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Fin Rot Fin Rot?

Discussion in 'Fish Diseases & Cures' started by Rain, Dec 18, 2010.

  1. Rain

    Rain Thread Starter New Member

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    About a week ago, I removed two Gold Red Endlers from their tank because their fins were torn and I thought they were being attacked by the others. It looked like they had big bite marks out of them. Yesterday one died and today the other did. But now more endlers are looking the same. I removed the three juvies, who were looking fine.

    A couple of days ago, my Gold Swordtail guppies stopped swimming around and had their tails clamped. I was really sick that day from food poisoning, so I didn't notice a lot about them. Yesterday, I noticed it looked like their fins were being chewed on, too. Everyone of them, and they started shimmying, but they weren't going forward. I did a partial water change yesterday with the siphon and then added a dose of Melafix, because I started to suspect fin rot. I don't know how they could have got it, though because they hadn't been netted in a week.

    I added plants the day before, but they were in a clean tank with no fish for a week. I put more plants from that fishless tank in other tanks and other fish are doing fine. I also suspect the Gold Red Endlers may have it, so I added Melafix to them and added fresh water. I had added nothing new to their tank.

    Water conditions of both tanks are perfect and they get regular weekly water changes. Does this sound like fin rot? Do I need to turn up or down the temperature? I use the directed amount of Aquarium Salt, but do I need to add more? I have Trapdoor snails in the Gold Red Endler tank. Do I need to do water changes daily or let the medicine take care of it? Is there anything else it can be?
     
  2. Anthony

    Anthony Active Member

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    It does sound like fin rot to me. Do you think you could get a picture of one of the fish showing the problem ?

    Try treating with Melafix according to the directions, it won't hurt anything.
     
  3. Rain

    Rain Thread Starter New Member

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    She just had fry, so she's really skinny.
    DSC09593.JPG
     
  4. Anthony

    Anthony Active Member

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    It's hard to tell from the picture but I can see where the fins are missing parts.

    You might want to try Pima and MelaFix together and see if that helps after a few days. No water changes or carbon usage when doing the treatment.
     
  5. HBIC

    HBIC Need help??? That's what we're here for :)

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    How old is she and how many times has she had a drop? I notice this same thing in my older endlers right before they pass.
     
  6. Anthony

    Anthony Active Member

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    I thought about that too but they said all the fish are looking like this, if I read that correctly.
     
  7. Rain

    Rain Thread Starter New Member

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    Yeah, all the guppies in this tank in this tank have their fins like that. There was 4 Gold Swordtail guppies, and nothing else. One male died last night so now I'm down to a trio. The female in this picture had at least nine fry a week ago while I was out, and one was eaten before my eyes. The remaining eight are safe and healthy in their fry tank. I don't know how old she is. I got them two weeks ago and she had fry one week ago.

    I lost one of the juvies this morning that I had removed from the Gold Red Endler tank. All but a trio of the Endlers are missing, and two of them have small fin damage. The other two juvies are okay for now, but their fins are too small I can't tell if they're damaged.
     
  8. MOD_Dawn

    MOD_Dawn Active Member

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    1) what are the actual water readings and are you using a dip strip or liquid kit...also check the date on the test kit to make sure it's not expired.
    2) what temp. are you running the setup at? (76-80F should be fine)...most with livebearers tend to do higher temps to avoid disease, but with higher temps come shortened lifespans and decreased oxygen so I suggest running an airstone if you do.
    3) if your following the aquarium salts direction I wouldn't worry on that, you really don't even need to add it ime.
    4) if you read the bottle it should tell you NO CARBON and to dose daily for 7 days and then to perform a 25% partial...if better stop the product..if not you can do another 7 day treatment. (I'd dose PimaFix & MelaFix together for a week straight as already suggested).
    5) do you have more females to males? normally with any livebearer you'll want a minimum of 3 females to each male to keep the harassment down (this harassment/chasing by the males to breed can lead into diseases/problems such as clamped fins & shredded tails).
    Just a thought, but anything else in the tank that could be harassing the fish? Pleco..tetra?
     
