HELP- I dont know how to help my fish!!

[PippinFishGurl]

My piranha, which I have had for about 8 months, attacked my fancy goldfish and ate all if her fins. This is the first time I have had to have a fish grow its fins back and I have no idea what to do. Can anyone give me some advice??

 

[PippinFishGurl]

I am keeping her in a breeding net at the moment.

 

[Mebbid]

At the very least I would suggest dosing with Melafix. It is supposed to help prevent bacterial infections which should help the fins heal faster.

 

[Wiggles24]

Are those neons and cherry barbs in with a pirannha?

 

[Scottyhorse]

They look like they are.

 

[Rutrag]

Is that actually a piranha or a pacu? I can't see enough of the mouth to be sure. Whichever it is, it has no business with the other fish in the tank, as either species is incompatible with goldfish or small fish. Unfortunately, you're learning this the hard way.

With clean water, a fish's find will regrow in time, so long as the main bone of the fin isn't completely gone. When they grow back, they may be mangled looking however.

 

[Scottyhorse]

The goldfish looks like it has something else going on too, all those white things...

 

[PippinFishGurl]

Is that actually a piranha or a pacu? I can't see enough of the mouth to be sure. Whichever it is, it has no business with the other fish in the tank, as either species is incompatible with goldfish or small fish. Unfortunately, you're learning this the hard way.

With clean water, a fish's find will regrow in time, so long as the main bone of the fin isn't completely gone. When they grow back, they may be mangled looking however.

The piranha has been in there for 8 months and has never even gone after any of my fish. I was very surprised when this happened :0 thanks for the advise

 

[Scottyhorse]

What size tank is this?

 

[PippinFishGurl]

It is a 55gal

 

[Airgoose2222]

I'd say the piranha is finally getting big enough to start with it's natural aggression towards other fish. Get ready to lose them all soon... or get another tank for the piranha.

 

[Mebbid]

I didn't notice the small fish in the tank when I first looked at it. But yeah the piranha is finally growing into an adult. My first foray into fish keeping about 4 years ago ended when I bought a trio of jewel cichlids for a community tank containing guppies, mollies, a black knife fish, common pleco, and a few other odds and ends fish. The trio was fine until they grew up a little bit and one male killed the other male. From that point it was mating time and I came back to look at the tank after work and almost every other fish in my tank was dead aside from the two jewel cichlids that were left. Lesson learned. I kept him alive in his very own 10 gallon tank in my bedroom. He even ended up going blind in one eye from some unknown cause. I tried keeping him alone in a larger community tank hoping he would be okay which he decided to bully other fish, and then tried to put him in with Mbunas which bullied him incessantly which he couldn't defend himself and ended up with fin rot from being bit and chomped on. Now he is peacefully living alone back in the 10 gallon tank in my bedroom.

Long story short, due to me not researching proper setup for the fish I wanted to buy I am stuck with a fish that has to live alone due to me not taking the time to learn how to do things correctly. You aren't the first person to do something like that but its important to learn from your mistake and attempt to rectify the problem as soon as possible.

 

[Fullmoonnight]

You'll probably want to get another tank now. I agree that Melafix or some aquarium salt will do the trick. I always add a bubbler with my sick fish. It seems to help as long as it isn't pushing my fish around everywhere.

 

[PippinFishGurl]

The goldfish looks like it has something else going on too, all those white things...

Those "white spots" are scales. She has many different colors. I apologize that the picture is of really bad quality.

 

[Scottyhorse]

Sorry, they looked like pimples or something to me from the pictures.

 

[jlk]

The goldfish honestly needs her own 20-30g tank and LOTS of healthy water in order to heal (50%wcs daily). Nothing other than this and a nutritious diet is necessary. If the rays (bones) are missing or badly damaged, these will likely not grow back. As fish are quite adaptable, she will adjust to her handicap with time and proper care. If you do not have an extra tank at the moment, consider a large rubbermaid bin (20-30g) with a filter to keep her in for now. The bins run for less than $10 at any big chain store.

Do you have a liquid test kit for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and ph? What do these read?

 

[Nimo]

I agree with setting up a tank just for the goldie. She needs at minimum 20 gallons. Take some of the substrate and maybe a decoration or 2 out of your existing tank. Take a piece of filter media from existing tank and around 10-15 gallons of water from existing tank to set up a new tank then top it off with fresh water.
This will seed the new tank and help it cycle realy quick or maybe not at all.
Do daily 50 percent water changes on the new tank. Fresh clean water is the best defense against injury and sickness.
I have a male beta that was stripped of his fins. He is all better now completly grown back out. And in his own 5 gallon tank now. We all make mistakes we just have to learn from them and fix um.