My babes has had some issues in his life with me already and I just have been a little exhausted by them. With ammonia spikes, food spills, and all sorts of other stuff, I'm just really starting to be worried the hobby might not be for me. I feel like I'm doing something wrong.
Outside of my emotional turmoil, Ares has been tearing his fins and I'm not sure what it could be, I have a Anubias with hanging roots in a floating log he goes into but I didn't think the roots could do that, but I'm just trying my best to find a cause. He has a Buddha he goes in and out of, but I don't see him doing it often, should I remove that and put something else in the tank? No artificial plants, gravel and sand, plastic decor (my most likely issue), no obvious hazards. I removed the plant from the log for now and have it floating between two leaf hammock suction cup things, and have his floaters up at the top as much as possible, I don't know if I could've triggered this but I did remove his hammocks on the walls after they began to build up iron on the silicone from my hard water.
I'm going to check in the morning and update but I would love anyone's advice on how to treat this effectively, what I can do to continue to accomade his large fins, and what could be causing it what to remove. My decor and plants are seen in the photos, I did add back the wall hammock leads and pulled the black hammock closer. It was being used to baffle water, but I wonder if maybe he got stuck in it while it was spinning one of these times and got hurt? The filter flow didn't seem to be an issue but I am not totally sure, this is my first real fish keeping experience.
https://www.reddit.com/gallery/1r1nzar
Posted by monsoonsilk
1 Comment
Plant roots wouldnt have cut his fins like that i dont think and the drift wood should be fin safe
Here are some questions to consider, if any of these has a Yes answer then your friend needs help: Does Ares sit or stay at the bottom for long periods of time? Does Ares float sideways at all? Does Ares appear sick looking/are his fins ripped? Does Ares have degraded fins?
Since you are worried about his fins being ripped, taking care of his wounds is MOST important, if those get infected your buddy will have alot harder time recovering. Salt baths should do the trick but try to do his salt baths away from his actual tank because it can hurt more than it does good, try to give him his baths in a hospital tank or different container. As far as them actually getting torn, i am not sure what would have done this unless he bit his own fins, (Halfmoons have been known to get annoyed with their tails and bite them off, look for little upside down U shapes instead of actual tears in his fins)
what are his tank mates, if any? What foods do you feed (Flakes/Pellets/Frozen brine shrimp)? Did you cycle it for atleast a month b4 you got him?
Edit: Just to clarify, i meant Aquarium salt baths, table salt should not be used on fish