"Satyen Kale" wrote in message
om...
Mark Cooper wrote in message
...
FWIW, I have a female M. Cyanaeorhabdos who lost her tail the same way.
It never has come back, but she is fine otherwise and has produced two
batches of fry in the last 6 months. Her name is "Stumpy".

Yeah, I think my yellow lab female is not going to get her tail back
either. I am wondering if I should wait a little longer before
releasing her from her mesh isolation box into the main tank - will
she be able to cope with the male's aggression and be able to get away
with no tail fin?

satyen

I recently had a female m. auratus sufffer the same type of damage to her
caudal fin..male had taken it down almost to the peduncle..I isolated her to
the hospital tank for about a month to calm her down and give her a chance
to recuperate; doesd with melafix and anti-fungal & anti-bacterial meds to
stave off secondary infections at the wound site. She has since regrown
hers, although it is a bit misshapen. Locomotion, activity, and behavior are
back to where they were previously. I did have to place her in a less
aggressive tank, even after the fin was repaired., and she now will NOT
tolerate ANY m. auratus tankmates whatsoever.

IMO Whether your lab's fin will "regenerate" depends on the extent of the
damage. It may grow back, grow back mishspaen, or not grow back at all.
Also, it's not just a matter of regeneration, the wound site may develop
secondary infections as well. As long as her locomotion and appetite are
good, I'd isolate her and see what happenswith the fin. In either case, you
may want to take steps to reduce aggression directed at this particular
fish..different environment, more females, etc.

Others here may offer different opinions, and what worked in my situation
may not work in yours. Good luck!
**FREE LEONARD PELTIER NOW**