  9. Rain

    Rain Thread Starter New Member

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    1) API Freshwater Master Test Kit. I can't find the date, but I got it a few months ago, and had a slight difference in some of my tanks, so I assumed it was working. I have well water, so I don't need to worry about chlorine, and I try not to add chemicals to my tanks.
    Guppies -- pH: 7.4, Ammonia: 0, Nitrite: 0, Nitrate: 0
    Endlers -- pH: 7.4, Ammonia: .25, Nitrite: 0, Nitrate: 0

    2) It was at 78F on both tanks, but I raised it to 80 when they got sick. I didn't know higher temps shorten lifespan. For the guppies: It was originally a fry tank, converted to the adult guppy tank, so it has a sponge filter.

    4) For the guppies: No carbon filter, just the sponge filter with the airstone in it. Today is day three on the Melafix treatment. I can run by the petstore and get Pimafix tomorrow. Should I wait until the seven days are up before starting the Pimafix?
    For the Endlers: I removed the carbon before using it, but I still have the waterfall filter going.

    5) The guppies were sold as two pairs. One of the males died and now I'm down to a trio. Of the Endlers I had 7 female, 3 males, and 3 juvies. Two females and one male died. I took out the juvies before treating. I can only find a trio, the others are missing. One of the three juvies was dead this morning.

    The guppies are by themselves in their tank, the endlers only share their tank with trapdoor snails, and I think they were bothering the snails.
     
  10. Anthony

    Anthony Active Member

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    Pimafix can be used in conjunction with Melafix without any issues. With live bearers (and even most cichlids) you should have one male to 3+ females. Any less and the females get harassed too much which can lead to stress and that's when fish get sick.
     
  11. Rain

    Rain Thread Starter New Member

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    I didn't know that, I thought it was one male to two females. Most of my tanks are male only or female only, except for my Flame tail Endler tank which is five females and one male, and my Albion Tangerine Guppies, which is two pairs because that's how they were sold. I really hope the store has Pimafix.

    Thank you for your help!
     
  12. Rain

    Rain Thread Starter New Member

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    I was able to run down and get it. I added PimaFix just a few minutes ago. But now one of my female Gold Reds are missing. Now it's down to a pair in that tank... neither them nor the guppies are swimming around, and as of now, the males aren't bothering the females or showing any interest at all. When they get better, I can try to get more Gold Red Endler females. The guppies had eight fry a week ago. Hopefully six are female and two are male, because I won't be able to get any more of them.
     
  13. Anthony

    Anthony Active Member

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    What are your water parameters exactly ?
     
  14. MOD_Dawn

    MOD_Dawn Active Member

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    Any ammonia is bad, is this tank fully cycled? is there any excess food in the tank?
    not familar with well water as I have city water and dose with Seachem Prime each time before adding any clean water (including top off).

    The best you can do at this point is the Pima & Melafix together with the heat being kept on the warmer side. That's alot of losses in a brief time-if you just bought them I'd think poor diseased stock, but if you've had them then it sounds like somethings going on with your water. Can't imagine all those fish mysteriously getting fin rot unless someone in both tanks is harrasing them all...but even at that point you'd have at least 1 in each tank in good shape.
     
  15. Rain

    Rain Thread Starter New Member

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    My Endlers seem to be doing better. They're swimming around more and the male's tail fin is less clamped. I'm still at a trio and two juvies.
    My guppies are apparently not doing better, because I lost the female in that photo last night. I'm down to one male and one female.
     
  16. Anthony

    Anthony Active Member

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    Continue dosing with Pima/Melafix and see how things go.
     
  17. Rain

    Rain Thread Starter New Member

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    My Endlers are doing... better I think. One female is missing now, but the remaining male and female seem to be doing good. The male's tail isn't clamped anymore, unless the female comes near. The remaining two juvies are doing well, also.
    My guppies are not. The last female died last night and now I only have the male and eight fry. The fry are in a fry tank and are healthy. The male's tail is still clamped, but he's swimming around a little more.
     
  18. Anthony

    Anthony Active Member

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    You keep saying "clamped tail"... What do you mean by this ? Normally clamped fins refers to their pectoral fins. This is because the fins are literally clamped to the fish's side.
     
  19. Rain

    Rain Thread Starter New Member

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    The tail fin is clamped tight.
    DSC09603.JPG
     
  20. Anthony

    Anthony Active Member

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    Is that a sore on it's side as well ?