Torn tail or fin rot?

[madmoz]

Noticed this today

This little fella lives in a 125 liter planted tank with four other orange venezuelan, five pandas, five gold lasers, 3 panda loaches and three otos.

Water parameters are 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites and about 5ppm nitrate.

He’s swimming and eating as usual and I don’t want to take him out unless 100% necessary.

Do I need to medicate the tank or just watch and see how things go?

Thanks!

 

[GaryE]

It looks like he got bitten - odd with the tankmates. I would just watch it.

 

[madmoz]

Assassin snails? Forgot to mention that there’s two in there to deal with a hitchhiking snail outbreak months ago.

 

[MaloK]

Is there a possibility that some of your terracotta decorations could have some sharp edges .?.

 

[emeraldking]

Doesn't look like fin rot. Looks more like an injury.

 

[madmoz]

Is there a possibility that some of your terracotta decorations could have some sharp edges .?.

That could be it, they’ve been zipping around the two ‘islands’. I’d check thanks!

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Danaged fins can be more likely to get either bacterial and or fungal fin rot. Bacterial fin rot really should be treated with an antibiotic imo. Fungal may respond to milder treatments, but if it doesn't respond to one of them, then I would use Fristz Maracyn Oxy.

Fritz Maracyn Oxy successfully controls true fungal infections caused by Saprolegnia, Ichthyosporidium, egg fungus and related species, and some common bacterial infections, such as fin and tail rot.

Despite what they say above, I still would lean towards the true antibiotic.

edied to change Damages to Damaged at the start of the post and fix the typo of despite

 

[MaloK]

Danages fins can be more likely to get either bacterial and or fungal fin rot. Bacterial fin rot really should be treated with an antibiotic imo. Fungal may respond to milder treatments, but if it doesn't respond to one of them, then I would use Fristz Maracyn Oxy.



despote what they say aboive I still would lean towards the true antibiotic.

Are you suggesting to medicate the fish or just to have medication on hand in case ?

From the picture, there's no sign of infection that I can see. Will have a rag tail for a while, but if the fish is in good health and the water is clean. It should heal correctly without intervention.

Like Gary said, I would just watch it.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

I am suggesting having it on hand. I said "Damaged fins can be more likely to get either bacterial and or fungal fin rot." I did not say the fish had anything needing treatment but is one begins to see more rapid disitigration andusually this is accompanied by whiteness, then one should medicate.

Here is something that I learned very early on when I began keeping fish. Thee actually have a union with rules. I know this is hadr to believe but consider when you set ou with a net t catch one specific fish in a tank. Rule 3, state any time you notice a net in the water chasing one of your other residents it is your duty to swim into the net. Another rule governs whem fish should get sick.

If you are going to get sick be sure to do it on a weekend as this makes it much more difficult to buy a needed medication.
Because I am privy to the rules, I assembled a medicine kit early on. It normally contains:

- Several antibiotics to cover gram negative, gram positive and broad spectrum treatments.
- Fristz Maracyn Oxy and Methylene Blue for for fungus.
- Metronidazole, Levamisole HCL, Fluebendazole, Praziquantel, and Quick Cure for assorted parasites.
- Natural items such as Salt, Almond leaves, Epsom salt and Rooibos tea (also used to stain water).

Don't get me wrong, I prefer not to medicate unless I know what is wrong or if things are at a point that my best guess is better than allowing fish to die. I do not pretreat new fish either unless I know it is needed. Medicating a tank stresses all the fish in it whether ot not they are suffering from whatever ails a specific fish or fishes. Strss is the precursor to making fish more susceptible to getting ill/infected with something. But I also know when it is something that will spread that the whole tank needs to be treated. When it is safe to just remove fish and threat them in a dedicated H tank I do so.

As a young kid I was a cub scout but never a boy scout whose motto is "Be prepared." When it comes to the possibility of having the treat fish I follow that motto.

edite for typos/spelling

 

[madmoz]

Thanks for everyone’s responses.
It’s been a fair few days and he seems to be healing well.
Also checked the porcelain pots and there doesn’t seem to be any sharp edges, except for the natural surface coarseness. The plastic ‘fake’ pot doesn’t have sharp edges either.

He must have snagged himself or got startled somehow, perhaps on the ropes tying the plants to the driftwood pieces so I’ll keep a lookout for a reoccurrence.