Broken dorsal fin, will it grow back?

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hardb0iled

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Aug 30, 2005
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Australia
My Bala Shark decided to make another escape attempt over the weekend whilst I was doing a water change. Luckily he landed on the bean bag but somehow managed to break the spike on his dorsal fin about 2/3 of the way up. The top of the fin is still attached but you can clearly see that the spiney bit is broken.

I'm just wondering if this will grow back? :(
 
I have never had that happen with a bala but with other fish it has healed but crookedly, watch the injury site for signs of infection for the next few days.
 
The fish appears fine, he's always knocking scales off and gouging himself on the tank when he has an attack of nerves and decides to try and flee the vacinity! :screwy: Usually when I'm trying to clean or do some remodelling in the tank. It never seems to bother him too much so he must be used to cuts and scrapes?! :ROFL: He generaly heals pretty quick.

The problem is that the spine is broken about 3/4 of the way up the dorsal fin and the top part of the fin is still attached so its like a broken mast with a sail up! It will be intersting to see how it heals? :confused:
 
What size tank is this bala in? You hopefully know that if he is alone, he is probably flipping out since balas are schooling fish?
 
Yep I realise that, he originally had a couple of other Bala's in there with him and a couple of silver dollars but they have all since passed on over the years (this guy is over 12 years old and probably about 25+cm! :WHOA: ). Currently he lives with a couple of full grown angels and my Murray Cod. The tank is 4'x2'x2' which is a little small for him but he's been in that tank all his life.

Generally he's fine but as soon as you start fiddling with the tank he tends to freak out! :eek:
 
stupid f/w sharks...
 
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