Angelfish fin rot or fungal infection?

[Lindseyb]

I’ve had my angelfish for a couple of months now and they have been doing fairly well. I recently noticed some damage to his top fin. I did go to the pet store for some help to determine what was wrong and how to fix it. The representative was not sure what it was so advised to me treat for both fungal and fin rot. I’m not sure if it’s “getting better” or getting worse. I’m currently using API Pima fix and melafix. Has anyone else seen this on their angel fish? Picture of what it was to what it now.

 

[charliebankston]

It does look like fin rot. Pimafix and melafix prob won't help it since it's started. You'll need to do antibiotics. Api makes 3 different ones that will treat that, em. Erythromycin, furan-2, and fin rot medicine. They all will kill your beneficial bacteria, so it's best to treat in a hospital tank. All (and so do I) recommend dosing 2 days, then a 25% water change, then 2 more days. 1 box of each is 10 packages that in total treat 100 gallons

 

[charliebankston]

You can use melafix and pimafix in conjunction with the antibiotics, they're more of an antiseptic and api says all their meds are safe to use together. Only 1 antibiotic tho

 

[Lindseyb]

Is there one of the three antibiotics you would suggest? Can I buy it from petsmart or petco?

 

[charliebankston]

Sometimes I find erythromycin at one of those two. They often carry the fin and body rot medication, it has doxycycline in it. They never have furan-2. I think any of the 3 work just as well as the others. And most ich medicine works better on fungus than pimafix too. I use the others, but they're more of a preventative like I said. Once symptoms start, you usually have to try something stronger

 

[Lindseyb]

Okay. So I just bought erythromycin from petsmart. I have a separate tank it’s small, like 6 gallons but I had to purchase a new filter for because the other one stopped working.I’ll take the water from the original tank and put it in the 6 gallon and begin using the antibiotic today with the sick angelfish. Is 6 gallons too small? He will fit okay in there by himself.

 

[charliebankston]

No, that's perfect. And I would just use half a pack unless you weigh each pack out, haha!

 

[charliebankston]

Ime, I've had good luck just going by the directions on the box. Hope he gets better quick, good luck

 

[Lindseyb]

Thanks for the help. Now if I get him all healed up how do I reintroduce him into the big tank? Just throw him back in there?

 

[charliebankston]

Haha! Yeah, same as you would a new fish. After you see his fins start growing back (white or translucent edges) then you know it's past. You'll just have to watch him if there are other angels in there so he doesn't get picked on