Fin rot??

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sallyjano

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
Jan 26, 2014
Messages
692
Location
Laguna Niguel, CA
Issue #1

Not sure how much you can see from the pic (attached) but my brand new guppy has a white patch on his tail and a tiny bit of his tail is ragged/missing.

I assume it's fin rot? Anything else it could be before I buy meds? If fin rot do you suggest melafix or antibiotics?

Issue #2

Also, I have another guppy which just has a super ragged tail. No sign of any white but the tail looks like it's getting eaten away (I have not seen any fin nipping). Could that be fin rot too? Can you get it without the white patches?

Thanks!
 

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To me it doesn't seem that bad. I have seen where the fin has gone but not really changed colour. I'd try increasing the water changes and add API stress coat or melafix and see if any improvement. If it gets worse I'd go for a stronger med then melafix. I'd add melafix well mixed in pwc water. Have you tested the water for nitrates, ph, ammonia, etc ?
 
To me it doesn't seem that bad. I have seen where the fin has gone but not really changed colour. I'd try increasing the water changes and add API stress coat or melafix and see if any improvement. If it gets worse I'd go for a stronger med then melafix. I'd add melafix well mixed in pwc water. Have you tested the water for nitrates, ph, ammonia, etc ?

It's got a lot worse now. Big chunks missing from his tail and it's all white. I have got a antibiotic treatment - only problem is my filter has carbon in it. It says remove the filter cartridge but the treatment lasts 4 days. Won't I have problems if there is no cartridge in the filter for 4 days? Won't water quality suffer?

Thanks for the help!
 
It's got a lot worse now. Big chunks missing from his tail and it's all white. I have got a antibiotic treatment - only problem is my filter has carbon in it. It says remove the filter cartridge but the treatment lasts 4 days. Won't I have problems if there is no cartridge in the filter for 4 days? Won't water quality suffer?



Thanks for the help!


Yikes, darn it but good you got it early. Yes, treat with meds now.

I'd do a water change before adding meds. Just cleans up the water a bit and will increase the life of the meds. Do you have water readings?

What filter media do you have? Is it just filter cartridge with carbon on it? If just that I'd add ceramic bio-media as a better place for bacteria to live. Unfortunately that's going to take a while to populate.

You would need to monitor ammonia and if it gets too high (eg on day 2), water change and re-dose meds.
 
Sorry forgot to say. Yes water readings all good. 0 amm 0 trites 0 trates

Ok thx I will treat. I have an aqueon 10 so it's a cartridge with carbon inside.

I have a new sponge for my aquaclear 70. What if I cut it up and put it in? Better than nothing filtering right?


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice
 
Sorry forgot to say. Yes water readings all good. 0 amm 0 trites 0 trates

Ok thx I will treat. I have an aqueon 10 so it's a cartridge with carbon inside.

I have a new sponge for my aquaclear 70. What if I cut it up and put it in? Better than nothing filtering right?


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice


Yes, the sponge will help.

When all is settled I'd definitely jam some ceramic biomedia noodles in the filter then. Otherwise replacing the cartridge is throwing out bacteria.

To be honest, in my hob filter I have added about 10 noodles, I leave them be and just rinse the cartridges (in tank water or treated tap water). Haven't bought a filter cartridge in months. Just in case useful.
 
Thanks for the help! So I put in the first dose of meds and cut up the sponge to put in the filter. I'll keep an eye on the params but I think it should be ok as it's no different than changing out for a new cartridge. There is plenty of sand, plants (only fake as it's a QT) and other things for there to be bacteria on so I guess that's why it works out ok whe you change it.

The bad news though......I see a small, round white spot on my rasbora's tail. Ugk....really hope it's not ick. Would be a bummer to have 2 issues at the same time.
 
Issue #1

Not sure how much you can see from the pic (attached) but my brand new guppy has a white patch on his tail and a tiny bit of his tail is ragged/missing.

I assume it's fin rot? Anything else it could be before I buy meds? If fin rot do you suggest melafix or antibiotics?

