# Tails missing!



## cottoncandy946 (Apr 2, 2009)

I have had a couple mollies and guppy's die recently and All of there tails have been missing! What is happening???



Kayla


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## Chickadee (Nov 15, 2008)

What other fish are in with them or could they possibly have fin rot? It is not a disease just for bettas but for all fish. The fish with less finnage will lose their fins much faster and the loss of a tail will kill any fish but if they are with fish that tend to be fin nippers and they had long or flowing fins they would be fair game to the nippers too. Since even one nip can get a case of fin rot going it would be perhaps even a combination of the two causes.

Rose


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## JIM (May 27, 2009)

*What other fish are in the tank?? some fish are fin nippers, also it may possibly be tail and fin rot, if so you may want to treat your tank for that. But before using any medications, make very sure that its not the first thing i mentioned.Sorry about your losses. *frown*


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## Shotgun (Mar 1, 2009)

what other fish are in the tank? what are the water parameters and temperature?


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## cottoncandy946 (Apr 2, 2009)

I have 5 neon tetras,3 Creamcicle mollies,4 Guppys,3 starburst Platys! The temp is 80 degrees!I don't think it is Fin Rot becouse There tails are all normal but when they die there WHOLE tail is gone!


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## jrodriguez (Jul 20, 2009)

have you seen the neon tetras nip their fins by any chance??


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## cottoncandy946 (Apr 2, 2009)

No I have never seen the tetra's nip any fins The only fin nipper I have seen was a female guppy who died awhile ago.


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## Chickadee (Nov 15, 2008)

Sometimes the nipping takes place at night but it could also be that it is just a very bad case of chronic fin rot. Tetras are really very bad at nipping though so you may want to try seperating the long finned fishes out from them since you don't have a complete school of them. Sometimes if they don't have a complete school they keep busy working on the other fish. It sometimes helps to keep a school of 6 or better 8 to keep them clustered.

Cannot promise it will stop the problem but it may.

Rose


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## cottoncandy946 (Apr 2, 2009)

Oooh ok I'll try that see if it helps!


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## cottoncandy946 (Apr 2, 2009)

I feed them tropical flakes but I'll try feding them bloodworms! Thanks for the advice!


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## cottoncandy946 (Apr 2, 2009)

Ooooh I'll see if I can get some Live brine shrimp!


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## cottoncandy946 (Apr 2, 2009)

Bannas hmm I got some live brine shrimp and they LOVE it!! Thanks for the advice!!!


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## cottoncandy946 (Apr 2, 2009)

Awesome


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## cottoncandy946 (Apr 2, 2009)

Thats a good point my ciclids eat live food and my betta's eat frozen!


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## Dmaaaaax (Nov 20, 2008)

It sounds like their fins are fine and you don't notice any nipped tails on the live fish right?

A lot of fish that die start to get their fins/eyes nipped after they die by other fish, algae eaters, shrimps, snails...etc if you don't find them and take them out right away. I am guessing your fish are fine, or at least that they did not die due to the fin nipping.


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## cottoncandy946 (Apr 2, 2009)

Oooh the fish that died were around 3 years old! They might have died from old age maybe!


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## Dmaaaaax (Nov 20, 2008)

That would be my first guess.  I think your tank is just fine and the nipping is done post death as I posted previously.


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## cottoncandy946 (Apr 2, 2009)

Thats probally it!


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## BlueSaphire (Nov 3, 2009)

Yes that was my guess to after the fish die many snails and bottom feeders nip off the tails. But if many are dying at once it may be a non-visible sickness other than fin rot so I would recomend separating any fish with even the slightest signs of illness.


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