Damaged fins

[Aynesa]

I've had a regal tang in a tank with seahorses for years, never had any problem. For some reason a couple of days ago he snapped and started tearing the fins off one (only one) of my mature seahorses. I finally got the tang out of my tank (and he's going to a new home tommorrow ) but the horse seems unable to swim and won't eat. How long will it be until he heals? Should I take any drastic action, and if so, what?

Thanks!

 

[ann83]

Dang Renee,

This isn't that beautiful little reidi girl you just got a week or two ago, is it? So sorry to hear it.

If there are any other even slightly questionable tankmates in her tank with her (a clownfish, maybe? ), I would go ahead and get her out of that tank and into her own hospital tank. Keep the temperature low (as close to 68 degrees as you can keep it - to prevent secondary infection).

On second thought, if you've got a chiller on the display and not on the hospital tank, then just take out the questionable tankmates and leave her alone in whatever tank is easiest to keep at 68.

All you can really do is watch for signs of secondary infection and make sure she eats well everyday.

 

[Aynesa]

No, thankfully not her. She's recovering from a bout of pop-eye in my hospital tank. Pop eye already seems to be gone, and swelling is way down. The clownfish haven't so much as looked at them funny It was only that one tang and only against one of my horses. Go figure.

I figured out that a 10 gallon with low/no lighting in my house runs pretty close to 68, so I'll pull HIM out and put him in that ASAP.