[ironspider]

Please take a look at the pics, this is one of rusties. I think I have 2 male and one female. I also have rusty babies in there (2). Last night he looked like this, this morning he looks the same, although he did eat a little this morning. Nitrite: 0, Ammonia: 0, Nitrate: 20 ish, ph: 7.6, 79 degrees. 55 gal

Upon close inspection, the other male rusty has a little bit of fin missing, but the third which i think is female is fine. I wonder if the two males had a battle yesterday.

 

[Old Newbie]

If all of that appeared appeared all at once, and the other fish is showing some damage I would say battle scars. Probably should remove the fish.

 

[ironspider]

If all of that appeared appeared all at once, and the other fish is showing some damage I would say battle scars. Probably should remove the fish.

I have no place to put him, no hospital tank or any other tank for that matter. My entire aquarium has gotten a little more aggressive lately, my cobalt blue's are a freaking nightmare.

 

[Old Newbie]

Maybe rearrange the tank and add some more rock work. May end up having to re-home either the aggressors or the targets.

 

[morrismorris]

It might be getting beat up by another fish. It looks like a male and I wonder if you have another male in the tank. In my experience, contrary to what some sources online say, male rusty's will attack one another.

 

[ironspider]

There are 3 rusties in the tank, two are very similar in looks and size, one is a little bigger (couple months older according to breeder) and has a more blue in it. One of them had babies cause I have two rusty babies in there since a few months ago. So I'm thinking this and the similar one are males and the other with more blue is a female. But I can't be certain who beat him up, the Cobalt blues have really been mean lately, two of them got pretty big and they control one half of the tank each.

The banged up rusty is still alive and was begging for food this morning, I guess that's a good sign. He doesn't seem to be being picked on by anyone now.