Persistant Fin Rot...

[call2arms]

I've posted this on Tropical chit chat without an answer...

Hi!

I have a 5 gal tank with some live plants in it, and a beautiful betta namer Mr Bling-Bling... Now the poor dude has had fin rot 3 times since april. I used Mardel Maracyn-two to fix it... After a recovery period, once his fins are almost full lenght again, BAM! it's back...

Now, someone told me that it may be because my ph is too high -7.8. In that case, I don't want to use chemicals (ph swing possibility?) to lower it, so any other options?
My ammonia is at 0, so are my nitrates, I am at loss! I do my water changes 25% every week, and I really don't understand why the fin rot is always there... It's not ich or velvet, or anything else I can identify.

I also have some dang hair algae growing on the glass, as well as diatoma and green algae spots, all of those are growing as fast as lightning -every week I clean the glass, and 5 days later it's back!

Help!

Thanks in advance,
Isa

 

[xJake]

I've heard that adding aquarium salt (not table salt as it has anti-caking agents that produce toxics) can help to cure a persistant case of fin-rot. (along with meds)

1 tsp per gallon or 1 tbsp per 5 gallons. (heaping)

Make sure you add it slowly. I would suggest taking out a gallon of water then dissolving the salt in that and slowly add the water back to the tank (1/4 gallon every half-hour or so).

 

[millym]

hi
maybe you need to switch to some other med thats active ingredient is something else ( sorry i dont know meds avail in the usa) i would also add the salt as well (do bettas tolerate salt??? i dont know anything about them). if you've tried the treatment youve mentioned & its not working then it sounds like the bacteria that is causing the finrot is resistant to the treatment(antibiotic) your using. so if poss have a look around at specific meds ingredients & try something else. im sure theres a good pinned section on this forum somewhere that tells you whats in different brands medications...........i'll have a look then add it to the post for you.
humans can get infections that are resistant to the antibiotics that usually work to get rid of the infection so im sure it can happen to fish too. ( hospitals often have a probelm with bacteria that mutates & develops a resistance to the antibiotic that used to kill it eg: mrsa)

good luck

just found the list of usa meds ingredients, sorry i cant do a link for you(useless i am....i know!!!!)
go to the tropical fish emergency section of forums & look up the top at the 'pinned' topics you'll find it there.

 

[call2arms]

I think I'll try either Tetracyclin or Kanamycin (those two are supposed to be stronger than Maracyn).

Also, I do not have aquarium salt on hand right now, so can I use sea salt (the brand that you can use for cooking, bathing, healing piercings...) or should I wait until I go to the LFS and get my hands on some real stuff?

Poor Mr B-B rubs against his plants and thermometer...