reusing tank that had sick fish

[ronnieroach]

so i have a friend who is going to take my 2 parrots, severum, kribensis & upsidedown cat because they keep getting fin rot & i cant afford to keep medicating.

WHAT DO I NEED TO DO TO ENSURE MY GREEN SPOTTED PUFFER WONT GET ROT? when i transfer him into the 55??

should i remove my fake plants & petrified wood & boil them or something?

i was going to remove the rocks (to add crushed coral or sand) & clean the tank very thouroughly but i dont want to risk losing my puffer now too so i figured i'd ask my smarter fishy friends what i need to do.

ALL HELP IS APPRECIATED!!!

 

[Esoteric Backbone]

Fin rot occurs when the fish is stressed for some reason. The most common cause is poor water quality. Overcrowding the tank, feeding outdated food or overfeeding, and moving or handling the fish can also cause stress leading to fin rot.

Treatment should include a water change, and careful examination of the aquarium conditions. If there is food debris, vaccumm the gravel and take care to avoid overfeeding. Start dating your fish food, as it loses the vitamin content fairly quickly after it is opened. Feeding fish fresh, high quality food, in smaller quantities is far better than frequent large feedings of stale foods.

Check the pH and water temperature of the water, and make sure it is appropriate for your fish. Incorrect pH is very stressful for fish, and can lead to disease. Low water temperatures, particularly in fish with long flowing fins, can trigger fin rot.

If the root cause is corrected, antibiotics will usually cure the disease itself. Use a drug that is effective against gram negative organisms. Chloramphenical, Oxytetracycline, and Tetracycline, are good choices. Treat according to manufacturers instructions. The use of aquarium salt will benefit livebearing fish, but should be avoided in fish, such as scaleless catfish, that are sensitive to salt.

The best prevention is good aquarium maintenance. Change the water regularly, vaccum the gravel, and monitor the water chemistry. Do not overcrowd the tank, and watch for signs of fighting between fish. When feeding, keep the volume low! Overfeeding is the most common mistake made by all fish owners, and contributes to poor water quality. Be sure to use fresh foods. If the can has been open for half a year, it has lost most of its nutritional value. Purchase food in small enough containers that it can be used in one to two months.

Copied from About.com

 

[Mr. Limpet]

GSP need brackish water, so that's the first thing to consider.

 

[ronnieroach]

thanks goby i should have done that myself

& lol i know mr limpet.. hes in a brackish tank right now, i just wanna put him into the 55 if the current fishys wont get better

 

[Esoteric Backbone]

thanks goby i should have done that myself

No problem!

 

[ronnieroach]

update: did a 35% water change, cleaned ANY & ALL debris from rocks, added a few tablespoons of salt & started the melafix/pimafix treatment again. they all ate a bit after i treated & went from being nose down in the rocks or in a plant to swimming around again.

HOPEFULLY they stay healthy after this treatment but this is their last chance before being rehomed. i just cant afford to keep treating.

 

[Mr. Limpet]

lol i know mr limpet.. hes in a brackish tank right now, i just wanna put him into the 55 if the current fishys wont get better

Good to know and you'd be surprised at how many don't know what you and I do .

 

[ronnieroach]

lol im sure theres millions of things that im still am oblivious to