Would not have believed it

[BettaBetta]

So, I've heard about these naughty little tail nibblers who wreak havoc with their own finnage. Last week my boy's formerly amazing tail (as per my avatar) went down by 50% overnight & I immediately launched finrot treatment ... it looked suspisciously like his own multiple chomps/bites but I thought, "Nah, couldn't be! He wouldn't!"

I go to feed him this morning & he's merrily swimming around in a soup of "Waterlife Myxazin" when he turns to face me & happily comes over to greet me doing a few fancy circles on the way ... OMG I nearly died, I thought he was dying, he had something long & huge stuck/lodged down his throat, but was playing like a dog with a huge bone. I screamed repeatedly for a girlfriend who's staying for the weekend to "come quick, we have a crisis, he's got a stick down his throat" (as in splinter of diftwood).

I lunged into the tank & grabbed him in my hand prepared to do major surgery to extract this massive splinter. I did that, only to find it was a 4cm or 1.5" long piece of tail literally ripped out at the root. Check this out .... I'm gobsmacked - bad enough that he'd rip it out, but to gallavant around the tank with it in his mouth????

[Rainy]

They do like to keep us on our toes :D

[Goody3714]

Thats just crazy looks so gross lol :D

[BettaBetta]

Ah, I forgot to mention with this boy, he has a large'ish' (considering he's a small fish) white'ish'/grey'ish' blemish/dull patch on his face just above his gill - it has no spores or stringy stuff hanging from it, it's not raised or angry looking at all and really just looks like a slightly dull patch against his otherwise black'ish' body.

The salt, IAL & Waterlife Myxazin isn't having any effect on it, it hasn't increased or decreased in 3 days of treatment and he's as happy as Larry so I've not been too worried - should I be?

Prior to the Myxazin he spent a couple of days floating in "Science Fin Rot" (and I think it covers fungal too) for a couple of days before I moved him back in to his tank, gave him a break & then commenced with the Myxazin. Now that I've caught the little rattus baggus red-handed swimming with a massive chunk of tail in his mouth, would you discontinue the Myxazin or carry in on for the full 5 days (I'm on day 2) to prevent infection etc. (especially considering that last big piece was ripped from his body)?

[Peta]

just to the patch...

check this thread out with photos of my old boy eric, he always had something similar and it was never a problem

http://ausaqua.net/forum/index.php?showtop...431

also go to page two and check out my old Mustard Gas Half moon (sadly he passed away when I had to move house )

[BettaBetta]

Wow Peta, you are one absolutely brilliant photographer!!!!

Yup, that's exactly what my boy's patch looks like. Like you in that photographic thread though, I am the totally neurotic mother so my over-protective mother mind says what wasn't a problem for Eric may not apply to Doobie, the tail ripping terrorist. It's a spot, and I don't like it! The other thing I don't like is that I can't pat, wrestle or otherwise interact with him lmao!

[Peta]

LOL yeah I was pretty nutty when I first started looking after these guys! I'm so missing not having my camera at the moment as ever since it's been gone I've really wanted to try to take some decent photos of all my new fish... hopefully the insurance company will give us some good news soon and I can go replace all my camera gear .. I definitely need a photo fix!