# Fish is beat up badly. Fins, slime coat about gone, WTD?



## bntbrl (Apr 23, 2009)

I put melafix in the tank and am doing waterchanges after heavy feedings to get it to eat. The fins are ragged and split, the slime coat is about not there. I think you can see scales disturbed. It looks like other fish have about beat this fish to pieces. After a couple days with Melafix the fins are already improving vastly. The guy that I got it from had it in a tank wtih several other cichlids that I think jus tbeat it up badly. I can alrady tella big difference, but is there anything else to do about it? There are some fuzzy looking patches here and there onthe tattered fins starting to show up today. A little cottony but very small areas. Not ich. What else should I put in it or do? It eats, it doesnt pig out but it eats steadily.


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## BRANT13 (Feb 18, 2009)

id step up the WC's it ....they way u describe the cottony growth sounds like the wounds are getting infected.....stronger medication may be needed if it gets too bad.....i believe u can use primafix and melafix together for a stronger treatment which i mite give a try.....WC's in combination with melafix/primafix should show some improvement if not then stronger meds are needed which i cant help you with.....is this fish currently in a tank by itself?.....they tend to heal alot quicker when isolated.


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## S&amp;T (Jul 27, 2009)

What kind of fish is it and what type are it's tank mates?

I am assuming you have been treating him in the same tank as the others. If so, you should get him into a hospital tank. A small tank is better to observe him as well as you don't have to use much medication (saving some $).

The cottony area is definitely a fungus of sorts.


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

If you're seeing cottony or fuzzy areas, you need to switch to antibiotics, but continue daily water changes. (Sulfa would be my first choice, unless it worsens...If it gets worse, you may need dual antibiotics...)

Am I understanding this fish has been removed from the danger?

Is he in a tank by himself? Is there filtration? Heat?

Stop overfeeding...Sick or injured fish will go without food for a bit, and there's no sense in making the water conditions worse by overfeeding.

Do you know what species this is?


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## bntbrl (Apr 23, 2009)

The fish has been removed from the aggressor. It is in a 10 gallon QT with filtrations and heater and all that good stuff.

I still feed my fish a couple times a day with small amounts. If I miss one its no big deal. I dont think I overfeed any of my fish the way that I feed them.

I got some pimafix and put that in. I cant find any of the other antibiotics. Theres some others that I know of but I havent found them.

The fish is starting to color up and hold its fins out. They look translucent and tattered. They arent nubs but they dont look good. Its slime coat is getting better also. It still have some little blotches of fungus. Im surprised that it is eating as bad as it looks. It looks like it should be bellyup by now. I guess we'll see how it goes.


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

Since you are seeing improvement, it may be fungal and not bacterial.

I would keep up the water changes and add the Pimafix daily with the water changes.

You might look for some sulfa or erythromycin to keep on hand antibiotic wise.

The cottony areas are diminishing?


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## bntbrl (Apr 23, 2009)

The cottony areas seem to be diminishing. I have melafix and pimafix, I cant find anything else. I saw coppersafe I think it was but they were out when I went to look for it when I needed it.

The web part of the fins were gone to start with but the rays were there. The web part is starting to grow back and it looks clear or translucent. It looks like the translucent part is creeping toward the body as the fin heals. Im not sure if this is normal or not, but basically parts of the fins are losing color but the web that is between the structure of the fins is beginning to heal.


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## BRANT13 (Feb 18, 2009)

sounds like hes improving pretty well....keep up the good work :thumb:


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