Fin injury?

[clownfishy]

My clown fish has recently lost his complete left fin except for two little bones because of another fish in my tank bullying him. I took him out first mostly because without a fin he was the easiest to catch and i put him in a small tank to hopefully recover. I took the other fish out and returned him to the pet store this morning. My clownfish are still very small but my two questions are how long can they be separated since they are a pair and will his fin ever completely grow back??

Thanks for your help

 

[crister13]

I had a goldfish that had no fins left just bones and he was fine for a year until he got killed, but he wouldve been fine. Melafix wouldnt hurt. GL!!!!!

 

[Leighton79]

If they are still as small as you say, I doubt they have 'paired yet'. Sexual maturity would mean they would be bigger. Just because you've had them swimming as a pair, doesn't mean they are a pair, if you get me?

 

[Gti_Leo]

so the clown is a true nemo with a gimp fin

 

[clownfishy]

so the clown is a true nemo with a gimp fin

yea haha thats exactly what he is

 

[clownfishy]

If they are still as small as you say, I doubt they have 'paired yet'. Sexual maturity would mean they would be bigger. Just because you've had them swimming as a pair, doesn't mean they are a pair, if you get me?

Yea i understand what your saying but will the other clown except him and swim with him still or will he bully nemo?

 

[BallinCrew10]

Since they're not a true mated pair I'm thinking you'll be fine to put him back with the other if and when he recovers. One of them is going to get "bullied" its part of establishing dominance to determine which one will become female. The odds are just against him now that, should he recover, he will become the female.

Out of curiosity, what was it that was picking on him? My clowns pretty much run the show in my tank lol.

 

[Gti_Leo]

it would become the male, the females are the more dominate

 

[BallinCrew10]

Yea, hard to be the bully when you're down a fin. One legged man in an a** kicking contest lol.

 

[clownfishy]

Since they're not a true mated pair I'm thinking you'll be fine to put him back with the other if and when he recovers. One of them is going to get "bullied" its part of establishing dominance to determine which one will become female. The odds are just against him now that, should he recover, he will become the female.

Out of curiosity, what was it that was picking on him? My clowns pretty much run the show in my tank lol.

Well its kind of a long story because our friends had a saltwater tank with a coral banded shrimp, mandrin goby, and a tomatoe clown but they couldnt take care of it so it was just dumped in our basement and we were going to figure out what to do in the morning. The shrimp and goby didn't make it through the night and the clown looked very sick and we couldn't just watch it die so we threw it in my tank. I know that was a really dumb thing to do but the plan was to leave it there over night and take it to the pet store but that never really happend and i got more and more aggressive.

 

[clownfishy]

My crippled fish is doing great! he is eating like a monster and swimming everywhere with just the slightest slant. I have him in about a 5 gallon and i was wondering since it doesnt have the best filtration how and how often to give him a water change?

 

[BallinCrew10]

What do you have in your other tank besides the 1 clown. 5 gallons is way to small for a clown and will stress him out. With an injury like that it could leave him prone to infection.

 

[clownfishy]

around how big does it have to be for a single small clown? i have an opprotunity to get a new one soon

 

[BallinCrew10]

Well that's somewhat of a debatable topic. Some say a single clown can be put in a 10gallon. I disagree with that though. The smallest I would go with a single clown is maybe a 20gallon. A pair I would do no less than 30, preferably 40.

 

[clownfishy]

I put the clown back in my big tank and after a few little nudges they are back to swimming together again. He even tries to use his stub!

 

[joy13]

He would have been fine in the 5 gallon hospital tank until you were sure there was no infection in the fin it is easier to treat in a hospital tank than the dt. Hopefully you didn't put him back in to soon. Feed the fish food with garlic like garlic guard there seems to be some truth to it helping with infections.

 

[clownfishy]

He is looking fine now but what are some warning signs of infections?