jkrale

I get the chance to have a better look at my sick angelfish - I was able to determine that it's pectoral fins are badly damaged. In fact they are almost non-existant. I'm guessing this is the true problem here.

What could be cause and therefore cure for this? The other fish in the tank - 2 plecos, 2 tetras, 1 red tail shark, 1 Sword Tail and 2 yet to be identified fish - don't seem to be bothering them (though I'm only there a small percentage of the time.) The other angelfish certainly seems to be more nurturing of it's pal then agressive towards him.

I have a question about a hospital tank? (Forgive me if it belongs in another forum.) I just set one up yesterday - a 10 gallon tank, using water and gravel from the existing tank and cleaned and new filter materials. Do I need to wait for the nitrogen cycle - if so how long does that take? (I checked the nitrite levels this morning and they were not zero but very close) Also, should I move both angelfish or just the injured one?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions or feedback.

Then, should this not be successful, and I need to replace the angelfish so the survivor is not alone, should I get another one that is the same size/age or could I get a pair of smaller ones?

Jim

It's fins could be the result of either fin-nipping or fin rot. It's hard to say which without seeing it. Can you post a picture?
If it's fin rot, then go to the section here on fish diseases and find what works best. I can't remember which treatment you need off the top of my head. If he's been fin-nipped, I would go with stress coat and the fin should grow back in time.
If the other angel is nurturing the injured one, then I would move both to the hospital tank. They might already be paired, and then it probably would be best to keep them together. Besides, if the one has fin rot, odds are good he's passed it (or will pass it) to the other, in which case you'd have to treat him anyway.
As for the hospital tank itself, if you used existing water and gravel, it should already be cycled. Just test the water daily to make sure your nitrite and ammonia stay at (or near) 0.