Fin rot (I think) is getting worse.

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Darter217

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Noticed what I think is fin rot on one of my five banded barbs about a week or two ago. I started doing daily water changes plus dosing melafix to try and fix the problem but it seems to be getting worse.

Some of my other barbs are also showing signs of fin rot (either that or they've been nipped) I'm not sure how I should proceed or if I should just keep going with the water changes?

The first picture is from around 2 weeks ago and the second picture is from today.
 

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Looks like bites that are infected. What else is in the tank?

How much water are you changing?
Do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate every day for a week.

What is the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate in the water?

Stop using Melafix and add some salt, (see directions below). If there's no improvement after a week of salt, then you might need a broad spectrum fish medication, but try salt first.

-------------------
SALT
You can add rock salt (often sold as aquarium salt), sea salt or swimming pool salt to the aquarium at the dose rate of 1 heaped tablespoon per 20 litres of water. If there is no improvement after 48 hours you can double that dose rate so there is 2 heaped tablespoons of salt per 20 litres.

If you only have livebearers (guppies, platies, swordtails, mollies), goldfish or rainbowfish in the tank you can double that dose rate, so you would add 2 heaped tablespoons per 20 litres and if there is no improvement after 48 hours, then increase it so there is a total of 4 heaped tablespoons of salt per 20 litres.

Keep the salt level like this for at least 2 weeks but no longer than 4 weeks otherwise kidney damage can occur. Kidney damage is more likely to occur in fish from soft water (tetras, Corydoras, angelfish, gouramis, loaches) that are exposed to high levels of salt for an extended period of time, and is not an issue with livebearers, rainbowfish or other salt tolerant species.

The salt will not affect the beneficial filter bacteria but the higher dose rate (4 heaped tablespoons per 20 litres) will affect some plants and some snails. The lower dose rate (1-2 heaped tablespoons per 20 litres) will not affect fish, plants, shrimp or snails.

After you use salt and the fish have recovered, you do a 10% water change each day for a week using only fresh water that has been dechlorinated. Then do a 20% water change each day for a week. Then you can do bigger water changes after that. This dilutes the salt out of the tank slowly so it doesn't harm the fish.

If you do water changes while using salt, you need to treat the new water with salt before adding it to the tank. This will keep the salt level stable in the tank and minimise stress on the fish.
 
Antibiotics are available in the UK only with a prescription after a consultation with a vet - if you can find one that deals with fish.

(Antibiotics should only be used where a bacterial infection is known to be the cause of a fish ailment)
 
Looks like bites that are infected. What else is in the tank?

How much water are you changing?
Do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate every day for a week.

What is the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate in the water?

Stop using Melafix and add some salt, (see directions below). If there's no improvement after a week of salt, then you might need a broad spectrum fish medication, but try salt first.

-------------------
SALT
You can add rock salt (often sold as aquarium salt), sea salt or swimming pool salt to the aquarium at the dose rate of 1 heaped tablespoon per 20 litres of water. If there is no improvement after 48 hours you can double that dose rate so there is 2 heaped tablespoons of salt per 20 litres.

If you only have livebearers (guppies, platies, swordtails, mollies), goldfish or rainbowfish in the tank you can double that dose rate, so you would add 2 heaped tablespoons per 20 litres and if there is no improvement after 48 hours, then increase it so there is a total of 4 heaped tablespoons of salt per 20 litres.

Keep the salt level like this for at least 2 weeks but no longer than 4 weeks otherwise kidney damage can occur. Kidney damage is more likely to occur in fish from soft water (tetras, Corydoras, angelfish, gouramis, loaches) that are exposed to high levels of salt for an extended period of time, and is not an issue with livebearers, rainbowfish or other salt tolerant species.

The salt will not affect the beneficial filter bacteria but the higher dose rate (4 heaped tablespoons per 20 litres) will affect some plants and some snails. The lower dose rate (1-2 heaped tablespoons per 20 litres) will not affect fish, plants, shrimp or snails.

After you use salt and the fish have recovered, you do a 10% water change each day for a week using only fresh water that has been dechlorinated. Then do a 20% water change each day for a week. Then you can do bigger water changes after that. This dilutes the salt out of the tank slowly so it doesn't harm the fish.

If you do water changes while using salt, you need to treat the new water with salt before adding it to the tank. This will keep the salt level stable in the tank and minimise stress on the fish.


I have checked my water parameters and everything is as it should be so it's not that. I've been doing 50% water changes plus vacuuming the substrate so I'll up that to 75%. The bites option seems to be the most likely cause as you've said.
 
Antibiotics are available in the UK only with a prescription after a consultation with a vet - if you can find one that deals with fish.

(Antibiotics should only be used where a bacterial infection is known to be the cause of a fish ailment)
Correct. I was recommended seachem KanaPlex to deal with it but it's not available in the UK.
 
I think its from nipping too. Barbs can beat on each other pretty good
Yes some of it is, my barbs used to chase each other pretty relentlessly until I added another two females to calm things down. The female in the picture is the one who was chased the most in the group.

It's just trying to differentiate between tears from nipping and an infection.
 
Its hard to tell. Just keep the water clean and the fins should grow back with time. You could treat with an anti bacterial to help prevent infection. not sure which meds are available to you.
 
Its hard to tell. Just keep the water clean and the fins should grow back with time. You could treat with an anti bacterial to help prevent infection. not sure which meds are available to you.


We don't have the same strength of meds that are available in the US. The main thing over here is melafix I think? Which produces very mixed results. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. Very hit and miss.
 
What ratio of males:females to you have? You should have 1:2, to reduce aggression. (1 male for every 2 females)
 
What ratio of males:females to you have? You should have 1:2, to reduce aggression. (1 male for every 2 females)


At the start I ended up with 5 males and 2 females. There isn't an awful lot of info about five banded barbs available online so i made the mistake of thinking that was okay. The LFS didn't seem to have an issue with it either.

After realising it was a problem I went back and bought their last 2 females, so that brings me to 5 males and 4 females. Things have calmed down quite a bit since then.
 
Correct. I was recommended seachem KanaPlex to deal with it but it's not available in the UK.
Now, that is where antibiotics are abused. Why antibiotic for fin rot? Clean water and aquarium salt will treat it.
 
Now, that is where antibiotics are abused. Why antibiotic for fin rot? Clean water and aquarium salt will treat it.

That's what the general idea seems to be, although I have seen people recommend them as a quick fix to stuff like this. I imagine antibiotics aren't pleasant for the fish to deal with though.
 

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