Guppy fry picking on their dads' tails - causing split ends

[Lennie]

Okay, hear me out.

I have 7 guppy tanks and I have never seen something like this before.

In one of the tanks, in my japan blue tails' tank, the fry literally eat their dads' tails. It feels weird to me and I have never observed anything like this on any other tank of mine.

I've seen fry picking on and bothering dads so many times by now. And It makes me  question why.

 

Has anyone faced an issue like this? 

Before fry are born:

 

Now, fry/juveniles bothering dads: 

 

P.S: I feed my tanks twice a day. Fry always get fry food at least twice a day if kept in community tanks, at least one being Sera Micron everyday. The other one changes between frozen daphnia/bbs or live bbs, insect menu, or crushed NLS community formula.

So I don't believe they can be hungry by any means

Edited August 1 by Lennie

[Guppysnail]

I saw this one time. However the fry were with their moms only. They focused on one girl. I pulled the girl immediately and inspected with a magnifying glass. It looked like she had developed the beginning of fin rot not yet visible to my eye without assistance. I placed her in a separate tank and fry nibbling tails stopped. 
Guppy boys with those big tails I also noticed would constantly have just barely visible or not visible without magnifying glass the edges of fin rot. It never progressed to really visible but was always there. 
Nothing very helpful but that is the only time I ever saw the fry tail nipping. 
Feed the fry extra first bites or fry food. Bellies on fry should be plump most of the time. 

[Lennie]

On 8/1/2023 at 7:24 PM, Guppysnail said:

I saw this one time. However the fry were with their moms only. They focused on one girl. I pulled the girl immediately and inspected with a magnifying glass. It looked like she had developed the beginning of fin rot not yet visible to my eye without assistance. I placed her in a separate tank and fry nibbling tails stopped. 
Guppy boys with those big tails I also noticed would constantly have just barely visible or not visible without magnifying glass the edges of fin rot. It never progressed to really visible but was always there. 
Nothing very helpful but that is the only time I ever saw the fry tail nipping. 
Feed the fry extra first bites or fry food. Bellies on fry should be plump most of the time. 

I've added some aquarium salt couple weeks back in case there is a start of fin rot 🤷🏼‍♂️ I suspected the same. Maybe salt prevents it to progress further, but as you said, it is there.

Maybe I should do a course of kanaplex just in case? @Colu @Odd Duck

On 8/1/2023 at 7:24 PM, Guppysnail said:

Feed the fry extra first bites or fry food. Bellies on fry should be plump most of the time. 

I updated the topic regarding my feeding schedule. They are fed twice a day each day with fry food. Do you think it's not enough Gup? 

Their bellies look good and they grow well 

 

[Guppysnail]

On 8/1/2023 at 12:28 PM, Lennie said:

I've added some aquarium salt couple weeks back in case there is a start of fin rot 🤷🏼‍♂️ I suspected the same. Maybe salt prevents it to progress further, but as you said, it is there.

Maybe I should do a course of kanaplex just in case? @Colu @Odd Duck

I updated the topic regarding my feeding schedule. They are fed twice a day each day with fry food. Do you think it's not enough Gup? 

Their bellies look good and they grow well 

 

I follow the 3-2-1 rule mostly 🤣 newborn fry 3x small meals juvenile 2x adults 1x. 
I watch newborn fry. I make certain bellies stay very full for a few weeks at all times. Depending on temp and fish type I will feed 4-5 x if needed. If they are picking they could probably use a bit more. Though guppy babies are ALWAYS hu gry and picking. 

[Lennie]

update: started kanaplex just in case. They already have a bit aquarium salt in their tank .

Let's see if it will be any help

Edited August 1 by Lennie

[Colu]

On 8/1/2023 at 6:29 PM, Lennie said:

update: started kanaplex just in case. They already have a bit aquarium salt in their tank already.

Let's see if it will be any help

Am not seeing any Redding to the edge of the tail fin as you have started a course of kanaplex I would finish the full course and  and  give an update in week if it's not improving 

[Lennie]

On 8/1/2023 at 8:35 PM, Colu said:

Am not seeing any Redding to the edge of the tail fin as you have started a course of kanaplex I would finish the full course and  and  give an update in week if it's not improving 

yea me neither. That's why I haven't used kanaplex before. It felt like a physical damage instead of bacterial

Let's see how it will go

[Odd Duck]

Sounds like a good plan from @Colu.  New report in a week.

[Lennie]

Update:

Increased the salt amount in the tank and applied a course of kanaplex. No difference on the tails, still lots of split ends 🤷🏼‍♂️ @Odd Duck @Colu

[Colu]

On 8/10/2023 at 10:24 AM, Lennie said:

Update:

Increased the salt amount in the tank and applied a course of kanaplex. No difference on the tails, still lots of split ends 🤷🏼‍♂️ @Odd Duck @Colu

If you still have him in with the fry that were nipping his tail that probably why it isn't improving I would quarantine or put him in breeder box to give him some time for his tail to heal fully 

[Lennie]

On 8/10/2023 at 2:34 PM, Colu said:

If you still have him in with the fry that were nipping his tail that probably why it isn't improving I would quarantine or put him in breeder box to give him some time for his tail to heal fully 

I have 5 males in that tank all have the same problem. I already have 9 guppy tanks. I can spare the males to a QT, I have 3 free tanks on hand, but it won't be a problem solving issue in the long term I guess as guppies basically have babies every month >_> idk

[Colu]

On 8/10/2023 at 12:41 PM, Lennie said:

I have 5 males in that tank all have the same problem. I already have 9 guppy tanks. I can spare the males to a QT, I have 3 free tanks on hand, but it won't be a problem solving issue in the long term I guess as guppies basically have babies every month >_> idk

 if you fry are constantly picking the fins of the males that will be a difficult habit to break once the males fins have been heal reintroduce them and monitor them closely maybe removing the males for a period of time will change the habit of fry and they will spot nipping the fins 

[Jackson]

On 8/1/2023 at 12:18 PM, Lennie said:

Okay, hear me out.

I have 7 guppy tanks and I have never seen something like this before.

In one of the tanks, in my japan blue tails' tank, the fry literally eat their dads' tails. It feels weird to me and I have never observed anything like this on any other tank of mine.

I've seen fry picking on and bothering dads so many times by now. And It makes me  question why.

 

Has anyone faced an issue like this? 

Before fry are born:

 

Now, fry/juveniles bothering dads: 

 

P.S: I feed my tanks twice a day. Fry always get fry food at least twice a day if kept in community tanks, at least one being Sera Micron everyday. The other one changes between frozen daphnia/bbs or live bbs, insect menu, or crushed NLS community formula.

So I don't believe they can be hungry by any means

Bottom pic , he even looks sad .. 😒