Fin Rot?

[Sesshis_grl]

Need advice on how to deal with current situation

My dwarf cichlids have been acting funny the past week, and one of them died this past weekend. The one that died was the one I was worried had something wrong with him as he was clamping his fins and breathing heavily. He got better but after a week he started clamping again as did my other two. Two started hiding and not coming out at all unless food was being given. And before he died he was just sitting on the substrate breathing hard. The other two seemed to just be clamping all fins and hiding. Their color is also fluctuating between very dark and pale. I also saw one flashing at one point but that has stopped to my knowledge. My water stats have been perfect at A 0, Nitrite 0, and Nitrate I can't remember but I know it was way lower than 40, somewhere in the 20's? I'd have to do another test to be sure. But for weeks its always tested fine, nothing has changed, I added 2 peacock gobies a week ago but they died within the first night (i dont think they were healthy to begin with). Water changes don't seem to make a difference, so I started dosing with API general cure. It seems to have had some effect as the tail fins aren't clamped as much, and they are out and about now. But looking at one today his tail is disintegrating!! I would assume this is tail rot?? I have maracyn 2 on hand but can you use that together with the general cure? I'm also worried about double dosing because there are other fish who (knock on wood) aren't showing any syptoms of illness. I have no where to move the 2 cichlids and not sure what to do. I'm also worried about killing my bacteria with the maracyn 2.

Please help =(

 

[Sesshis_grl]

Anyone?

The sick dwarf now has no tail, and I think he may have ick. I've never had anyone in my tank have this before, where is this coming from?? and how do I get rid of it?

 

[Fishy friend2]

If the fin look dipped they probably have fin rot to treat fin rot get some medication for it. If the fish have white dots on them that is ick gat ice medication for that. From what u described it sounds like they have fin rot I have used malafix before and it works great. Hope I helped

Sorry I meant if the fins look ripped not dipped

If the tail looked short and stubby when he died and had a white line on the edge it was still fin rot

 

[Sesshis_grl]

No the one that died only acted weird, nothing was physically wrong with him except that he looks really skinny.

The one that has a messed up tail is alive, and I think he has ick. He has a slight smattering of white spots but its not full on covering him as I've seen it in fish stores. His tail looks like someone has cut it in half vertically. Its really weird and happened virtually overnight.

I have maracyn 2 will treat the fin rot I think but will my bacteria die off if I use it? Also can it be used with API Ick guard? I've never had to use multiple medications before and I'm scared of harming the fish that don't seem to be sick

 

[Fishy friend2]

Were there eyes cloudy that is a sign of sickness

 

[This Old Spouse]

If you can start a quarantine tank, that's the best option.

I'm loathe to use any medications, and what I usually do is huge water changes, as in take out enough water that the fish just have enough room to swim upright, generally around 85%. Replace that water with temperature-matched and dechlor water (I use API StressCoat but others use Prime) and do this for a few days straight.

It's most likely that the new fish you brought in passed something along. How did you introduce them to the tank?

 

[Sesshis_grl]

I acclimate in a bucket, kind of like the drip method I think but with 1/2 cup at a time

finished parasite med, and started ick meds. The problem is the fin rot, idk if it will go away with big water changes for a while or if I actually need to treat. Does the API Bacteria med kill bacteria? It doesn't say on any of the boxes. I'm pretty sure the other cichlid's tail is catching it

I'm trying to get my 10G under control for a quarantine, but its fighting me every step of the way

No cloudy eyes

Thanks

 

[Fishy friend2]

can u take a picture of the fish

 

[Sesshis_grl]

I can try, but they are the fast ones that don't like the camera. Also his tail seems to have grow back. The other has dark brown/black ringing a little bit of his tail fin.

No one seems to have answered my original question though...do you have to treat for fin rot? or will it go away with water changes like torn fins? I just don't want to ignore a sickness and have it get worse

And fyi to anyone who's reading API medications are amazing. I will never touch the tetra brand ever again

 

[Fishy friend2]

Use fish medication and follow the directions I used melafix

 

[This Old Spouse]

Use fish medication and follow the directions I used melafix

What's "fish medication"?

Melafix isn't a medication, it's just melaluca oil.

Many on the forum believe that huge water changes will cure just about anything. But in my experience (and I keep a VERY clean tank) is that clean water is not always enough. Maybe it is for some folks, but I'm in the midst of some kind of bacterial nightmare right now, and I ended up getting antibiotics from my vet's office that I squirt in the water. So far it hasn't show any results, but then again nobody has died in the Q tank where I'm using it.

My thoughts at this point are: once you've identified a problem, treat it aggressively and cure it! Try not to wait around to see if it will clear up by itself. It likely won't, and then you'll have a deadly case on your hands.

 

[Fishy friend2]

Melafix worked for me it cleared up everything

 

[Sesshis_grl]

I can't get a good picture of them They are swimming in the front the whole time until they see the camera, then they bolt

I know melafix is an option but I'm wary of using it. Like I said before I've tried some meds that have been horrible, and now I'm careful about what I add. Everytime I add Melafix the fish act like they are being burned and the ones with problems get worse or die. Also I have 2 pearl gouramis and I've heard that it isn't good to use that kind of stuff with them.

I'm just wondering if the bacteria thing is a result from parasites/ick or if it is something on its own. And how many doses do you usually need to do for ick? I just finished one dose and it seems to have cleared up one but the other fsh now has a white dot on it

Thanks for all the advice!

 

[Fishy friend2]

i dosed until my fish got better witch was about 4 doses