Blue Assessor missing bottom half of its fin.

[FollyFish]

So today I pick up a fish that I have spent 4 years looking for. I was super excited when I found a blue Macneil Assessor (order online and pick up curbside). I took him home and started to float the bag for temp. 30 min went by and I came back to watch him in the bag looking for injuries or sickness. I saw that he wasn't using his right side fin had a closer look and saw that half of it is missing starting from the base. I didnt know what to do so I called the store and was told that any damage done by the other fish is on me and the fish was uninjured at the store. I explained that the assessor was still in the bag and I wasn't looking to return the fish I only wanted to get advice on how to help him, since he wasn't even using the injured fin. I was told to add him to the tank and that the fin would grow back in 2 days, a week at most and the call was disconnected. 

 

I wasn't sure on what to do so I added the fish to the tank where he took a turn around the top and then disappeared into a cave.

 

I don't believe the LFS guy who sold him to me and want a second opinion. If I have to I can go to a store and get a breeders box and find him but when I catch him what do I do? I've never had a fish so injured that he wouldn't use a fin. Normally when I see a ragged fin or missing scales, I would just watch and feed well with vitamins and garlic. 

[LazyFish]

For the most part your usual treatment sounds fine qt or a breeder box for increased observation would be best to see if it starts swimming normally or to watch for signs of infection. On freshwater fish with trauma I used to put stress coat on them help replenish natural mucus coating to help fight off secondary infections. Not sure if it's good for sw fish might be worth looking into. The fin should grow back normaly eventualy unless the "root"of the finn where it grows from is dammaged then it may grow back and look weird or not at all. The not moving it part is a bit concerning but As long as the fish isn't sick or have internal trauma from whatever dammaged the fin it should be ok. 

[Tired]

I wouldn't put it in a breeder box or the like. A tank with lots of rockwork for him to hide in would be great. Just keep the water clean and feed well as usual. It might be the base itself was damaged and the fin no longer works, which may or may not heal. If it doesn't, he should adapt okay- he'll just have to move differently. Target-feed him to be sure he stays fed. 

 

[FollyFish]

So far I haven't been able to find him. The last time I saw him was on Sat when he went under a support rock column. He hasn't come out to eat and I haven't been able to find him when I use a flashlight. I am hoping that because he is hurt he is just being extra timid. The good new is that he was a good weight when I got him. 

[Tired]

I'd put some frozen mysis around the back of the rockwork, hopefully he'll find it. If nothing else, it'll feed pods he can eat.

[jambon]

I have the same fish here, for about 2 or 3 months now. It did a similar thing when I got it home. It hid under the rock work , in fact it stills spends a fair bit of time there. Eventually it nibbled at some small flaked food and now all is well. Just give it some time. Mine seems to enjoy the twilight time. I imagine such a dark fish would be harder to detect by predators at that time.

  The damage on yours ... if it is from a fight it will heal up. If it is bacterial that may be

A bit trickier.  

[FollyFish]

It's been a week since I added him. He has not come out for food, been seen either at sun rise, sun set or night. He has not been spotted in any of the caves or overhangs. I dont think he made it. 

[jambon]

Maybe move the rock work around. He may pop out.. I also had a yellow one a while back.. a other nice fish with the same habits.

 

[Tired]

I wouldn't move rocks looking for a shy and possibly injured fish. If it's alive, it's alive, and moving rocks will just scare and potentially smush it. If it's dead, it's not going to get less dead from you finding the bones.

[Saltysheep]

Give him time, they are very good at hiding in the rock work and a dark so they are hard to see. You might injure him more when you move the rocks if he is in between them. Mine hid for two weeks because a new coral I added made him frightened.