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I have a 24 inch Leiarius Picts housed alone in a 8ft x 4ft x2ft aquarium. Ammonia and nitrate are zero nitrate is between 5-10 ,pH is 6.8 and hardness is 80. The fish is fed a varied diet . I got the fish at 5-6 inches its fin was nearly perfect. It was treated with praziquantel followed by oral metronidazole for parasite prophylaxis. Also I treated the fish with oral kanamycin for fin rot without effect. Despite the fact that the fin deterioration is not typical of fin rot as there are no reddish areas no significant raggedness of the fin and no white secondary fungal areas. The L Picus is otherwise very interactive healthy etc. Approx 95 percent of the images on Google Images of L Pictus show doral fin deterioration. So is this a problem of captivity? There is a paucity of information beyond what the cat e log gives. Any info re habitat or potential causative factors would be most appreciated.

Hey Jeff, long time no see. What makes you think this is abnormal? I assume you are referring to the ruggedness of the top edge of the fin. I can't help as I've only had small ones in tanks and their dorsal fins looked good. None of the adults of mine have been in a tank where I could see the fin well. But hopefully in a month or so I will move mine 3 from ponds into tanks for the first time.

I'll pay attention now.

Hello Victor.
Unfortunately this tends to be progressive in nature. Look forward to hearing about yours when you get them in tanks.

I gave my pond some floating foods and managed to take a good look at one of my 1.5'-ers. His dorsal looks like that of yours only perhaps with deeper "valleys" between the rays.

What's your basis for thinking this should not be?

IME usually most fish have intact dorsal fins with minimal damage assuming no injury,congenital abnormality nutritional,or other environmental insult. Nature seems to aim for symmetry.So if you start with an intact juvenile specimen that is kept in optimal water conditions and seemingly adequate aquarium size I would assume the fin should remain undamaged more so than the picture. On the other hand, I see your point as it's difficult to find an adult specimen pic with an intact dorsal and yours being raised in a pond with the same abnormality. As well as not looking like a typical bacterial or fungal infection.I had hoped one of the academically oriented experts could voice his or her opinion on the subject.

The dorsals on all three of mine look about the same, FWIW at this point. The top edge is rough. More info to come later when I will have put them back in their 4500 gal (for a second iteration) and have them there a while.

Super Dave's pictus appears to have a "better" (?) looking dorsal. See for yourself http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forum ... ius-pictus

I have posted some pics of my 3 pictus, page 3: http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forum ... x4-5/page3

They can also be seen in video (page 1, Tank 1, 6 vids).