Sick Cardinal Tetra

[LKH]

Well, this all started on December 11. He had two weeks on meds, with a 50% water change midway, and another 50% last weekend (no more meds since). He seems to be pretty well buffed up. So I think I'll go ahead and risk it this weekend. Hopefully he is able to fend for himself now. I think a couple of the females in his school are a bit nippy.

I'd like to get the QT tank back on track because I've been wanting to pick up some otos and/or cories for my 10 gallon, which is currently inhabited only by a male betta, and which has some serious algae issues. (Plus I'd like to add to my cory school in the 30 gallon - there are only 3 currently, and they're awfully skittish, so I think they need more numbers.)

Thanks again for all your help.

L

 

[LKH]

... and already it looks like someone is picking on him. Bits of his tail are missing. I'll probably move him again this afternoon when I get home from work.

Do you think he'll be OK with one of my male bettas? I have one in a 10 gallon tank, and another in a 2.5. Maybe if I put him in the 10 along with some new otos, and keep the betta in a specimen container for a few days until he gets used to seeing the other fish swimming around...?

Or is it better to keep him with his school, even though he is nipped now and again? If I could, I'd remove the nipper, but whoever it is, doesn't do it when I'm looking, and doesn't do it to any other fish.

L

 

[Devilishturtles]

If it were me, I'd take him out. If you can see noticeable picking and stress, chances are it'd just get worse. I'd let him in the 10 gallon with the other fishes. Maybe he can make new friends that way. He should be fine with the betta, IF you have a docile betta fish. I'd keep a close eye on the two of them for the first few hours together.

BTW, how is the spine looking?

 

[LKH]

Spine is still crooked. If you look at him from the top, it's kind of S-shaped, and one side of his body is thicker than the other.

I moved him today. For now, he's back in QT. He's obviously very stressed, so I decided to medicate him for another week with Melafix, and give his tail fin (and dorsal got nipped before I got him out this afternoon) a chance to heal.

Meanwhile, I got 5 otos for the betta tank. Keeping fingers crossed that he'll be OK with them. I figured at least with 5, if he did try to pick on them, he couldn't focus too much attention on any one. Right now he's in a small glass betta bowl, floating in the 10 gallon but isolated from the other fish. I'll keep him like that for a few days - change out water with the aquarium a couple times a day so he stays clean. That way he can get used to seeing them around and maybe he'll be OK.

He was initially in my 30 gallon, but he started flaring at the feeding ring, so I moved him to the 10. Here's hoping that he'll be nicer to the bottom feeders. He was actually shoaling with some cories at the LFS when I bought him.

L

 

[Devilishturtles]

I keep hearing all these horror stories about agressive bettas, but all of mine have been wimpy. They get picked and picked and picked, so I eventually gave up on the idea of having on in my community tank.

Good luck.

 

[LKH]

I had a 15 gallon once, divided three ways with a betta on each end and a dwarf gourami in the middle. I bought six otos to go in, and put two in each section. The two bettas actually chased all four of their otos over the divider and into the middle section. I put them back in the end sections and raised the divider and the next day, they were back in the middle again. I guess they actually crawled over. LOL.

Anyway, thanks.

L