Nipped fins, fin rot or from water current? A. Agassizi

[Markusi]

When I first got the male and female together in the 'breeding' tank he seemed to be the agressor and was 'dive bombing' the female. After a day or two, things seemed to calm down and she got into her brood colors and eventually she started guarding the mouth of the spawning cave I bought and would periodically come out and 'strike at' the male. He eventually would try to hide behind the heater, or the thermometer:

see
http://www.charlemagne.net/ebay/breeders1.jpg

for example (and what fin looked like before it was damaged).

After a couple of days of this, I wouldn't see her attacking him, but the damage to his fin was increasing, so I removed him to a community tank. I'm now wondering if the damage is from the female, from the water current/airstone? or is there 'rot' due to damage from her nipping him?
http://www.charlemagne.net/ebay/fins1.jpg
http://www.charlemagne.net/ebay/fins2.jpg

Thanks!
markus

 

[Discus Man]

after a bad attack by one of the girls a males fins are damaged and a large chunk will fall off before the entire portion grows back. If the fin rot appears drastic and then stops then it was most likely the die back stage.
If it is gradual or the edges appear whitish or tufty (especially if any red streaks) then it could be fin rot. The stress o the attack plus the open wound on the tail can make it the site for an infection.

Let me know. From your pictures it looks like the typical aggedy fins of a beaten up male... you wouldn't be breeding in a 10g would you :wink:

 

[Markusi]

Guilty as charged...

So, I removed him from that tank...is it safe to put him back but try and beef up the cover?

 

[Randall]

Damaged Fins

Dear Markus,

Some hobbyists can successfully bred Apistogramma species in 10-gallon tanks, but I can't!

Looking at your photos, I think Discus Man is absolutely right: those fins have been nipped by a voracious female! It might be a good idea to watch carefully for signs of bacterial infection. Putting him back into a 10-gallon tank with Ms. fin nipper before his fins have grown back doesn't sound like such a good idea to me. Do you have a larger tank somewhere? Introducing some dither fish into the mix might help as well.

Good luck!

Randall Kohn

 

[Markusi]

I moved him into my 20 gal community tank; I actually have 2 10s set up for breeding; one for Aggies and one for Bitties....should I use some treatment for his fin?

 

[farm41]

Markus,

IME nothing beats clean water for clearing up damaged fins, change it a couple times a week.

Aggies do really need more like a 20L for breeding, I'm sure others have had success with smaller tanks. You have already seen what can happen with a small tank though.

 

[Discus Man]

LOL, see I can read minds!

I use 10g, 20, 40 and 60 for aggies.

In the 10g, female will try to kill the male after a spawn. Dither fish make the female eat the eggs so that's out of the question. With extra cover the male can hide but the female will hunt him down. Remember, with no dithers she starts feeling safe to leave her eggs for the few seconds it takes to go and attack... Only way I can use the 10g tanks are to put a seperator right down the middle. Fry swim through, parents have to stay on their sides. After three weeks, fry can be removed, divider taken down and the male takes a day or two to regain control over the female...

In a 20g there is room for a few dithers so female attacks male to make him defend the area.

In a 40g the female quits attacking the male except to give him a little nip, then he goes patrolling for 'invaders'!

As you can see, room and dithers make for a much more natural brooding behaviour. Its all in our choices here.

 

[Markusi]

So should I give up trying to get them to 'spawn' in a 10 gal tank? I'm trying to reinforce the 'cover' in the Aggie tank, otherwise, I will have a trio that could be up for grab/trade for a cauc set?

Markus

 

[Discus Man]

So should I give up trying to get them to 'spawn' in a 10 gal tank?

well up to you, I went out and bought a seprator and I now have another ten sitting empty if the female lays again. Those black stands hold two tens easy enough.

 

[Markusi]

Just bought a tank divider on my lunch hour. Will put in place and move the mail back; the female was prettier when she had her brood color on, now she's a dull gray and no longer hanging out in the cave. Perhaps she ate her eggs? I have no way of looking in the cave unfortunately...

 

[Markusi]

uh, I meant 'male' and not 'mail'.

 

[Markusi]

well I let his tail heal thanks to the divider, and once everything was all good, I took the devider out, and had lots of plant cover this time. She chewed his tail up in a day so the divider went back up. I guess it's time to try the other female?