Jagged Tail Fins / Bent Spine / Water Readings?

[elsamarie]

I am looking for a bit of advice....
A couple of my threadfin rainbowfish look to have slightly jagged tail fins ... as though another fish has nipped at them. There is no white edging or red streaks so I am not sure whether it could be finrot or just nipped fins. It is just on 2 females and only on their tail fins.
One of the females in question also looks to have a bent spine?

I am 2+ weeks into fish-in cycling (couldn't do fishless as we had to transfer fish from our old tank and couldnt keep both running).
My levels are: ammonia 0 / 0.25 ppm; nitrite 1.0 ppm, nitrate 30 ppm in a 125 litres tank. (ammonia went up to 0.5ppm but then has been back down for about 1 week now, nitrite has been about 1.0 for about 1 week, nitrate has been constant for the last week). Any ideas on how to bring nitrite down other than water changes and is this normal (I am doing 20% every other day).

I have some fin rot medication (interpet) but I do not really want to administer it unless I am sure it is finrot and I am worried it would affect my tank cycling / levels.

** Just read up that bent spine can be a sign of fish TB ... I do not have anywhere to quarantine the fish with a bent spine... what should I do?? Will my tank water be infected or just that fish? **

Any ideas???

 

[Whitey_144]

I am looking for a bit of advice....
A couple of my threadfin rainbowfish look to have slightly jagged tail fins ... as though another fish has nipped at them. There is no white edging or red streaks so I am not sure whether it could be finrot or just nipped fins. It is just on 2 females and only on their tail fins.
One of the females in question also looks to have a bent spine?

I am 2+ weeks into fish-in cycling (couldn't do fishless as we had to transfer fish from our old tank and couldnt keep both running).
My levels are: ammonia 0 / 0.25 ppm; nitrite 1.0 ppm, nitrate 30 ppm in a 125 litres tank. (ammonia went up to 0.5ppm but then has been back down for about 1 week now, nitrite has been about 1.0 for about 1 week, nitrate has been constant for the last week). Any ideas on how to bring nitrite down other than water changes and is this normal (I am doing 20% every other day).

I have some fin rot medication (interpet) but I do not really want to administer it unless I am sure it is finrot and I am worried it would affect my tank cycling / levels.

** Just read up that bent spine can be a sign of fish TB ... I do not have anywhere to quarantine the fish with a bent spine... what should I do?? Will my tank water be infected or just that fish? **

Any ideas???

i actually though bent spine was inherited, but i may be wrong? has it only just happened to it?

Your ammonia and nitrite should be 0, your ammonia level is okish as long as you are doing water changes, but your nitrite is way too high.

it seems the 2nd batch of bacteria which converts the nitrite to nitrate isn't quite estabished yet.

ive not done fish in cycling before, but to me 20% water change every other day doesn't sound like enough. For example if nitrite is at 1 before the 1st water change it would go down to 0.8, then after 2 days it would probably be back up at 1.

You need to do a very large water change, i'd say 80/90%, it wont stress the fish, just make sure to dechlorinate the water and try to match temperature of water as best as possible. keep the filter wet and have enough room for the fish to swim.

if you do this nitirite will go down to 0.1, then couple days later if it creeps up to say o.4, you will do another large change and it will go down to under 0.1 and so on. thats the best way to keep it under control.


your nitrate level is fine.

 

[elsamarie]

Thanks Whitey_144. I have done a massive water change this morning.

I phoned Maidenhead Aquatics where I got these from a week or so ago and they assured me that their fish do not have TB and although it is a symptom, as the fish otherwise looks / behaves normally it is likely to be a defect from birth. They had previously said that these fish had been in store a while (the males have developed their finnage and colour) so I am hoping they would have noticed if there was a problem. Other than some of their tanks looking a bit cramped, I did not see any dead / ill looking fish in any of their tanks (unlike at Pets At Home!). I also phoned another aquatic shop who also said the same. Maidenhead said if I wanted to take it back they would replace it, which I might do when I go to get some more fish in a few weeks once I am happy that my tank has cycled.

