Bent tail

Neke · Oct 23, 2008

Hey, I'm getting worried about my wild type's tail. When I got him it was a little bent near the end, but I figured it was just normal and he'd either grow out of it or it was just something that made him special. But over the last few days it's been getting more... bent.

I've been feeding him on earth worms every day but he hasn't seemed too keen on them lately and yesterday I noticed he had gotten really skinny overnight - I don't know if that could have anything to do with it. He has been eating, just not as much as my leucistic, who is a pig. (I got some different foods and feeding tweezers today and have fattened him up a bit, so that's fixed)

The first 2 pics are from yesterday, when I noticed it, and the last 2 are from today. When I got him it was the same as in the first pics, only it was barely noticeable.

Is he stressed, is there something wrong? My leucistic seems perfectly fine

Thanks for any input

Moomin · Oct 23, 2008

Thats tails been broken dude. I might heal staight but it'll take a long time

Neke · Oct 23, 2008

Eep! What would have caused it? He's the docile one out of the two, I can't imagine him doing anything silly - could they have been fighting? Any idea what I can do to help it heal? Should I separate them?

Now the Leucistic has decided to sit on top of the filter at the surface of the water and I can't figure out why. Between the two of them, they're going to give me a heart attack. Theres nothing sharp, the water is quality is perfect and I've been trying really hard to make their home lovely. I think they're deliberately messing with me

Moomin · Oct 23, 2008

Isit the one witht the bent tail thats on top of the filter? It might be thet they are fighting. Theu're not showing signs of stress are they?

Neke · Oct 23, 2008

I haven't had them long so they don't have names yet - the leucistic is on the filter, showing no signs of stress. [Edit] Actually, the end of her tail is curled but her gills aren't. I just did a water change and they were ok before, could I have done something wrong? The water was treated and left to sit.

At first I thought she was just resting on my java fern which has bent down onto the filter. Then she crawled away and sat just on the filter for a while, and now she's back on the java fern. Which is on the filter, at the top of the water.

The wildtype is the one with the sore tail, and he's sitting on the bottom with his gills curled a little. Tank is cycled and nitrate is 20, there's no water flow and the temp is 20 degrees. I have to go to work soon and I'm worried about leaving them if they're sick =/

Ideas?

Moomin · Oct 23, 2008

I rekon they've been fighting. You could do with seperating them for a bit and see if that helps them

Neke · Oct 23, 2008

Thanks heaps for your help. I have to go to work or I'll be late, so I have to leave them for the night... I'll go out and get something to put one of them in tomorrow - at the moment I've only got that tank for them unless they want to play with/snack on the guppies...

I'm just really worried about the one on the filter. Even though its the wildtype that seems more stressed, I don't like seeing the leucistic up near the top only just covered in water.

Moomin · Oct 23, 2008

Yeah just get a little tank just for now. Until they've settled down

Neke · Oct 24, 2008

Ok so I put the wildtype in a storage box with fresh declorinated water and something to hide under and he seems ok. I just wanted to say thanks Moomin - I freaked out because his tail already had the bent bit on the end when I got him, then the day before yesterday it was looking a little more bent and last night when I looked in on them it had gone from a bit bent to really mangled.

I'm still worried about the leucistic though... She's been sitting on or next to the filter all day. I thought she might be a bit gassy or something and was floating up the top, but she came down for food and again after I took her tankmate away and then swam straight back up. She always swims around then stops swimming and just floats onto the ground - she did that so she's not stuck at the top. Is there something wrong? She's barely covered in water and doesn't seem stressed now that she's alone, but I could be wrong. I noticed the wildtype snap at her when she brushed his sore tail, could she just be sulking? My cichlids hide on the filter when they're being bullied...

Thanks, I'm really worried now.

kira · Oct 24, 2008

Nah I would worry he just looks ok!!

Neke · Oct 25, 2008

It appears I was just being paranoid about my leucistic - She's fine. But does anybody have any idea what I can do to help my wildtype with the broken tail? He's not eating or moving much and is getting skinnier. I bought frozen bloodworms in case he just wanted something different, but he only had a mouthful and then wouldn't eat any more.

