New guppy, fin rot, help please

[Flossybean]

Tank size:60l
pH:7.6
ammonia:0
nitrite:0
nitrate:5ppm
tank temp: 24°C
Hello there, i bought two new guppies on Friday and added them to my tank. When i added them i also added interpet disease away 12ml.
Today i woke to one of them having quite definite fin rot. I took him back to the shop and they gave me some white spot and fungus treatment so the platys in my tank don't get it too.
The disease away says you can't use medicine with it.
My filter is a juwel bioflow one, i don't know how to add carbon to the filter to remove the disease away........
Or will the disease away protect the other fish anyway? I have 3 platys and one guppy and two platy fry.
Thank you in advance x

 

[FishGuest5123]

I’d do a good size water change then to remove the med. The best thing you can do for fin rot is daily 25/50% water changes and aquarium salt. Clean water is the key. Good luck!

 

[Flossybean]

I’d do a good size water change then to remove the med. The best thing you can do for fin rot is daily 25/50% water changes and aquarium salt. Clean water is the key. Good luck!

Thank you I'll do that

 

[Colin_T]

How long has the tank been set up for?

How often do you do water changes and how much water do you normally change?
Do you dechlorinate the new water before adding it to the tank?
Do you gravel clean the substrate when you do a water change?

Can you post a picture of the fish?

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Fin Rot (assuming it is that) is caused by poor water quality and a dirty environment (lots of gunk in the filter and gravel) that damages the fish. This allows bacteria into the damaged areas, which starts to harm the fish.

The best treatment for Fin Rot is doing a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate each day for a week. If the tank has been set up and running for more than 2 months, clean the filter as well if it hasn't been done in the last 2 weeks. Wash filter materials in a bucket of tank water.

Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it is added to the tank.

There is more information about sick fish at the following link. It is quite long and boring but worth a read if you have spare time. I recommend printing it out and reading it in bed to fall asleep
http://www.fishforums.net/threads/what-to-do-if-your-fish-gets-sick.450268/

 

[Flossybean]

The fish was poorly from the shop as the shop said the rest of the tank didn't look good either when i rang them, the poorly fish has now gone back to the shop.
The tank has been cycled for 17 days and set up for 2 months ish. I water change whenever nitrates get to 10ppm. Yes i use seachem prime and i gravel vac. I usually do about a third water change.
My main concern is that the rest of my fish (3 platys and 1 guppy and 2 platy fry) don't catch it. Thank you for your help Colin. I'm doing a 50 percent water change today. It's only a week since i cleaned the filter so should i leave it now?
Thank you again

 

[Colin_T]

If the filter was cleaned 1 week ago it should be fine for another week.

If there was a disease introduced into the tank by the guppy, the disease organisms will be in the tank and could affect the other fish. However, without knowing what the disease is, it is hard to say how much of a risk it will be to the other fish.

If you do a big water change (75%) and gravel clean the substrate each day for a week, that will dilute the disease organisms in the water and gravel and this will lessen the chance of the fish catching or developing the disease that was affecting the guppy. The water changes will also help improve the remaining fish's overall health.

Assuming there are only platies and guppies left in the tank, you could add some salt to the aquarium. However, I would just do water changes for a week and monitor the fish for any unusual signs. If they do show any funny patches, clamped or damaged fins, etc, then post a picture of them here asap and we will try to ID the issue.

You might want to look into getting a quarantine tank to help prevent things like this from happening again. You can use a glass aquarium or a plastic storage container. I used plastic storage containers with lids and set them up when new fish were coming in. The new fish get held in the storage container for 1 month and if they show no signs of disease during that time, they get added to the display tanks. After the fish have been quarantined you bleach the container, rinse it and dry it before putting it away somewhere until needed later on.

 

[Flossybean]

Re quarantine tank how does it work? Do you have to cycle it? And put a filter and a heater in?
Thank you for your replies and taking the time to help me x

 

[Colin_T]

A quarantine tank should have an established filter and a heater if the fish require warm water. However, you can get away without the filter if you are willing to change most of the water each day. But it's preferable to have an established filter in the quarantine tank.

Most people that have quarantine tanks run an air operated sponge filter or a small internal or external power filter on their main tank. They have this in conjunction with the normal filter on the tank. They have 2 filters on their display tank and simply move one filter onto the quarantine tank when they get new fish. By having 2 filters on the display tank they guarantee they have an established filter to go onto the quarantine tank.

When you want new fish, you set the quarantine tank up using a mixture of tap water and water from the display tank (50/50 mix), add an established filter and heater, then go buy some new fish and put them in the quarantine tank. You monitor the new fish in the quarantine tank and treat them for any diseases, gill flukes and intestinal worms.