Other than that fish and one other fish having what looks like a bite taken out their tail fin the others look fine. The males have more elaborate finnage and none of them have any rotting obvious so I am hoping it is just nipped fins. There are no other symptoms of TB so I am hoping the bent spine is just a defect.

Is Maidenhead a reputable place to buy from?

 

[Whitey_144]

Thanks Whitey_144. I have done a massive water change this morning.

I phoned Maidenhead Aquatics where I got these from a week or so ago and they assured me that their fish do not have TB and although it is a symptom, as the fish otherwise looks / behaves normally it is likely to be a defect from birth. They had previously said that these fish had been in store a while (the males have developed their finnage and colour) so I am hoping they would have noticed if there was a problem. Other than some of their tanks looking a bit cramped, I did not see any dead / ill looking fish in any of their tanks (unlike at Pets At Home!). I also phoned another aquatic shop who also said the same. Maidenhead said if I wanted to take it back they would replace it, which I might do when I go to get some more fish in a few weeks once I am happy that my tank has cycled.

Other than that fish and one other fish having what looks like a bite taken out their tail fin the others look fine. The males have more elaborate finnage and none of them have any rotting obvious so I am hoping it is just nipped fins. There are no other symptoms of TB so I am hoping the bent spine is just a defect.

Is Maidenhead a reputable place to buy from?

Hi,

I have never actually bought from Maidnehead, but a few years ago when i visited afew shops of theirs and I thought the fish all looked well and healthy, if i needed fish now i'd check it out again, but I haven't heard negatives about them....unlike pets at home, where i'd never buy them.

I think you should concentrate on the water quality for now and make sure they have the best water possible, then their nipped fins may heal and you can rule out finrot. If they dont heal then you at least know you did what you could and that they need treatment.

how big a water change did you do?

~AW~

 

[Mowbz]

I dont have any advice on your problem as its little out of my field however;

Ive bought several bits an peices from MA stores, one in Dummer (Basingstoke) and another in Thatcham. Always been very friendly, and full of decent advice. Also have pretty reasonable prices on equipment. Fish can be a little expensive, but its generally good stock and they are open to a good haggle if buying in numbers.

"Other than some of their tanks looking a bit cramped, I did not see any dead / ill looking fish in any of their tanks (unlike at Pets At Home!)"

Most fish stores tanks will be overstocked well above and beyond the level the tanks in our homes can handle, but they also have filters and pumps bigger than you would find in an average washing machine to deal with this. They're normally run underneath the tanks or out back where they cant be seen, so you may not have noticed!

Your right however, MA (at least my local ones) are quick to pull dead or ill fish from the tanks. Dead ones obviously are disposed of, and the ill ones normally get put in customer visible QT tanks (which i prefer) or are hidden out back till theyre healty. Some people are wary of shops that dont have a visible QT tank.

Pets at Home in Basingstoke always have floaters. I dont think i remember a time that ive been in there, and havent seen a dead one.

 

[elsamarie]

how big a water change did you do?

~AW~

Hi,
I did about a 75% water change (wanted to do more but my 4yr old was drilling Toy Story Woody's nose with a toy drill after i told him he not to do it to his brother, my 2 yr old ate my 9mth old's rice krispies and my 9mth old screamed the house down ... while our indoor cat escaped whilst i was emptying the water down the drain ). Better than my 20% though
I will try to do 80-90% tomorrow whilst my husband is home to keep an eye on the kids!

 

[Whitey_144]

how big a water change did you do?

~AW~

Hi,
I did about a 75% water change (wanted to do more but my 4yr old was drilling Toy Story Woody's nose with a toy drill after i told him he not to do it to his brother, my 2 yr old ate my 9mth old's rice krispies and my 9mth old screamed the house down ... while our indoor cat escaped whilst i was emptying the water down the drain ). Better than my 20% though
I will try to do 80-90% tomorrow whilst my husband is home to keep an eye on the kids!

sounds like a busy house!! lol surprised the cat ran away when they're fish about!

75% is alright, better than the 20 you did before.... = happy fish