split tail on comet goldfish - Aquarium Advice

pixieil · 04-20-2005, 02:32 AM

Can someone tell me about tail rot? i have a comet with a beautiful long tail. earlier today it looked like it had a little tear in it near the top of the fin. now it is split all the way to the body. It is still all there, just separated. fish is by itself in tank cept for 2 snails. Water readings are at ideal. should i worry? could it have torn it on something? the plants in the tank are plastic.

dr_girlfriend · 04-20-2005, 04:17 AM

Does it look ratty? Or is it a clean cut? It may have ripped its tail on your plastic plants, some of them can be quite sharp for long flowing finned fish. If he looks good otherwise and is eating, I would just do a waterchange and add 1tblsp salt per gallon of water to help him heal and prevent infection.
Tail rot usually makes the fin look kind of ratty, not a single long
cut.

http://www.aquariumpharmaceuticals.c...se/finrot.html

SteveM · 04-20-2005, 10:20 AM

I've had similar tears on my goldfish from time to time, and had good luck with Melafix to promote healing. I'm not sure what the cause is though.

pixieil · 04-20-2005, 01:39 PM

Thanks. it is just a single clean tear and the fish seems undisturbed by it. should i uses melafix just in case, or is it better not to medicate until it needs it for sure.

pixieil · 04-20-2005, 06:36 PM

new developments. now one of its pectorals is split, , and it has a spot on its tail about 1/16" diameter that is kind of roundish and rather fuzzy looking. I rushed out to "thank-god-for-Wal-Mart" and bought melafix, and something called 'fungus clear" by 'tank buddies', and something called "quick cure" by 'Aquarium Products'. i put in the melafix. should I put in the other things? should I also treat the tank that my other fish is in? the 2 fish were together in the same tank for a few hours when i first got the comet.

SteveM · 04-20-2005, 10:04 PM

Melafix is pretty safe - on the bottle it even recommends using it every time you add fish to a tank. I think I might use it on the other fish just in case.
I'm not sure about the other meds though, they might have side effects that make them more trouble than they are worth if you aren't sure the other fish is sick.
And I really don't know which ones it's OK to mix - hopefully someone else can answer that better.

dr_girlfriend · 04-21-2005, 06:31 AM

ummm...salt. its cheap, has no side effects, and it works. don't go meds happy. that fungus clear is crap and whatever that other stuff is don't use it. try melafix and salt and it should be fine. And yes I would treat the whole tank.
Be sure to do a large water change prior to treating and keep your water params in check.

pixieil · 04-24-2005, 02:21 PM

Well I didnt get that last post till sunday, and was using the "quick cure" which claims to be for ich because of the white specks on the fins,(i dont see any white on the body, but its a white fish, so maybe i just dont see them.) the melafix for the tail rot and aquarium salt (2T total in 1 tsp increments) on general principles. the white spots have not gone away, but the poor fish looked like it was going to die, sitting sagging on the bottom of the tank, looking dazed and pathetic, so I popped the charcoal filter back in to take the meds out of the water. Fish perked up a bit and started eating, but still spends most of its time looking listless at the bottom of the tank. I will take the charcoal out again pretty soon and start over. Ok tell me about the salt routine. dr_girlfriend said 1 TABLESPOON per gallon? is that ok for Freshwater fish? here are my parameters: New tank last week. 10 [acronym:e45e3b9976="Gallon"]gal[/acronym:e45e3b9976]. 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, 10 nitrate 100ppm hardness,90alkalinity, 7.2ph. 1 [acronym:e45e3b9976="Gallon"]gal[/acronym:e45e3b9976] water change yesterday with distilled water. single goldfish with 2 snails.

Kari · 04-24-2005, 06:17 PM

Hold yer horses, there, hon! I'm just an amateur, but you can't mix all those meds. Return the fungus clear, I've used it and it was more trouble than it was worth, and it didn't help one bit! In fact, I think that's what killed some of my fish.

I don't think you're supposed to use more than one tablespoon of salt per FIVE gallons, but if I'm wrong, I'm sure someone more knowledgeable here will correct me.

Also...unless you've seen some definate signs of ich, I wouldn't use quick cure. Quick Cure is a very strong med. And mixing it with any other meds would leave any fish woozy...I found out the hard way.

You sound like you love your fishes, just like I do, and are desperate to help them. I've found alot of helpful advice here, and not OVER medicating is one of those things I've taken to heart. I wouldn't use much more than the salt and melafix without a more definate answer from someone here who knows more about this stuff...just my opinion...and I say it because it's helped me save my own fishes. If it IS ich, ich is a parasite infection, not a fungus infection. It could be one of several parasites. I would do a water change, add the salt and melafix, and keep this forum posted as to how the fish are doing, or what signs they're showing, and go from there.

Kari · 04-24-2005, 06:20 PM

One more thing...there's a topic posted that's called 'If you think your fish have ich'...have you checked that out? And if so, does what your fish has look like what the pics of that show you?

04-20-2005, 02:32 AM	#1
pixieil Aquarium Advice Apprentice Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: illinois Posts: 17	split tail on comet goldfish Can someone tell me about tail rot? i have a comet with a beautiful long tail. earlier today it looked like it had a little tear in it near the top of the fin. now it is split all the way to the body. It is still all there, just separated. fish is by itself in tank cept for 2 snails. Water readings are at ideal. should i worry? could it have torn it on something? the plants in the tank are plastic.

