Bit of a mystery ?

Hi,for months now all of my bristlenoses have had the bottom corner of their tails missing.If i buy any new fish it also happens to them within a couple of days.The only thing i can think of is that the gravel is wearing it away but the gravel is not harsh or sharp.I have racked my brains out on this one and thought i would ask here incase anyone has had a similar occurance or may have an idea.

None of their other fins have any problem and there are no signs of anything wrong with their tails apart from the bottom corner missing.Just incase i have treated the tanks with esha 2000 and have just started a weeks treatment of melafix just as a safe precaution but as i said all else is well and the fish are very healthy.The tanks only have bristlenoses in and only minimal amounts.There are no fighting issues or anything like that as my fish are only kept in pairs or in small groups of youngsters.There are no sharp rocks or anything in the tank that can cause it so i am at a loss as to what to do.

Any ideas or help would be very much appreciated.The fish are all fine but it is bugging me.

Interesting, I also have a Corydoras with the same problem. The fish seem healthy, eat well and none of the signs of fin rot.
I will be curious to hear what you find out.
Marty

Hi,may I ask what gravel you use please?

Bristlenoses wrote:

Hi,may I ask what gravel you use please?

In that tank I have a black colored smooth gravel, that is supposed to be catfish friendly.
Marty

Hi again Marty,Can you tell me what else is in your tank please? The melafix and also now pimafix is doing nothing at all,i thought that would be the case as they show no signs of any illness or anything.If it was just the one fish i would of thought it maybe caught it or something but it is all of them and also new additions get it.It is so strange,some of the missing pieces look perfect squares as if they have been cut with small scissors.It stays that way and never changes or grows back,what can it possibly be?

Bristlenoses wrote:

Hi again Marty,Can you tell me what else is in your tank please? The melafix and also now pimafix is doing nothing at all,i thought that would be the case as they show no signs of any illness or anything.If it was just the one fish i would of thought it maybe caught it or something but it is all of them and also new additions get it.It is so strange,some of the missing pieces look perfect squares as if they have been cut with small scissors.It stays that way and never changes or grows back,what can it possibly be?

Hi;
In side the tank is not much else, besides other cory catfish there are 13 neon tetras and a few baby swordtails.
I mainly use this tank as a tank to raise fry.
Everything else is healthy and happy. The fins don't look eated to me and also by me they just don't want to grow back.
Really strange.
Marty

Mine have definately not been eaten or attacked by any other fish either.It is very very odd and is driving me mad

Bristlenoses wrote:

Mine have definately not been eaten or attacked by any other fish either.It is very very odd and is driving me mad

I have searched the internet for answers but all the "experts" could come up with is fin rot.
It is not. No white border also the fish is not suffering. Plus it is not spreading.
Marty

I have searched and searched and that's all that i can find also.It definately isn't fin rot its just a missing piece of tail.what filter is in your tank and any wood or stones or plants etc?

Bristlenoses wrote:

I have searched and searched and that's all that i can find also.It definately isn't fin rot its just a missing piece of tail.what filter is in your tank and any wood or stones or plants etc?

I have a Tetra EX 400 external canister filter on the tank (more then enough for a 60 litre tank), just one large resin rock and the plants are nothing spectacular just a couple of sword plants and some Vallisinaria spiralis.
Nothing out of the ordinary. All the water chemistry is pretty good, No3 0, No2 0, GH 15, KH 10, Ph 7.
Marty

Have you got wood?

This melafix and pimafix are awfull smelling and i don't know how they are surviving in it,i keep expecting to find them dead.

Bristlenoses wrote:

Have you got wood?

This melafix and pimafix are awfull smelling and i don't know how they are surviving in it,i keep expecting to find them dead.

No I don't have any type of wood in that tank.
Marty

Well thankyou for your help.I am totaly at a loss as to what could cause it.

Bristlenoses wrote:

Well thankyou for your help.I am totaly at a loss as to what could cause it.

I thought I would add a photo the one with the biggest effect is in the foreground.
Bottom part of the tail fin, bits of the dorsal fin and both pectoral fins are just stumps (poor girl).
But notice none of the other ones in the picture are effected and it has been like this for some time so that rules out fin rot.
Plus there is none of the characteristic white border. Finally noen of the other fish in the tank are know to nib fins, but even if they did then why are no other fish effected to such as a extend as this one.
Marty
(Click on picture to see it bigger)

Hi again,that looks pretty severe and if she was mine i would be treating her for sure.Do not use melafix and or pimafix though mine has gone down the toilet (big waste of money)I highly recommend esha 2000 if you can get it.You can't just leave her like that poor thing and whatever it is may start on her body next.

Thankyou very much for posting the picture,my fish have nothing at all wrong with any fins,there is just the bottom corner of tail missing.It isn't affecting them in any way but i would love to know what it is.

Bristlenoses wrote:

Hi again,that looks pretty severe and if she was mine i would be treating her for sure.Do not use melafix and or pimafix though mine has gone down the toilet (big waste of money)I highly recommend esha 2000 if you can get it.You can't just leave her like that poor thing and whatever it is may start on her body next.

Thankyou very much for posting the picture,my fish have nothing at all wrong with any fins,there is just the bottom corner of tail missing.It isn't affecting them in any way but i would love to know what it is.

Thnk you for you help, that is really good advice.
I will try esha 2000, but I have to be carefull not to treat the whole tank. As in that tank are fry and I don't know how their little bodies could take it.
So I guess a quarantine tank is in order.
I hope it helps.
But I will also keep my eyes open for anything else that would help both of us.
Marty

Hi,I have used esha 2000 for a long time and i have used it with fry in the tank and it has never affected them at all (just follow the instructions properly).I tried the melafix and pimafix as something different but never again.I will stick with the esha in future.I have 3 different esha products and i like them all and always have had good results with them.

Bristlenoses wrote:

Hi,I have used esha 2000 for a long time and i have used it with fry in the tank and it has never affected them at all (just follow the instructions properly).I tried the melafix and pimafix as something different but never again.I will stick with the esha in future.I have 3 different esha products and i like them all and always have had good results with them.

Thank you,
That is excellent advice.
I will oder it now.
Marty

Please let me know how it goes

Bristlenoses wrote:

Please let me know how it goes

Will do