Dragonet with Fin Rot?

Pth03001

Copepod
M.A.S.C Club Member
#1
Good Afternoon everyone!

I hope everyone's holidays were safe and happy. I had a question about a Mandarin Dragonet which I had just purchased a few days ago. I had done my research on this fish and have been preparing my tank for its introduction for a few months now (adding and feeding pods and researching this fish). Well the day finally came with pods covering the glass panels and rocks in my tank. So my new addition arrived and has been added to my tank. I have notice through after its addition that I has some damage to its rear tail that I had not notices in the store. I've posted pictures so you can all see and was wondering what it may be.

I have read several forums about what I think it is and I have had a mixed bag of results. Any other fish I would say fin rot and move onto treatment but when I put in "fin rot" to the mandarin equation I see a lot of posts stating that due to their more robust slim coat that most of the time it is not rot but rather hermits or crabs nipping at their tail fins while they sleep at night.

I appreciate ya'll giving it a look and look forward to the responses. Also if it is something to do with a disease then how would you recommend treating a fish with such specific care (feeding) needs.
 

Dr.DiSilicate

Great White Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
ex-officio
#2
Not an expert by any long shot. What does the fish eat? Can you get him to eat some frozen medicated food for good measure? Sorry I don't have any other suggestions.
 

Pth03001

Copepod
M.A.S.C Club Member
#3
Not an expert by any long shot. What does the fish eat? Can you get him to eat some frozen medicated food for good measure? Sorry I don't have any other suggestions.
He eats coppepods and arthropods pretty much exclusovely so I need him to be in the main display unfortunately. I may dip him in paraguard tomorrow and see how that goes.
 

SynDen

Administrator
Staff member
M.A.S.C Club Member
M.A.S.C. B.O.D.
M.A.S.C President
M.A.S.C Webmaster
#4
What else is in the tank?
 

SynDen

Administrator
Staff member
M.A.S.C Club Member
M.A.S.C. B.O.D.
M.A.S.C President
M.A.S.C Webmaster
#6
how big is the brittle star? These guys are nocturnal predators and will eat any fish it finds sleeping in and around the sandbed, even if he to small now, eventually he wont be. Those hermits could be suspect too. hermits are little bastards and arent above nipping at sleeping fish, although hard to say unless you catch them in the act.
You could use a flash light with a red lens to find the mandarins sleeping spot and see if anything is pestering him. Check occasionally throughout the night(s) and see if you can catch anyone in the act
 

Pth03001

Copepod
M.A.S.C Club Member
#7
I have a headlamp for just such an occasion, I work overnights so I will be able to get home super early in the morning and get a good look at them this morning and then again tomorrow night. I didn't realize that the brittle star would be a jerk like that, I was hoping to get him as an addition to the cleanup crew to get in the nooks and crannies of the rock. I had watch a bunch of videos and what not but now that I'm looking it up directly there seems to be a number of forums discussing their opportunistic behavior. The only other thing that I would say in any of their defenses is that his tail section did look ratty when I got him into the tank. It is totally on me for not looking closer/longer at him while at the store. Well either way I'll be playing commando this morning and ill see what I can see from Mr Bristle and his gang of hooligans (hermits). Also I ended up doing a Paraguard dip on Iggy (said mandarin) and he seems to be doing well, hopefully it helps!
 

SynDen

Administrator
Staff member
M.A.S.C Club Member
M.A.S.C. B.O.D.
M.A.S.C President
M.A.S.C Webmaster
#8
Ya they do make good clean up crew but maybe a bit to good. I saw mine eat a bubble tip nem that had wandered toward the sand bed. Was crazy to watch. Mine lives in the sump now days
 
Top