# Tetra missing tail - QT options?



## BullDog (Apr 21, 2010)

As I've posted elsewhere, I'm looking after my niece's 10g for the summer. It's got 2 tetras, 1 guppy, 1 danio, and 1 tiger barb.

Had the tank for about a month, and everything has been all good... Until tonight.

I noticed one of the tetras is missing basically his entire tail. Not sure when it happened, but I think it might have happened just today, since I took all the fake plants out to clean them, so they wouldn't have any place to hide from the tiger barb.

So I want to QT him, probably not add anything to the water, but just give him some alone time to heal up.

Usually I would use my handy-dandy deli cup to just QT him right in the tank, but the cup currently has guppy fry in it. I have another deli cup, but I don't think I still have the lid.

Might be able to find some other plastic container for an in-tank QT...

I've got my recently empty () 2.5 mini bowfront, which even has a filter. It's all cleaned up (with bleach, and dried for a week or more), but I was just hoping not to have to set it up again for a while.

So, what's my best option here for QT? Is it going to be the 2.5g tank? If I do the tank, should I turn on the filter? Or would it be best to use something semi-clear right in the tank so he can still see his tetra tank mate?

Or should I just pull the tiger barb out and stick him in the 2.5 g  Kidding... Sort of...


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## BullDog (Apr 21, 2010)

Right now, I separated him out in an ice cream bucket sitting in the tank. Put a chunk of java moss in there and he's just resting by it.


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Is the ice cream bucket in the 10 gallon tank? (Perforated, I imagine?) That's very clever, as the water will be filtered. 

I think that the barb has a chance to recover if he's been nipped but if an infection develops, he'll put the rest of the tank's occupants at risk. Meanwhile, the lone tetra will also feel stressed because tetras are schooling fish. I'm not experienced at treating tetras -- something tells me that they're a little sensitive -- but I'd probably add some salt to the water, to fight off fungus and secondary infection. If he's on his own, then perhaps just plain clean water will do the trick.

Do you have any equipment in the tank that might have chewed up the tetra's tail? I remember that Scholz lost a goldfish to an aggressive powerhead.

I hope that your neice's fish pulls through. I have enjoyed watching the progress you've made with the tank and I hope she is thrilled with it when she gets back.


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## BullDog (Apr 21, 2010)

For now, I've just put the bucket as-is inside the tank (not perforated), but I was thinking of punching some holes/slits in it.

I did something similar before with one of my bettas, since it allowed me to keep the QT water the same temp as the big tank, but I could treat the betta without treating the whole tank.

Only things in the tank are the heater and the filter. While it's possible he got sucked into the filter strainer, I'm quick to blame the tiger barb. His other fins were looking torn up too.
Back when they first set up this tank, they had a few guppies in it with the barb, but the barb kept biting the guppies tails. Long story short, the guppies ended up with their own tank. When they brought the tank to me to look after, they took all the guppies to the pet store, but they missed a few. That's how I ended up with 1 guppy and a few fry. I was half-expecting the guppy to be the first victim of the barb 

I think what I'll do is just keep the bucket whole, and do a small water change in the bucket every day. I might add a little bit of salt, to (hopefully) speed things along.

Last night he was definitely stressed, since he was pretty much just sitting in one place. But this morning, he's darting around the bucket, probably looking for his buddy. At least him being more active is a good sign.

My (less than) elegant in-tank QT:








The bucket is sitting on another container so it doesn't float around the tank.


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

That looks like a good arrangement. If he's stressed, maybe you could put the other tetra into the bucket with him?

Sometimes when a fish is missing fins it's because the fish is sick and the other fish have started to attack him. That is a horrible thing to watch.

Either way, I think that it's kind of you to isolate him. Perhaps your niece would consider rehoming the tiger barb to a family that has other barbs?

Good luck!



BullDog said:


> For now, I've just put the bucket as-is inside the tank (not perforated), but I was thinking of punching some holes/slits in it.
> 
> I did something similar before with one of my bettas, since it allowed me to keep the QT water the same temp as the big tank, but I could treat the betta without treating the whole tank.
> 
> ...


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## BullDog (Apr 21, 2010)

I thought about putting the other tetra with him, but at the same time, if he's sick like you mention, I don't want the healthy tetra to get sick too.

Someone else recommended rehoming or trading the barb. I'll be sure to suggest that.


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## BullDog (Apr 21, 2010)

Somehow, no idea how, the danio got in the bucket! At first I glanced in there, and thought, "Wow, the tetra really looks pale!" Then I looked again, and I'm like, "What the??!!" The danio is a jumper though, I know. He jumped out of the bucket when I was cleaning the tank.

I didn't see the tetra eat anything tonight, which isn't a good sign...
Man, I'll feel so bad if all the fish were healthy this whole time, and in the last week I have them I loose a fish


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## TCR (Jul 13, 2010)

well you can try replacing it if it dies?


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Hey, Bulldog. I'm just wondering how your tetra is doing. I hope he's recovering. Also, how are your bettas? I hope that all of them are on the mend.


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## BullDog (Apr 21, 2010)

Hey Morainy. I was thinking about posting an update/question.

His tail is slowing growing back, but is still pretty stubby. The thing is, I haven't seen him eating. Now I'm not sure if he's just eating later (the tetras seem to prefer to eat the food as it sinks), or if he's straight up not eating.

My nieces are back this week, though I'm not sure when I'll get the tank back to them.
But I was wondering if I should release the tetra back into the main tank, even though he's not healed? I think part of it is that his buddy isn't around....

I suspect they aren't going to do anything special for this tetra... (ie just stick him back in the main tank).


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