There's lots of posts dealing with the treatment of cuts and wounds, but there's no open wound so I'm not sure what to do apart from separating them - he doesn't seem to be getting any better.

Neke · Oct 27, 2008

Anyone? What can I do? I'm worried he won't last much longer.

He's so so so skinny, I've been offering him food twice a day - I've bought beef heart, frozen bloodworms, live blackworms, live earthworms, frozen brine shrimp and sinking pellets. He's been eating a tiny bit each day, but not much. I try hand feeding him and then I leave him alone with the food with a towel over his container.

Today he wouldn't eat anything. He looks so frail and tiny, I'm really scared. I've put him in the fridge in the hopes that he doesn't get any skinnier - I didn't do it earlier because he hasn't been showing signs of stress, and he was still eating until today. Yesterday he had bloodworms as well as a bit of beef heart, but I think his food is just going straight through him.

He's been in a storage tub with fresh dechlorinated water changed every day and he's been fine, but It was hotter today - when I came home from uni his tub was 23 degrees which is why he's in the fridge. What else can I do?

Bellabelloo · Oct 27, 2008

The only thing I would do on top of putting him in the fridge is to offer live food, this can be left with him a little longer than the frozen/ dry food. This may well prove more tempting to him and may stimulate him to eat.

Bellabelloo · Oct 27, 2008

The only thing I would do on top of putting him in the fridge is to offer live food, this can be left with him a little longer than the frozen/ dry food. This may well prove more tempting to him and may stimulate him to eat.
His bendy tail does look rather strange ( sorry axy!) , I am not sure what is going on as I feel it may not have received an injury..there seems to be too many bends. Hopefully one of the more experienced people will have a look and may be able to advise. My males tail sometimes looks 'crinkly' along the edge and sloightly remeinds me of what I see in your pictures.

Neke · Oct 27, 2008

Thanks for replying Bella, I was beginning to feel quite alone! It is strange, and I thought it happened slowly which is why I didn't automatically assume it was broken. The bent bit on the end was already there when I got him, but it just looked like a little ripple in his tail (2). Unfortunately I didn't take any close up pics of his tail in the first few days before it got really bad.

How easily do they break things without them being bitten in half? I've seen him snap at my leucistic before, but she has never touched him aside from when she plonks on top of him, so I thought it was weird for them to just suddenly start fighting enough for his tail to break.

The other thing that I thought strange is how his body kinks in one one side just before his tail starts (1) - I'm not sure if you noticed. I know I'm a little picture crazy, but I'll stick some more in to see if anybody can figure it out.

Thanks for the advice, I'll leave him with some earthworm.

gr33neyes · Oct 27, 2008

The only thing that I can think it that its either genetic or it developed slightly out of shape in the egg.

kira · Oct 27, 2008

Keeping him in the fridge is a good idea while he's not eating properly. I would leave a live earthworm with him too, he may eat it while your not looking!

Personally, i don't think that his tale is broken. I noticed that the first bend starts right behind the back legs, and you mentioned that it has become more bent over time which kinda doesn't suggest a brake. I think that maybe Becky might be right. Perharps it is genic, however I'm not sure if that is with he's not eating.

Sorry I am probably not much help, and my opinion could be quite wrong, just didn't want you to feel alone!

Neke · Oct 27, 2008

Thanks for the input guys. I'm a little worried about the fridge... I stuck my tank thermometer in with him overnight and it says the temp is 2 degrees. Could it actually be that cold, or is the thermometer just being bummy? I've turned the fridge up as high as it goes, he seems happy... I'm so worried about the little guy

kira · Oct 27, 2008

You could check using another therometer. If your fridge was that could other things in there should be starting to freeze.

coichards · Oct 28, 2008

I would actully say its a birth defect, you notice that the membrane on the top of the tail is perfectly straight, the tail bone is supposed to lay flush with it, the rest of the tail is bent around it.

Bent tail

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