Once the fish have been healthy and shown no diseases for 1 month you add them to the main tank.

 

[Flossybean]

quarantine tank should have an established filter and a heater if the fish require warm water. However, you can get away without the filter if you are willing to change most of the water each day. But it's preferable to have an established filter in the quarantine tank.

Most people that have quarantine tanks run an air operated sponge filter or a small internal or external power filter on their main tank. They have this in conjunction with the normal filter on the tank. They have 2 filters on their display tank and simply move one filter onto the quarantine tank when they get new fish. By having 2 filters on the display tank they guarantee they have an established filter to go onto the quarantine tank.

When you want new fish, you set the quarantine tank up using a mixture of tap water and water from the display tank (50/50 mix), add an established filter and heater, then go buy some new fish and put them in the quarantine tank. You monitor the new fish in the quarantine tank and treat them for any diseases, gill flukes and intestinal worms.

Once the fish have been healthy and shown no diseases for 1 month you add them to the main tank.

Thank you, for that, i can't afford the extra equipment atm but will do it next time i add fish.
Colin could you advise me on gh? My new gh/kh test kit came today and my gh reading took 15 drops which means my gh was off the chart which according to the instructions means i should keep cichlids or goldfish, will this hurt my platys and guppy? Should i change what I'm keeping as i guess it'll be easier to do that now than when i have a tank full of fish.
Thanks again x

 

[Flossybean]

It took 13 drops when i tested my tap water

 

[Colin_T]

Check the packaging for the test kit and find out if the hardness is in ppm or dGH. I'm going to assume dGH rather than ppm.

1 dGh = 17.9ppm so 15 drops should give you a general hardness of about 260-270ppm, which is medium hard water and is ideal for livebearers like guppies, mollies, swordtails & platies. It is also ideal for Australian and New Guinea rainbowfish and goldfish. Most barbs and central American cichlids will be fine in this water too.

If it was a little bit harder (300ppm) it would be fine for Lake Malawi cichlids from Africa, but most of these are quite aggressive so avoid them. And it is too soft for Lake Tanganyikan cichlids from Africa, which require a GH around 400ppm.

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The lower reading from the tap water (13 drops vs 15 from the tank) could be caused by something in the tank that is buffering the hardness. If there are shells, limestone, sandstone or dead coral skeletons in the tank, they will all buffer the pH and GH a bit.

I wouldn't worry too much about the difference between the 13 & 15 drops.

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Basically you have great water for livebearers

 

[Flossybean]

Check the packaging for the test kit and find out if the hardness is in ppm or dGH. I'm going to assume dGH rather than ppm.

It's an api test kit and i think each drop is a dGH
Ah! So the water is ok, the chart on the instructions stops at 12 drops so it had me worried there.
Thank you so much for you help and reassurance x

 

[FishGuest5123]

Another option for quarantine tank is to just keep extra filter media in with your existing filte in your display tank. I just pull the extra out when I need a quarantine tank and put it in the quarantine filter. It gives you an automatic cycle. I keep extra in all of my tanks. Since I use 2 filters in my tanks, I don’t have room for an extra QT filter so the extra media is ready when I need it. Good luck!

 

[Flossybean]

Another option for quarantine tank is to just keep extra filter media in with your existing filte in your display tank. I just pull the extra out when I need a quarantine tank and put it in the quarantine filter. It gives you an automatic cycle. I keep extra in all of my tanks. Since I use 2 filters in my tanks, I don’t have room for an extra QT filter do the extra media is ready when I need it. Good luck!

That sounds good, thank you i just need another heater then.
Thank you. Only problem is i think 2 filters would turn my tank into a cyclone it's only 60l. I am planning to upgrade after Christmas though.
Thank you Deanasue x

 

[FishGuest5123]

That sounds good, thank you i just need another heater then.
Thank you. Only problem is i think 2 filters would turn my tank into a cyclone it's only 60l. I am planning to upgrade after Christmas though.
Thank you Deanasue x

You’ll still need a small filter for your QT tank. I just use the cheap ones from Walmart for that. Usually around $12.00. Your QT tank only needs to be 5 gallons gallons or so. A Sterlite at Walmart is like $5.00. Then just take your extra filter floss and stick it in back of the QT filter when needed. Walmart also has cheap heaters for that sz tank which are preset to 76-78F. Your whole QT tank shouldn’t cost more than about $30 to set up. No need for gravel in them. Easier to clean with bare bottom. Good luck! I keep several in my laundry room and just pull them out as needed. P.S. - Be sure to get the lid that goes with the Sterlite container and drill a few holes in it a little smaller than a dime. That will keep fish from jumping out and will help hold heat in. Holes are important for oxygen.