Fin Rot?

[empirekevin]

Fish - a set on Flickr

I have a Platy and 2 guppies that look like they have fin rot. This is my first tank but experienced my daughters loss of her beta to fin rot before starting this tank.

The water specs out fine on the strips. I do changes once a week. I use prime and stress coat. At times I have noticed a small spec of brown algae looking stuff on the glass after a water change. I easily remove it by wiping. There is no abundance of algae film on the stuff inside and I am not sold that it is algae and not a clump of bacteria from the prime.

So I am stumped as to why they have a health issue. I only noticed an issue when my platy started to have problems staying upright. At times he just kinda "turns" and then he gets picked on by the Tetras until he proves he can actually swim properly.

At first I though he and the guppys were getting nipped on, and if it wasnt for the Platys issue of randomly rolling, I would still think the same.

I posted pics and am hoping I can get some direction on what to do.

36 gal tank, about 24 tetras, one platy and 2 guppys. 60gal eheim can filter, 81 degrees.

 

[blert]

Usually can be clear up with increased water changes. How much water do you change each week?

 

[empirekevin]

I would say that I change 25-30% as the tank is slightly overstocked.

The pics are above. Does it look like rot or nip?

Oh, and he eats like a pig so...dont know if he feels that sick.

Web search says this works. http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753391 but I dont want to add anything unless it will be the correct thing to do.

 

[blert]

I would say that I change 25-30% as the tank is slightly overstocked.

The pics are above. Does it look like rot or nip?

Oh, and he eats like a pig so...dont know if he feels that sick.

Web search says this works. http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753391 but I dont want to add anything unless it will be the correct thing to do.

Don't use meds unless absolutely necessary. Meds increase stress and can sometimes cause more harm than good if you have misdiagnosed the issue. As I said, clean water usually can fix this. Increase water changes to 50% weekly (if you feel you are overstocked maybe 60%). Until they start looking better do a second PWC (50%) during the week.

 

[empirekevin]

Update: I pulled 3 fish out to a hospice tank. I had to do this because the tetras were enjoying the weakened state of the platy. 2 guppys and my platy. One of the guppys has past. He turned south fast. I am medicating those 2 that are left in a last ditch effort to save them.

My question, which may not bed able to be answered, is how could this have happened. I am faithful at checking the water weekly and it has been perfect. I am faithful at doing water changes weekly. I have introduced nothing new to the tank. Could it have come from the frozen bloodworms I feed them once a week? I just dont understand because all of the research I see says this comes from poor conditions and I do not believe this could be the case in my regard.

 

[blert]

The Tetras are not having any issues?

What kind of Tetras are they?

 

[empirekevin]

Tetras are clean.

Blood Fin, Ghost, Neon, Green and Red Minor. 4-5 of each.

 

[empirekevin]

Actually one of the red minor's looks to have some. I will take a pic and post on flicker accessible through the link at the start of the post.

 

[empirekevin]

ok, 4 new ones are up. Best I could do. They refused to say cheese!

 

[blert]

IMO, your tank is kind of overcrowded with Tetras. Chances are the Tetras are picking on the Platy and the Guppies.

 

[empirekevin]

Uploading a movie that shows better. Same link.

The black guppy that died after being moved went down quick. The next morning I saw his tail worse off than when incubated. If the tetras were doing the damage and not rot, the only other option would be that the other guppy was nipping at him and therefor causing the additional damage to his tail.

IF the other guppy didn't cause the damage then I guess it is rot. I just don't know.

So frustrating to see deteriorating health and not know how to fix it.

 

[empirekevin]

I also uploaded a movie of the Platy and Guppy.