I have a rosy barb whose tail is infected. I came home one day and saw that where her caudal fin meets her body was very bloody. I think she might of got bit, most likely by my rainbow shark. Now two days latter her tail is all swollen, white and puffy. I am not sure what to do to help her. My sick tank is currently being used to raise some baby rosy barbs, and I do not have a ton of money to go buy medicine. Any advice or if any one knows of cheap medicine that would help, that would be great.
Infected tail
- Thread starter stephen12
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BBradbury
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- May 24, 2011
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Hello steve...
No problem. There are some things you can do for your fish that don't cost much, and requires just a little of your time. I would start by doing a larger than normal water change. Make a habit of changing the water a little more often and change a little more. Make the water slightly warmer than that in the tank. Most, if not all of the bad things that happen to fish are the result of less than pure water conditions. Next, get some frozen food like brine or Mysis shrimp, beef heart, bloodworms, krill or plankton. One of these is just a few dollars. And feed a little every day or two.
Get some minced garlic at the local store, very cheap. Check the ingredients. You want just the vegetable and water, no additives. Drop a few of the small pieces into the tank. Garlic is a natural antibiotic and high vitamin. My fish love it. Don't worry, it won't make the water smell.
Float some stem plants in the tank for hiding purposes. Anacharis and Pennywort are two of the best for good growth and more plants make your fish feel more comfortable.
Follow these for a month or so. Your Barb should show signs of improvement. One other thing, watch for bullies in the tank. You may need to make different housing arrangements for a fish.
No problem. There are some things you can do for your fish that don't cost much, and requires just a little of your time. I would start by doing a larger than normal water change. Make a habit of changing the water a little more often and change a little more. Make the water slightly warmer than that in the tank. Most, if not all of the bad things that happen to fish are the result of less than pure water conditions. Next, get some frozen food like brine or Mysis shrimp, beef heart, bloodworms, krill or plankton. One of these is just a few dollars. And feed a little every day or two.
Get some minced garlic at the local store, very cheap. Check the ingredients. You want just the vegetable and water, no additives. Drop a few of the small pieces into the tank. Garlic is a natural antibiotic and high vitamin. My fish love it. Don't worry, it won't make the water smell.
Float some stem plants in the tank for hiding purposes. Anacharis and Pennywort are two of the best for good growth and more plants make your fish feel more comfortable.
Follow these for a month or so. Your Barb should show signs of improvement. One other thing, watch for bullies in the tank. You may need to make different housing arrangements for a fish.
Thank Bardbury.that is really good advice and I will start trying it. I have all ready been doing the water changes, but plan on keeping them going. I feel like one of the problems is that this rosy barb is about 5 years old now, and has been looking pretty old for the past couple of months. I am going to try to keep her alive if I can, she was my first fish I got for this tank, and I would be sad to lose her.
Thanks again for the help.
Thanks again for the help.
Fishfur
Aquarium Advice Addict
I have no wish to depress you, but 5 years is the average life span for these fishes. Not saying she can't get better, but she is a venerable old fish now. If she does not improve, you might want to think about euthanasia, so she won't suffer, if she isn't getting better.
I agree with BBradbury that live or frozen food is better for her now, it is better nutrition that should help her fight back. They mostly eat insects and small crustaceans in the wild, so I'd go with the brine shrimp or maybe frozen daphnia.
Short term salt in a hospital tank can assist in curing fungal infections. The fungus would have invaded the wound. It is always in tank water, only causing trouble when it gets a chance, such as a wound.
You have to have been taking very good care of your tank for the fish to have lived this long, so you should feel good about that. I am really sorry this fish got injured, but it does happen. I really hope she will get well.
I agree with BBradbury that live or frozen food is better for her now, it is better nutrition that should help her fight back. They mostly eat insects and small crustaceans in the wild, so I'd go with the brine shrimp or maybe frozen daphnia.
Short term salt in a hospital tank can assist in curing fungal infections. The fungus would have invaded the wound. It is always in tank water, only causing trouble when it gets a chance, such as a wound.
You have to have been taking very good care of your tank for the fish to have lived this long, so you should feel good about that. I am really sorry this fish got injured, but it does happen. I really hope she will get well.
Thank you everyone, I have been doing water changes, added salt in the tank and some of the other advice. Her tail is starting to look better and I even saw her swimming with some of the males like they want to mate, so I hope she will be making a full recovery. Thank you again for the advice and help.
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