Who had a field day with my betta?

[CiRXSi]

I've had this current combination in my 15G high for about two weeks now, but all of a sudden last night, someone nailed all the fins on my betta. Who was it? I'm thinking maybe the dwarfs. I know they're slow but bettas are completely still when they sleep. Angel needs your help. Thanks.

 

[Endgame319]

ok, dwarf puffers are NOT community fish. They almost definately were the ones who chewed up the bettas fins. They are notorious fin nippers and should not be kept with other fish, although there are some exceptions. I reccomend you gind a new home for the d-puffers as soon as you can.

 

[Menagerie]

Hmmm, that's a tough one, unless you know mrzap's "evil male hating lesbian betta" down in South Florida, from the thread "Something is eating my beta fish."
That's unlikely , so I blame the puffers.

Here's something I just read on Rainbow sharks from http://www.aquariumfish.net/catalog_pages/sharks_eels_loaches/shark_rainbow.htm :

But if you have less than six sharks, they'll begin to quarrel, and the weakest ones will be miserable. So if you keep Rainbow Sharks, keep one or keep several, but don't keep just a few together.

Rainbow Sharks are beautiful, energetic, hardy, and rather aggressive to other Sharks, but not quite as aggressive as Red Tail Sharks. Most sharks are not aggressive to other types of fish. So sharks make good tank mates for many types of fish. But as mentioned above it's best to have just one Rainbow Shark or one Red Tail Shark in an aquarium, or more than six, but not just a few.

And here is a little tidbit of dwarf puffer info from http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/Fishindx/puf-trav.htm :

Despite their small size, they may nip the fins of other fish.

My vote is decisively on the puffers. They probably cannot resist the long, flowing fins of Angel.

I would QT Angel right away and give him TLC and watch for finrot. With all the love you show for your fish, Angel should make a full recovery, but you will need to find him a new home.

 

[CiRXSi]

Angel is QT right now, and undergoing Bettamax treatment. I figure it is probably the puffers and I'm not sure what I will do with them yet. Just not sure why it took a while for them to find him. I guess it's really hit or miss on finding an employee at a chain pet store that really knows their stuff. He sounded convincing, but I will definately have to do my compatibility researching on my own. (or with the help of you guys)

 

[madasafish]

Just to make it even more emphatical ...

Yes, it was almost certainly the puffers. They should really have their own tank. I've got them, and only dare keep them with an otocinclus catfish (which keeps down the algae). They're esp. bad on flowing fins.

 

[Menagerie]

I google search for all my fish needs! Then I look over all the conflicting information and try my best to make an informed decision. And in the end, my fiancé and I impulse buy something and end up buying a new tank!!!

 

[AtodaJ]

CiRXSi: Just a friendly early warning here. 2 Rainbow Sharks in one tank is not a good idea. Once they mature you will most likely begin to see some serious battles in those tanks. They tend to be pretty aggressive towards their own kind in small numbers.

http://www.petfishtalk.com/shows/020904.htm

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?siteid=21&pCatId=1081

 

[CiRXSi]

Well, Angel has healed, and I put him back in with the others. Hasn't grown the fins all the way back yet, but I can tell he will. Looking good, and glad to be back home.

 

[Menagerie]

YEAH!!!