Lost fin???

[snulma1]

So the other day im looking at the male of my true perc pair, and notice that one of his pec fins is starting to look a little odd. Some of the black edges are missing. I figured its from the female roughing him up a little bit. So I pay it little mind.

Well today im gone from 7am till 10pm. I arrive at home to find that the male is missing his entire pec fin now. Not clamped, as the other fin is there and looks fine. But this entire pec fin is gone.

What caused this? He occasionally sleeps on the sand, and I do have a rather large number of bristleworms. Could they have done it? Is it from the female beating up on him? (they are the only 2 fish in the tank). Or is it possibly my emerald crab?

Also, what should I do about healing? do I need to add anything to help him? Or is it TOTALLY necessary to put him in a QT/Hospital tank and treat with something like melafix or Maracyn?

Thanks

 

[snulma1]

anyone?

 

[ACBlinky]

Can we see a picture? I wonder if he's contracted a bacterial infection, something like 'fin rot' in FW fish. Is the actual muscle gone as well, or just the 'skin' portion of the fin? If his fin has been removed past the point where it joins the muscle, something very serious is going on, way beyond a little roughing up from the female. I would remove him to a QT now, even if just for observation, and if you see signs of infection or other fins begin to erode, act quickly and get some antibiotics into the water and into his food before it's too late for the little guy.

 

[snulma1]

Well, I guess his fin was only clamped because the next day it was spread out again, a little tattered, but spread out. And its been 5 days and it seems like the fin is coming back. Slowly but surely. But I don't know what caused it. I still think its from the female picking on him.