Damsel Tail Loss

[rdavis61]

I have a yellow-tailed Damsel. I've had him since January '02. Yesterday my son noticed a small "stub" moving at the bottom of the tank. It was my Damsel but his tail was gone. All that's left of him is the purple body. His fins look chewed also.
I portioned off the tank and put him in seclusion. He's been alive for 4 days and seems quite active although he remains upside down and has no vertical movement control. I'm wondering if his tail will grow back and what caused this.
I have a 75 gal. tank with 1 Pork Fish, 1 Electric Blue Damsel, and one Lunar Wrasse. They've all been together since at least Jan. '02 and have all grown proportionately together. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what might've happened or do you know if the Damsel's tail will grow back? I really want to save this poor guy!. Thanks so much. Renée

 

[beth]

This is likely due from aggression from another fish, probably the other damsel. Just because they were doing all well together, doesn't mean that aggression did not cause this. It is not unusal for damsels, especially of different species, to get very aggressive as they age, regardless of who they grew up with in the tank.
If the injuried fish is kept safely away from aggressors, the fins will heal, and regenerate. However, from what you describe, this particular fish sounds like he's in pretty bad shape, so he may not make it. Fish fins start regenerating pretty fast if the fish itself is in good condition, so keep an eye out to see if you see any new growth. Is it just the fins, or do the injuries extend up into flesh areas?

 

[rdavis61]

His body seems fine. I don't see any damage there. I really appreciate your reply. I'll watch him closely.