04-20-2005, 04:17 AM	#2
dr_girlfriend Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: N. CA Posts: 701 Images: 23	Does it look ratty? Or is it a clean cut? It may have ripped its tail on your plastic plants, some of them can be quite sharp for long flowing finned fish. If he looks good otherwise and is eating, I would just do a waterchange and add 1tblsp salt per gallon of water to help him heal and prevent infection. Tail rot usually makes the fin look kind of ratty, not a single long cut. http://www.aquariumpharmaceuticals.c...se/finrot.html __________________ Fish are friends, not food We weep for the bird's cry, but not for the blood of a fish. Blessed are those who have voice. Pinky: "What are those Brain?" (pointing to a group of people protesting) Brain: "People without jobs Pinky." N. California aquarium maintenance, scuba certification, and boat services. Need computer services in N. California? Click here!

04-21-2005, 06:31 AM	#7
dr_girlfriend Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: N. CA Posts: 701 Images: 23	ummm...salt. its cheap, has no side effects, and it works. don't go meds happy. that fungus clear is crap and whatever that other stuff is don't use it. try melafix and salt and it should be fine. And yes I would treat the whole tank. Be sure to do a large water change prior to treating and keep your water params in check. __________________ Fish are friends, not food We weep for the bird's cry, but not for the blood of a fish. Blessed are those who have voice. Pinky: "What are those Brain?" (pointing to a group of people protesting) Brain: "People without jobs Pinky." N. California aquarium maintenance, scuba certification, and boat services. Need computer services in N. California? Click here!

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04-20-2005, 10:20 AM	#3
SteveM Aquarium Advice Activist Join Date: May 2004 Location: North Carolina Posts: 124 Images: 1	I've had similar tears on my goldfish from time to time, and had good luck with Melafix to promote healing. I'm not sure what the cause is though.

04-20-2005, 01:39 PM	#4
pixieil Aquarium Advice Apprentice Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: illinois Posts: 17	Thanks. it is just a single clean tear and the fish seems undisturbed by it. should i uses melafix just in case, or is it better not to medicate until it needs it for sure.

04-20-2005, 06:36 PM	#5
pixieil Aquarium Advice Apprentice Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: illinois Posts: 17	new developments. now one of its pectorals is split, , and it has a spot on its tail about 1/16" diameter that is kind of roundish and rather fuzzy looking. I rushed out to "thank-god-for-Wal-Mart" and bought melafix, and something called 'fungus clear" by 'tank buddies', and something called "quick cure" by 'Aquarium Products'. i put in the melafix. should I put in the other things? should I also treat the tank that my other fish is in? the 2 fish were together in the same tank for a few hours when i first got the comet.

04-20-2005, 10:04 PM	#6
SteveM Aquarium Advice Activist Join Date: May 2004 Location: North Carolina Posts: 124 Images: 1	Melafix is pretty safe - on the bottle it even recommends using it every time you add fish to a tank. I think I might use it on the other fish just in case. I'm not sure about the other meds though, they might have side effects that make them more trouble than they are worth if you aren't sure the other fish is sick. And I really don't know which ones it's OK to mix - hopefully someone else can answer that better.

04-24-2005, 02:21 PM	#8
pixieil Aquarium Advice Apprentice Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: illinois Posts: 17	Well I didnt get that last post till sunday, and was using the "quick cure" which claims to be for ich because of the white specks on the fins,(i dont see any white on the body, but its a white fish, so maybe i just dont see them.) the melafix for the tail rot and aquarium salt (2T total in 1 tsp increments) on general principles. the white spots have not gone away, but the poor fish looked like it was going to die, sitting sagging on the bottom of the tank, looking dazed and pathetic, so I popped the charcoal filter back in to take the meds out of the water. Fish perked up a bit and started eating, but still spends most of its time looking listless at the bottom of the tank. I will take the charcoal out again pretty soon and start over. Ok tell me about the salt routine. dr_girlfriend said 1 TABLESPOON per gallon? is that ok for Freshwater fish? here are my parameters: New tank last week. 10 [acronym:e45e3b9976="Gallon"]gal[/acronym:e45e3b9976]. 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, 10 nitrate 100ppm hardness,90alkalinity, 7.2ph. 1 [acronym:e45e3b9976="Gallon"]gal[/acronym:e45e3b9976] water change yesterday with distilled water. single goldfish with 2 snails.

04-24-2005, 06:17 PM	#9
Kari Aquarium Advice Activist Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Indiana USA Posts: 159	Hold yer horses, there, hon! I'm just an amateur, but you can't mix all those meds. Return the fungus clear, I've used it and it was more trouble than it was worth, and it didn't help one bit! In fact, I think that's what killed some of my fish. I don't think you're supposed to use more than one tablespoon of salt per FIVE gallons, but if I'm wrong, I'm sure someone more knowledgeable here will correct me. Also...unless you've seen some definate signs of ich, I wouldn't use quick cure. Quick Cure is a very strong med. And mixing it with any other meds would leave any fish woozy...I found out the hard way. You sound like you love your fishes, just like I do, and are desperate to help them. I've found alot of helpful advice here, and not OVER medicating is one of those things I've taken to heart. I wouldn't use much more than the salt and melafix without a more definate answer from someone here who knows more about this stuff...just my opinion...and I say it because it's helped me save my own fishes. If it IS ich, ich is a parasite infection, not a fungus infection. It could be one of several parasites. I would do a water change, add the salt and melafix, and keep this forum posted as to how the fish are doing, or what signs they're showing, and go from there.

04-24-2005, 06:20 PM	#10
Kari Aquarium Advice Activist Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Indiana USA Posts: 159	One more thing...there's a topic posted that's called 'If you think your fish have ich'...have you checked that out? And if so, does what your fish has look like what the pics of that show you?