Issue #2

Also, I have another guppy which just has a super ragged tail. No sign of any white but the tail looks like it's getting eaten away (I have not seen any fin nipping). Could that be fin rot too? Can you get it without the white patches?

Thanks!

Neither, its fungus, or mold. Antibiotics and or melafix wont work. You need a antifungal, there are some products on the market, Nitrofurazone green, Malachite Green, Methylene blue. Salt does not kill fungus either. Don't buy meds based off of what petstore people say, Do a google search or ask here and read the ingredients of the product you buy.
A little bit of tail rot on a male guppy is nothing to worry about, its very easy to buy a $6 bottle of methylene blue and put him in a Qurarantine tank with a heater and airstone and add 5ml per ten gallons every other day for about 5-7 days and keep it warm (78-82) Will Definately take care of this sort of thing in a male guppy.
Any product you add to kill fungus will kill off all your Good bacteria in a tank, so best to find a tub or spare tank and use that, just make sure your ammonia doesn't get too out of control in there, do PWC in the Quarantine tank too. Don't get it on your hands, M. Blue is safe but stains everything badly. The others are skin irritants for humans.
 
Neither, its fungus, or mold. Antibiotics and or melafix wont work. You need a antifungal, there are some products on the market, Nitrofurazone green, Malachite Green, Methylene blue. Salt does not kill fungus either. Don't buy meds based off of what petstore people say, Do a google search or ask here and read the ingredients of the product you buy.
A little bit of tail rot on a male guppy is nothing to worry about, its very easy to buy a $6 bottle of methylene blue and put him in a Qurarantine tank with a heater and airstone and add 5ml per ten gallons every other day for about 5-7 days and keep it warm (78-82) Will Definately take care of this sort of thing in a male guppy.
Any product you add to kill fungus will kill off all your Good bacteria in a tank, so best to find a tub or spare tank and use that, just make sure your ammonia doesn't get too out of control in there, do PWC in the Quarantine tank too. Don't get it on your hands, M. Blue is safe but stains everything badly. The others are skin irritants for humans.

Hi thanks for your input. I did research fin rot online and found sites which I believe to be reputable saying that it can be either bacteria or fungal but that it's most often and most likely to be bacterial though you can get a secondary fungal infection with it. I have already treated with antibiotics as most sites recommended. If it doesn't go away I will try fungal treatments.

Thanks!
 
Hi thanks for your input. I did research fin rot online and found sites which I believe to be reputable saying that it can be either bacteria or fungal but that it's most often and most likely to be bacterial though you can get a secondary fungal infection with it. I have already treated with antibiotics as most sites recommended. If it doesn't go away I will try fungal treatments.

Thanks!

I been raising guppies for 5 years now, trust me, its fungus. True "bacterial" fin rot is black, not white, and its very rare on small fish. Look it up. Im not a noob giving you bad advice tho. Ive helped hundreds of people on forums and ive been spot on with the diseasese and proper diagnosis/meds and been thanked on this forum 25 times. Ive thought of things that have really helped people new to the hobby and others just don't think of....and i do it because i like to help other hobbyist.
But i see you know it all now thanks to a quick google search and a website, so why even ask the question on a forum?
Your throwing money down the drain treating with melafix and antibiotics. Its fungus or "mold" that superfically grows on wounded tails from being nipped.
 
I been raising guppies for 5 years now, trust me, its fungus. True "bacterial" fin rot is black, not white, and its very rare on small fish. Look it up. Im not a noob giving you bad advice tho. Ive helped hundreds of people on forums and ive been spot on with the diseasese and proper diagnosis/meds and been thanked on this forum 25 times.
Your throwing money down the drain treating with melafix and antibiotics. Its fungus or "mold" that superfically grows on wounded tails from being nipped.

Thank you. I really appreciate it. In that case I'll get the fungal treatment you suggest. I'll let you know how it goes. 2 questions for you:

1. I already did the antibiotics and the water is still red from it (despite activated carbon in there 24 hours now and a 50% water change this AM). Do you think it's ok to do the fungal treatment now or should I wait until the water is clear?

