# new but poorly JD



## Robchester_2000 (Nov 8, 2008)

so i ordered a Jack Dempsey from my LFS, they called me today to say my new little fella was in. 
i go down there all excited, and find out he arrived yesterday, and had been put in a tank with jewel cichlids overnight! he's only an inch or so, and the jewels had beaten him up pretty badly. the store gave me him for two bucks. his tail fin is mostly gone and the back of his dorsal fin is missing. 
got him in quarantine, any thing else i can do for him, to help him recover? i've named him jimmy the cripple.


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## BRANT13 (Feb 18, 2009)

try some melafix and primafix...also do plenty of water changes....if the fins are too far torn they may not grow back...or will grow back but no look the same...i have my alpha male lab that got in a tuft with my alpha hongi and he ripped his entire left fin off....i thought he was just going to have one fin for the rest of his life....but with frequent water changes and melafix/primafix hes grown his fin back....its not a full fin (hadnt grown back to full normality because the scarring was too bad)...but at least hes got his fin back.


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## Robchester_2000 (Nov 8, 2008)

will melafix harm other fish if they aren't sick? i have a divider and some 1" afras the other side, i will do daily water changes and see if his tail grows back, hopefully!


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## BRANT13 (Feb 18, 2009)

no melafix will not harm ure fish...it works as a great preventative for a number of things MelaFix
Contains the natural botanical extract from the Tea Tree (Melaleuca), an excellent alternative to resistant strains of bacteria that are unaffected by traditional medications. Treats bacterial infections such as red ulcers, fin and tail rot, cloudy eyes, mouth fungus, and others in as little as 4 days. Also heals open wounds, ulcers, and damaged fins. Doesn't affect pH; safe for invertebrates.

i add the recommended dosage with every water change and have had no problems whatsoever....i believe the dosage is 10ml per 20 gal


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## Robchester_2000 (Nov 8, 2008)

nice, thanks!


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## RyanR (Apr 29, 2008)

I'd also add API aquarium salt to help the fins grow back. We took in a large yellow lab who wound up in an aggressive mbuna tank. Her tail was completely gone. Took a while, but she's looking great now.

As for the Melafix, I've had good results as well. Be sure the water is well aerated, though.

-Ryan


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## Robchester_2000 (Nov 8, 2008)

JD update, his tail has already started growing back, i would say between an 8th and a 16th of an inch so far, he looks much happier, and has started eating a bit more. i put some tea tree oil in there to help him heal, works wonders. will honestly post pics asap!


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## BRANT13 (Feb 18, 2009)

glad to hear...keep us posted...lets see before and progress pics :fish:


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## Robchester_2000 (Nov 8, 2008)

Before, Thursday the 11th,








After, Monday the 15th,








so a small, but noticeable improvement!


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## BRANT13 (Feb 18, 2009)

yes u can deffinately tell hes improving


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## Robchester_2000 (Nov 8, 2008)

he's paler than when i first got him, is that because he's less stressed or should i be worried?


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## bl00dr0ck (May 24, 2005)

Very hard to say with dempseys because they are a fairly variable colored fish. Mine are almost black under the speckling. But I've seen some very nice ones that are pale. You probably observe the behavior and let that be your guide.


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## BRANT13 (Feb 18, 2009)

i would assume his normal coloring will slowly come back along with his tail


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## Robchester_2000 (Nov 8, 2008)

Jimmy took a downturn today, got what looks like ich. moved the pleco and treated it with malachite green, he is doing awesome otherwise, good color, perky, ate a baby afra that skipped the divider, tail has grown back. but has ich? weird.


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## BRANT13 (Feb 18, 2009)

hes not having a good week huh?


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## Robchester_2000 (Nov 8, 2008)

lol, he seems fine, he just has a couple of white bits on him. hope this doesn't become serious.


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## Malawidolphin (Dec 15, 2006)

If you are sure it's Ich start treating right away or it can get severe very quickly. Usually a fish with a mild case of Ich will act normal, but this is the time to get a handle on it. I always use the heat/salt methtod and have had a 100% success rate. Raise your temp to about 84 and add 1 tablespoon of non-iodized salt per 5 gallons of water. Do this slowly over a couple of days to give him time to adjust. You will usually see more ich before it starts to go away, that is because the parasite is too small to see when it first infects a fish. Keep doing your regular water change routine and only replace the salt that has been removed with the water change. You want to keep the salt level in the tank the same. The heat speeds up the life cycle of the Ich and the salt kills it when it drops off the fish to reproduce.


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## Robchester_2000 (Nov 8, 2008)

i've already treated with malachite green, i dosed it at one teaspoon per ten gallons, do i need to put any more in, or do i need to replace any if i do a water change?


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## Malawidolphin (Dec 15, 2006)

I have never used malachite green before so unfortnately I can't say. I would follow the directions on the bottle. I have used coppersafe in the past before I discovered the heat/salt method and I had to re-dose even if a water change isn't done. If you have loaches (or any other scaleless fish) you have to be careful with Ich meds as they do not tolerate it well. I found the method I use now on this site and I have never lost a fish to Ich since. I am not saying meds are bad but I find the salt is less stressful and I always have it on hand. I think the safest thing to do is follow the directions and watch your fish for signs of stress.
good luck!


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## Robchester_2000 (Nov 8, 2008)

an update on a much better Jimmy!


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## Riceburner (Sep 3, 2008)

looking good


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## BRANT13 (Feb 18, 2009)

great to see :fish:


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