Hello everyone,
My two Polypterus senegalus are experiencing fin damage.
On Friday, I did a thorough cleaning of my tank and filter due to a hair algae outbreak. Three days later, I went on vacation, thinking that if anything had gone wrong, I would have noticed it. When I returned, my tank was in good condition except for my bichirs—their fins are damaged (on one, a small part of the anal fin and a bit of the tail fin; on the other, the left pectoral fin is quite badly affected).
Based on my personal research, the most likely cause seems to be a nitrate or nitrite spike that I unfortunately missed. This could have affected the blood vessels in the fins, causing the damage.
The water parameters are now stable. The bichirs are eating, swimming, behaving normally, and their eyes are fine (only the fins are affected). There are also six torpedo barbs, four diamond gouramis, one dwarf pike cichlid, and two plecos in the tank, all of which are healthy. The temperature is 25°C, and the tank volume is 600 liters.
I was wondering if anyone could tell me whether this is indeed the cause (or if not, what else it might be) and how best to help my bichirs recover.
Thank you so much for reading and taking the time to help me and my bichirs.
Have a great evening, and feel free to ask any questions! 😁
Posted by Aggravating-Rest2520