Helfrichi fire fish missing fin.

[Sharkattackmack]

First off I want to start my saying I'm sorry o have no pictures. The girlfriend send me videos over Snapchat and they've all disappeared as they so with that app. She had a helfrichi in her tank and it's been there for quite some time. This morning I woke up to a panicked text about her fish and how it looks like it has a ripped dorsal fin. In the video she sent me it was swimming on its side and very awkwardly. I think the fin was ripped but I wasn't sure what I was looking for as I watched the video as soon as I woke up. Is there any cut and dry way to verify if it's fin rot or maybe some foul play with a crab? We have two clowns and a Mandarin in the same tank which I don't think either of them would have touched the fish as they're too slow. Possible tear from getting out of the rock burrow it sleeps in?

Again I'm sorry for the lack of photos but my girlfriend is at school freaking out and I'm 2.5 hour s away. I will be cleaning up my place and driving down to see what's going on today.

 

[MnFish1]

Without a photo it is hard - and certainly not able to tel whether its fin rot or something else? That said - fins get 'ripped' all the time - and the fish (to my experience) - do not swim on their sides. This suggests either a more significant injury - or perhaps a more significant infection (like a bacterial infection) - Is there any redness or streaking - any other lesions? Usually 'cut fins' heal on their own. Will ask the fish disease experts to give a go @Jay Hemdal @ReefSquad

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Sorry - without a good picture taken under white light, and a short video, we are at a real disadvantage. So much of the time we are just making "educated guesses", those are trouble enough, I sure don't want to make an "uneducated guess"!

Jay

 

[Sharkattackmack]

I'm just cleaning up my place and heading down. Have to drive threw a snow squall warning so I imagine I won't be able to post any photos for a few hours but I will once I get to see the fish.

 

[Sharkattackmack]

This was the video that my girlfriend saved this morning. If looks like her Claudel fin was torn right off. Also some very heavy breathing. Currently we can't find the tank and not sure if we want to stress it out by looking. Picked up some Boyd's Vita Chem and will start using it in our food but it hasn't swam up to eat.

 

[MnFish1]

This was the video that my girlfriend saved this morning. If looks like her Claudel fin was torn right off. Also some very heavy breathing. Currently we can't find the tank and not sure if we want to stress it out by looking. Picked up some Boyd's Vita Chem and will start using it in our food but it hasn't swam up to eat.

Thanks - I cant access the video. For some reason on the MAC they do not work unless on YouTube

 

[Sharkattackmack]

Not sure if that's any better. dang MacBooks

 

[Sharkattackmack]

Some screenshots of the video

 

[Sharkattackmack]

@MnFish1 any better?.

 

[MnFish1]

Not sure if that's any better. dang MacBooks

Unfortunately no - will try with Chrome...

 

[Sharkattackmack]

Unfortunately no - will try with Chrome...

We think our CUC tore it apart. Just pulled the rocks from the tank and can't find any trace but a small purple and yellow bit of skin. She will be missed.