saltwatercube
Community Member
Hi All!
I have a one year old reef tank. Inhabitants are 2 clown fish, one fire fish, and one Royal gramma basslet. Plus 5 snails and 2 hermit crabs. My one hermit crab is the size of a dime and the other has grown from the size of a dime to the size of a turbo snail in 4 months. Also one small zoa colony, no other coral. All in a 30 gallon tank that will be upgraded to a 90 gallon in a few days (see pics!). Last inhabitant (the crabs) were added in June. Feed every other day with a variety of frozen food. I have never seen any discourse among the fish.
Parameters:
Ammonia and nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 5
Phosphate: .02-.09 (tests in the last 3 days have varied)
Magnesium: 1300
Calcium: 450
Alk: 7.5
My firefish lives peacefully with the other fish in the tank and the four tend to swim together in a pack. Yesterday morning, when I turned on the light, my firefish was missing her tail. I have had betta fish before with fin rot and that is usually a gradual process, not an overnight thing from my experience. My parameters are not perfect, but they are not unclean. She is eating, not acting scared, and swimming about. I have noticed that her stomach is slightly rounded, but other than that you would never know her tail was gone.
How did this happen??? She sleeps in a hole with her tail sticking out (see previous posts under my account), so my best guess is that when she was sleeping the crab snipped the top of her tail off. We are DAYS away from upgrading to a 90 gallon and are working on filling it and when we do the crab will be going in the sump (with plenty of chaeto and shells and will be fed supplements directly). He is rather aggressive and even though we have about a dozen sized shells lying around that he is constantly poking at, it seems he wants a new shell and is constantly poking at the snails. Once again we are a mere few days away from upgrading and having him separated from everyone else. Also, for the time being, I moved the crab into a bully box with just him and an empty shell that I change out a couple times a day (we have dozens of different sizes) in hopes that the forced proximity will entice him to change and stop harassing the snails for their shells).
What can I do to help? Should I put her in a hospital tank? She is swimming and out in the open more than any other fish and seems completely normal.
Is there anything that I can treat the tank with to help that would be coral and snail safe. I am at a loss as to what could have gotten just her tail so fast. I would be more worried if she seemed sick or skittish, but she seems fine.
Please help, any advice is appreciated. Plenty of pictures attached, I am quite worried.
I have a one year old reef tank. Inhabitants are 2 clown fish, one fire fish, and one Royal gramma basslet. Plus 5 snails and 2 hermit crabs. My one hermit crab is the size of a dime and the other has grown from the size of a dime to the size of a turbo snail in 4 months. Also one small zoa colony, no other coral. All in a 30 gallon tank that will be upgraded to a 90 gallon in a few days (see pics!). Last inhabitant (the crabs) were added in June. Feed every other day with a variety of frozen food. I have never seen any discourse among the fish.
Parameters:
Ammonia and nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 5
Phosphate: .02-.09 (tests in the last 3 days have varied)
Magnesium: 1300
Calcium: 450
Alk: 7.5
My firefish lives peacefully with the other fish in the tank and the four tend to swim together in a pack. Yesterday morning, when I turned on the light, my firefish was missing her tail. I have had betta fish before with fin rot and that is usually a gradual process, not an overnight thing from my experience. My parameters are not perfect, but they are not unclean. She is eating, not acting scared, and swimming about. I have noticed that her stomach is slightly rounded, but other than that you would never know her tail was gone.
How did this happen??? She sleeps in a hole with her tail sticking out (see previous posts under my account), so my best guess is that when she was sleeping the crab snipped the top of her tail off. We are DAYS away from upgrading to a 90 gallon and are working on filling it and when we do the crab will be going in the sump (with plenty of chaeto and shells and will be fed supplements directly). He is rather aggressive and even though we have about a dozen sized shells lying around that he is constantly poking at, it seems he wants a new shell and is constantly poking at the snails. Once again we are a mere few days away from upgrading and having him separated from everyone else. Also, for the time being, I moved the crab into a bully box with just him and an empty shell that I change out a couple times a day (we have dozens of different sizes) in hopes that the forced proximity will entice him to change and stop harassing the snails for their shells).
What can I do to help? Should I put her in a hospital tank? She is swimming and out in the open more than any other fish and seems completely normal.
Is there anything that I can treat the tank with to help that would be coral and snail safe. I am at a loss as to what could have gotten just her tail so fast. I would be more worried if she seemed sick or skittish, but she seems fine.
Please help, any advice is appreciated. Plenty of pictures attached, I am quite worried.
