Can Guppies Get Clamped Fins From Stress? {How To Treat This Problem}

Guppies are generally known to be peaceful fish, but my guppies get spooked easily. Can guppies get clamped fins from stress?

How can I treat clamped fins? What are the causes and other symptoms associated with clamped fins?

This article is all bout guppies, clamped fins and what we should do about it. Ready, set, go.

Please Note : We Are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, We earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com

Can Guppies Get Clamped Fins From Stress

Yes. Most diseases found among guppies are caused by stress.  Clamped fin is a condition that is most often associated with fish that have become stressed.

This is a condition where guppies or other aquarium fish continually keep their fins folded around their bodies.

Can Guppies Get Clamped Fins From Stress

Causes of Guppy Stress

Aside from clamped fins; stress is seen to be the major cause of other diseases among aquarium fish, particularly guppies. This is because stress:

  • weakens the immune system of fish
  • makes them vulnerable
  • susceptible to adverse physical conditions
  • easier to catch infections, parasites, and diseases

Having an overcrowded tank can cause stress among guppies most times due to the nipping behavior that they often exhibit.  Likewise, keeping them away from other aggressive fishes like:

  • beta
  • barb fish
  • angelfish 

Other stress factors include:

  • The absence of aquarium plants
  • Water quality
  • High or low water temperature
YouTube video

Symptoms And Treatment Of Clamped Fins

Clamped fins become obvious in guppies when they are stressed. It could also be caused by poor water quality and a lot of other factors.

The most prevalent symptoms that can be noticed from a fish suffering from clamped fins resulting from stress are that they:

  • become sluggish in their movements
  • their fins will appear collapsed or closed.
  • isolate themselves either at the top or base of the aquarium

Treatment

  1. If the stress is caused by the presence of a more aggressive or bullying species, simply separate the two species to allow them to recover and prevent further harm.
  2. Likewise, if the stress is caused by temperature or other environmental conditions, you can start fixing the problems by testing the water parameters. Testing the water parameters involves making sure all the environmental conditions are at an optimum level. It can also include cleaning the filter, aquarium and any other equipment in the tank.

New Fish Clamped Fins

Guppies are usually very hardy fish, but ammonia and nitrite traces can affect other overall well being. New fish to your tank, guppy or not, need more patience and care with acclimation. Otherwise, clamped fins may end up being noticed.

Here is how you help your guppies and new fish with clamped fins:

  • Replace half the water weekly
  • Add floating plants. Hornworts are a great addition to maintain water quality.
  • Vacuum the substrate every 1-2 weeks.
  • Feed less food at first.
  • Try a product like Seachem’s “Safe” which removes chloramine and chlorine.

Conclusion

The bad news is that a lot of guppies in aquarium suffer clamped fins as a result of stress. However, the good news is that you can overcome this condition by simply getting rid of the factors that gave rise to the stress.

Treatment of clamped fins and prevention of stress is specific, depending on the cause of the stress.

 

Thank you for stopping by at HelpUsFish.com. We have plenty of articles on a wide variety of aquatic and marine life that may also pique your interest. See you again soon!

jbarr3tt1979

Hello, I'm Jason. I'm the guy behind HelpUsFish.com. I volunteer at my local fish shop and I created this site to offer tips and advice on the fish I care for.

Previous