# Fin Rot Tips



## chinds78

I believe I have a fish in my tank with fin rot and I was wondering what the best way to treat it is. I plan to quarantine the fish today and medicate it. Any tips on how to do this and what the best medication would be are greatly appreciated.


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## Robin

First you want to check your water parameters because often that's where the problem gets it's start. Then you want to determine if there's aggression going on in your tank. Fish with nipped fins frequently get fin rot, and then if the water isn't spot on its even more likely that there will be a problem. 
I know you said you're going to QT the fish, and that's good, but eventually you're going to want to return him to the tank and so that's why I mention the likely causes of fin rot.

On the quarantine tank: doesn't have to be anything more than a ten gallon. You need a heater and some sort of filtration unless you're going to do daily water changes--which if you're going to add medication probably won't be practical. You can 'instantly' cycle any quarantine tank by taking some of the media from your main tank's filter and putting it in the qt's filter. It's really important that there's no cycling 'issues' when you're treating a sick fish. You can get everything you need at walmart for under about 30 dollars--heater, tank and filter. It's something you're always going to need if you're keeping fish so it's a good idea.

For medication you have a few options. You can try just quarantining the fish in good water without any nipping tank mates and the fish may show improvement right away. 
Treating with Melafix is also a possibility. 
If however the fin rot is pretty bad and seems to be getting worse rather quickly then you want to pick up an anti-biotic. See what your local fish store has. Look for something that says it treats fin rot or that says it's a broad spectrum antibiotic. 
Ideally you want to go with the most natural approach to treating and save the antibiotics and other strong meds for when you really need them.

Robin


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## chinds78

OK, thanks for all the tips. I will get on that. I got a fit rot treatment at walmart and I'm getting ready to set up the QT tank.


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## chinds78

The guy at the fish store said I should empty out all the water and completely start my tank over. That doesn't sound like a good idea to me. Do I need to do this in order to completely get rid of the fin rot?


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## Robin

Did he say why? 
I would definitely not advise you to do that.

Robin


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## chinds78

He said I'd never completely get rid of the fungus without starting the tank over. I would think the shock to the fish from that would be worse than the fin rot.


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## Nina_b

chinds78 said:


> He said I'd never completely get rid of the fungus without starting the tank over. I would think the shock to the fish from that would be worse than the fin rot.


He is wrong. You're right. Don't start over like that. Water changes will do it nicely. The fungus lives all around us all the time - healthy fish with a healthy immune system keeps your fish healthy.


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## Robin

> He is wrong. You're right. Don't start over like that. Water changes will do it nicely. The fungus lives all around us all the time - healthy fish with a healthy immune system keeps your fish healthy.


Exactly!


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## newbiecichlid99

make sure to treat the whole tank and you will get rid of it my tank had cotton mouth and i treated whole tank to be sure it seems be gone now !!!


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## chinds78

newbiecichlid99 said:


> make sure to treat the whole tank and you will get rid of it my tank had cotton mouth and i treated whole tank to be sure it seems be gone now !!!


How did you treat your tank?


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## Robin

Cotton mouth is the common name for Columnaris--a bacterial disease. You want to be certain that your fish HAS Columnaris before treating for it.

Robin


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## newbiecichlid99

i treated my tank with piramix but this isn;t meds for everything !!! just stated maybe should treat whole tank if it;s fin rot because more then 1 might have this issue and maybe the 1 is only showing symtoms


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## GTZ

newbiecichlid99 said:


> i treated my tank with piramix


Did you mean Pimafix?


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## ranjansanyal2008

Hi,

Is it recommended to treat with any antibiotics? I was wondering which would be better 1) API MElafix, 2) Seachem Paragurad or 3) Tetracyclin?


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