2. In my display tank I have several guppies with fin problems. No white on them at all, but one of them has lots of chunks missing and is all tattered, another 2 have tattered tails (without the whole chunks missing). I've not seen any aggression and I have nothing sharp (live plants only) so not sure what's causing it? What do you think it's most likely to be?

Really appreciate the help!!
 
hey sally good luck with this. i have a few questions. how long has the tank been running? size of tank? what is your water changing schedule? you really should be showing at least some nitrates. what sort of test kit are you using?

also, do you completely toss out the filter media once a month? if so, you are tossing away your bacteria colony. i never even really use carbon...unless i have treated the tank for an issue and am trying to remove meds etc. sorry for all the questions, just trying to help.

again, good luck with this.
 
hey sally good luck with this. i have a few questions. how long has the tank been running? size of tank? what is your water changing schedule? you really should be showing at least some nitrates. what sort of test kit are you using?

also, do you completely toss out the filter media once a month? if so, you are tossing away your bacteria colony. i never even really use carbon...unless i have treated the tank for an issue and am trying to remove meds etc. sorry for all the questions, just trying to help.

again, good luck with this.

I have two tanks.

10g - 2 years old, 25% PWC weekly, fake plants only as it's my QT. 0 Ammonia, 0 trites, very low trates (maybe 5ppm). Yes this tank has a cartridge which gets removed/replaced but only from time to time certainly not monthly. I just rinse it out in tank water when I do a PWC and then put it back.

60g - 7 months old, 40% PWC weekly, live plants with ferts and glut. This has an aquaclear filter with a sponge - again I just rinse it and replace it.

No problem re the questions - happy to answer as I'm looking for help!!
 
sally are you using a liquid test kit or are you using the all in one test strips?

i have less than 10 years experience (but more than 5) and my answers normally involve water changes and testing parameters. sortve like how an IT guy will always tell you to restart your computer. i dont blame you for doing research...you obviously care about your fish. just dont do anything rashly. i dont feel comfortable making a diagnosis or suggesting a med, but i do think keeping the water pristine is good advice. cant go wrong with that. i will let people with more experience suggest meds/make diagnoses.
 
sally are you using a liquid test kit or are you using the all in one test strips?

i have less than 10 years experience (but more than 5) and my answers normally involve water changes and testing parameters. sortve like how an IT guy will always tell you to restart your computer. i dont blame you for doing research...you obviously care about your fish. just dont do anything rashly. i dont feel comfortable making a diagnosis or suggesting a med, but i do think keeping the water pristine is good advice. cant go wrong with that. i will let people with more experience suggest meds/make diagnoses.

Re testing - I have both. I know some people say the strips are unreliable but I have used both (at the same time) several times and always found the results the same so I am confident in the strips I have.
 
Thank you. I really appreciate it. In that case I'll get the fungal treatment you suggest. I'll let you know how it goes. 2 questions for you:



1. I already did the antibiotics and the water is still red from it (despite activated carbon in there 24 hours now and a 50% water change this AM). Do you think it's ok to do the fungal treatment now or should I wait until the water is clear?



2. In my display tank I have several guppies with fin problems. No white on them at all, but one of them has lots of chunks missing and is all tattered, another 2 have tattered tails (without the whole chunks missing). I've not seen any aggression and I have nothing sharp (live plants only) so not sure what's causing it? What do you think it's most likely to be?



Really appreciate the help!!


Me I'd do the fungal treatment now after 24hrs. I bow out to Matts expertise but still wonder if there is a bacterial infection. Of course you could be unlucky and have both :(

Either way treating for fungal will test. What antibiotics are you using?
 
Me I'd do the fungal treatment now after 24hrs. I bow out to Matts expertise but still wonder if there is a bacterial infection. Of course you could be unlucky and have both :(

Either way treating for fungal will test. What antibiotics are you using?

I forget what they are called - I'll look it up later. I've already completed the treatment of antibiotics tho and my guppy is looking unwell. Meth blue on order, arrives tomorrow so I hope he can hold on until it gets here......
 
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