached. Longfin types are created through selective breeding over many generations

 

[zozo]

I think it wil grow back in 6-12 months

This doesn't occur, it grows till it's genetical length is reached. Longfin types are created through selective breeding over many generations

I see if i can get a picture of the little bugger.. Not going to be easy, it doesn't show often in the dense growth.. They were severely damaged, with no tail and dorsal fin left. Thought it would never grow back again, but this one has a rather long tail growing back, longer than i've ever seen and longer as it had before.. That's all i know and see. ALso never found a picture of a pygmeaus with such a long tail.

I've red some horror stories of breeders using chemicals to color fish. And sometimes just wonder even with selective breeding, how and under what conditions did the abominantion occur in the first place? Which they then selectively breed.. With dogs it is inbreeding. WIth fish, i have no idea, could be the same, but such a Ball eyed fancy goldfish.. I realy have my doubts if that is inbreeding only.. What ever it is, it likely is an very old well gaurded secret.

 

[Mike Charlie]

Oh I can handle 6-12 months if its that, going to have a bit of research into tank mates once it start to grow back properly maybe some larger dither fish that might get him swimming but will report back my ideas after some research.

I would love to see the cory as well but know how hard it is to find them, I have 9 cories in a tank and 6 bronze, 3 pandas and rarely see the pandas except when I feed bloodworm and they are all there ready haha

 

[mort]

Ime if the fin rays are destroyed into the tissue then the fin is unlikely to regrow. It's hard to describe where this line is drawn but think of it like your fingers where they enter the palm, if they are gone at the knuckle there is nothing left to rebuild. You can see on this parrotfish the clear divide and where the opaque section is, they remove this to stop the tail growing back

And this is a tailess one but I've seen them with more of a stump, like your fish but these have been really trimmed for the shape

Hopefully there is still enough of the caudal peduncle to regrow it. It shouldn't effect the fish too much if it doesn't however.

 

[Mike Charlie]

Taken another picture in good light and this is what I can see, think this might be ok?

 

[mort]

The top looks more promising but I think only time will tell. Do you know the history of the injury? if it was nipping then the chances are good for recovery.

 

[Mike Charlie]

The LFS said that the person who brought it in said all the cichlids turned on it overnight so he needed it gone but no telling if that's true.

He occasionally goes side ways when he is not moving, not like swim bladder problems more like he just gives up for a moment but if I put food in he starts swimming normally but just slower than I would expect from a fish if it's size. Is this just to do with the look of fin or is it something else that needs treating as well

 

[mort]

If it was nipping then it's unlikely to have been reduced to a point where it won't grow back. The side ways swimming could be because of the reduced finance as it looks like the dorsal and anal fin have been trimmed as well slightly.
The other thing to look out for is a bacterial problem. In the first picture it's eye looks a little cloudy which could be a sign of this (or might just be a scrape from being attacked). Bacterial issues can also cause swimming problems so keep a look out to see if it worsens and just keep the water quality good. They are very hardy fish so hopefully it just needs a little tlc.

 

[Mike Charlie]

The cloudiness is my tank being bit dirty on outside and reflection I think as when I look at him in good light I see red eyes but will keep an eye out for it in future just in case.

Thanks everyone for all the help, happy to know he is healthy other than just time. Was going to put in some tank mates when I move him into bigger tank but going to leave the tankmates until he has fully healed. Once again thanks everyone.

 

[Danny]

Defo a green severum, put it on a bloodworm diet for a few weeks and it will be back in great condition.