Looks like fin rot but I'm not sure

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ScottAlan

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 29, 2011
43
0
0
Atlanta
I have a 10 gallon aquarium with 2 baby catfish and a pleco in it. Recently i had a baby bass in there too, but he just passed away from what seems like the same disease that one of my bullhead catfish has. I believe it to be fin rot, but when I tried treating it with Maracyn, it kept spreading and getting worse. I even did a full water change right before putting medicine in. Also, my bass died in less than 2 days after showing symptoms and I didnt think fin rot killed that fast. I fear that my catfish is going to die also since he started showing symptoms this morning and is now covering a large portion of his back. dont know if its something Im feeding them or what. Any ideas?


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Fin rot is usually on fish that are stressed or sick, I'd start with water params and maybe a better pic, that doesn't look like any fin rot I've seen on my fish
 
I would say its fin rot, not 100% sure though. I would do a 30% or so water change and add some salt at a tablespoon per 5 gallons. This will hopefully cure it if it is in fact fin rot. You could also try treating it with fish antibiotics.

Helpful info on Fin Rot....

"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 Overcrowding the tank, feeding outdated food or overfeeding, and moving or handling the fish can also cause stress leading to fin rot."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."

Prevention:


  • Maintain good water quality
  • Keep proper water parameters
  • Feed fresh food in small amounts
 
I've also found out that fin rot starts at the edge of the fins, destroys more and more tissue UNTIL it reaches the base. If it does reach the fin base, the fish will never be able to regenerate the lost tissue. At this point, the disease may attack the fish's body directly!
 
Also, one last thing...some symptoms of Fin Rot...

Symptoms:

  • Fin edges turn black / brown
  • Fins fray
  • Base of fins inflamed
  • Entire fin may rot away or fall off in large chunks

Hope all this helps! Sorry for the 5 Posts In A Row Lol!
 
Well thanks for all the helpful info, but looks like i did too little too late. Less than 24 hours after showing symptoms of anything being wrong he died. Not quite sure if thats characteristic or not of fin rot to kill in 24 hours. Can't say I didnt try though
 
I thought the same thing, but isn't Maracyn supposed to cure columnaris? I thought it did, but the medication didn't seem to make anything improve any
 
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