fin rot?

[jill530]

looks like i have a fancy guppy with fin rot. i have two males and 4 females. it started after i got the second male. fin rot or nipping? cant post pics at the moment but it happened really fast. like one day and half the back fin was gone. another thing is that a female just had babies. unsure if that could play a role in any of this.... help??

 

[jill530]

heres the best shot i can get

 

[RazorbacksFan]

It may be overaggression by the males usually you want to keep at least 3 females per male. What size tank are they in? What are the water parameters?

 

[jill530]

Water parameters i havent checked. Ive been regular on my water changes though. I will check it next chance i get. As for the tank its a 5 gallon...its not too much of a bioload for the tank from what ive heard. but i could be wrong on that.

 

[RazorbacksFan]

How long has the tank been established? I would check the ammonia just to be sure, ammonia in a established tank is a dead give away to a overly high bioload I personally think that 6 of any fish is too much for a 5 gallon tank.

 

[jill530]

Ok well i will check ammonia tomorrow. I dont have a test but i have a close friend who does. Should i do a water change just to be safe?

 

[RazorbacksFan]

Ok well i will check ammonia tomorrow. I dont have a test but i have a close friend who does. Should i do a water change just to be safe?

It definitely wouldn't hurt. I would definitely suggest you upgrade to at least a 20 gallon tank I realize it might be hard to swing I know all about a tight budget but you should be able to find a used one for cheap on craigslist and larger tanks are much easier to maintain.

 

[jill530]

As for the babies...water change might suck them up..

 

[RazorbacksFan]

You can put something like stockings over the gravel vacuum to keep them from getting sucked up.

 

[jill530]

okay thank you! i never would of thought of that

 

[kaiofcanada]

Water parameters i havent checked. Ive been regular on my water changes though. I will check it next chance i get. As for the tank its a 5 gallon...its not too much of a bioload for the tank from what ive heard. but i could be wrong on that.

Actually six adult guppies in a 5 gallon is really high bioload. Even though they are not very messy fish you really don't want to keep that many in a 5 gallon, and def not if there are pregnant females. I would only keep 3 in a 5 gal personally.

Guppies can have weak genetics which can put them at risk for alot of diseases unfortunately. I say can purposefully. Not all guppies are bred the same. Maintaining pristine water is key for them. Do you have a QT tank set up by chance?

I would move the poor guy out of the tank in case it is nipping so he can heal up. And if it is not, you want to isolate him anyways as it is contageous. One way to tell if it is fin rot versus nipping....the edges of the fins will look greyish/white, almost transparent. This is decaying tissue and probably from a fungus. If it looks jagged but clear, or a lighter color of the fin color itself, it may be bacterial. If the edges are red or black in colour it may be cause from ammonia burn subsequent to the injury or infection. Be sure you treat the fish for the right type of infection of its fins, anti-fungal versus anti-bacterial. I would also do some regular water changes on your main tank to be sure your water quality is top notch to keep the others happy and healthy too.

Nipping wounds are highly susceptible to either types of infection, so you will need to treat the injured/infected fish in either scenario.

Beautiful guppy males by the way. I hope he can heal up and the rest stay healthy for you.

 

[RazorbacksFan]

okay thank you! i never would of thought of that

No problem glad to help.

Actually six adult guppies in a 5 gallon is really high bioload. Even though they are not very messy fish you really don't want to keep that many in a 5 gallon, and def not if there are pregnant females. I would only keep 3 in a 5 gal personally.

Guppies can have weak genetics which can put them at risk for alot of diseases unfortunately. I say can purposefully. Not all guppies are bred the same. Maintaining pristine water is key for them. Do you have a QT tank set up by chance?

I would move the poor guy out of the tank in case it is nipping so he can heal up. And if it is not, you want to isolate him anyways as it is contageous. One way to tell if it is fin rot versus nipping....the edges of the fins will look greyish/white, almost transparent. This is decaying tissue and probably from a fungus. If it looks jagged but clear, or a lighter color of the fin color itself, it may be bacterial. If the edges are red or black in colour it may be cause from ammonia burn subsequent to the injury or infection. Be sure you treat the fish for the right type of infection of its fins, anti-fungal versus anti-bacterial. I would also do some regular water changes on your main tank to be sure your water quality is top notch to keep the others happy and healthy too.

Nipping wounds are highly susceptible to either types of infection, so you will need to treat the injured/infected fish in either scenario.

Beautiful guppy males by the way. I hope he can heal up and the rest stay healthy for you.

Agreed.

 

[jill530]

Thank you, i am very attached to both male guppies so I do not know what to do! i have a QT tank that i will use to heal the one.. his side fins look like there is some kind of fungus infection there and now that i look closer it seems like some of the other females are getting nipped very slightly. the long finned male is new so i may have to return him if things dont clear up. as for medication, will it hurt the new guppy fry if i put it in the tank they are in?

 

[kaiofcanada]

Thank you, i am very attached to both male guppies so I do not know what to do! i have a QT tank that i will use to heal the one.. his side fins look like there is some kind of fungus infection there and now that i look closer it seems like some of the other females are getting nipped very slightly. the long finned male is new so i may have to return him if things dont clear up. as for medication, will it hurt the new guppy fry if i put it in the tank they are in?

Hard to say really. If all you fish are exhibiting symptoms I would treat the whole tank. I would also suggest that you remove the guppy fry from that 5 gallon regardless of treating it or not. If you plan to keep the guppy fry they should be removed to stabilize the main tank, and it is better for them. Also, most meds would not be great for guppy fry and could cause developmental defects. If they are not infected, try to keep it this way. Place the guppy fry in the QT tank and put a stocking over the filter inlet so they don't get sucked in. I assume the QT tank is cycled. If you have a heater you will eventually want to raise the temp to 80F for the guppy fry. Keep a close watch on them for signs of sickness. If they are sick, you might loose them, rather than be very successful in treating them. They are very fragile when so young and susceptible to deformations when treated with various compounds. Hope this helps. And wish you the best of luck.