Tailless Minnow!

[trinity]

Hi all,

I'm not a big fish specialist, so I hope you can help me with something (without getting too technical).

I have 3 White Cloud Mountain Minnows in a small tank. 2 male, 1 female. The smaller of the males has lost his tail, and is staying on the surface of the tank. I don't know how he lost his tail, but what can I do? Will it grow back? Will he be able to survive without it?

 

[CRaZeeeBiTcHisH]

well, do you have a bully in the tank that may be nipping his tail and causing him to be stressed? he could have fin rout, that just kinda eats it away, usually due to poor water condition.....good luck, hope he makes it---be sure to observe them from a distance where they don't know you are there, their behavior will be different, and you may spot a meanie...

 

[trinity]

Thanks for the reply.

When I bought him, he came with the other male, and I have since added the female (about 6 weeks ago). The three of them seem to be getting along fine now - the males were at first a little aggro, but they settled down long before this happened. He seems to be being left alone now.

The tail's been missing for about a fortnight.

They're on my desk at work, and when I'm here (about 9-10 hours a day) they act normal. What they're like when I'm not here I'm not sure.

The tank, plant, fish, snail and everything came with a kit, and as per those instructions, I half-change the water every 8 weeks and replace it with still spring water.

For an image of my tank (not the best quality, sorry): http://www.jennyfers.com/fishcam.jpg

 

[CRaZeeeBiTcHisH]

what exactly is still spring water? hopefully not bottled or distilled water--the fish need tap water, bottled water is too pure for them and it removes some of their precious minerals....unless you want to add all that back to the bottled water....

 

[trinity]

It's bottled water... they told me that I had to use it because the gravel contains micro-organisms that keep the balance perfectly(also eliminates the need for filters)... and there's too much chlorine etc in in our tap water (plus the ph has killed several snails in another tank...)

The fish have survived 6 months already in still water and this is the first mishap... :?

 

[CRaZeeeBiTcHisH]

Well, some things work for some..perhaps your bottled water is full of minerals--but as a general rule it is extremely soft and empty for lack of a better word at the moment ..but I think you should do a little reading up on water chemistry and fish stress...sure you can live in the arizona desert with a small amount of water--but how long will you hold out under less than ideal conditions? the micro-organisms you are i presume referring to are the nitrifying bacteria, and believe me, they will grow in a huge variety of water regardless of whether or not it has been bottled....and you should never put your fish in water with chlorine--that's why they sell a wide variety of dechlorinators---of course you will do what you do, but you may have a clearer understanding of what's actually going on in there if you study up some--check out our links section and if you still don't get enough information, i will be glad to direct you to some more related sites....

 

[CRaZeeeBiTcHisH]

i know i am terrible for not getting all my thoughts in one box, but here goes..
lol
exactly how big is your tank? i find it a little bit hard to believe that a manufacturer would recommend no filter and a 50% water change every 8 weeks, are you sure you understood that correctly? and you should always go to the fish store informed, because if you start reading up on this hobby, you will soon realize that VERY, VERY few ppl who work in the petshop have any idea what they are talking about and are quite well-known to give out hopeless advice--

 

[fishfreek]

Can you tell us the brand of 'still spring water'? I know I have read the lables of some bottled water and some do have a list of minerals and such added back into the water.

I think Evian is one that does this.

 

[trinity]

TAilless Minnow

Well, I have worked out the cause of the problem - Lorena Bobbitt (the female, of course) decided to take out her fishy equivalent of PMT on the poor male fish. Stumpy the fish has since died I'm wondering how long it will be before she goes after the other one.

As for the specs of the tank, it is really tiny - about 4x4x5 inches. Enough room for three minnows (or one Siamese Fighting Fish - they also come in these tanks). The breeder of the fish told me it has a "biological filtration system" within the gravel, and that with the plant there was no need for pumps.

The spring water we use is plain Mount Franklin water, from any Aussie supermarket.

 

[fishfreek]

Trinity so your in aussie land huh?

If so thats real strange to hear you talk about Lorena Bobbitt. Guess we truly live in a world where events are global.

 

[trinity]

Yes, I am an Aussie (don't even think of saying "Crikey"!), and events like the Bobbitt incident certainly do make their way down here. Corny nickname for a fish, I know, but rather apt, don't you think?

 

[CRaZeeeBiTcHisH]

sounds like an extremely small tank, i don't think it is really big enough for one fish, much less three, and that 'biological filtration system' is very very likely to be overwhelmed by three fish's wastes with no surfaces with lots of area for them to multiply...and you are asking for sudden death if you clean it too well, so i would still suggest you read up on water chemistry if you plan to keep them alive much longer...i know what kind of tank you are talking about , can't think of the name of them , but isn't it the one that is tiny with a lid, there is a brand name , because there was a huge uproar in the usenet groups over them and their lack of consideration for the health and happiness of fish--and preying on naive fishkeepers tendency to prefer easy care--don't believe all of what someone tells you , especially when they want to sell you something...

 

[AdamsAquarium]

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