Have been dealing with very slow moving fin rot (I assume it's fin rot, have tried everything to rule other things out) for more than a year now. Has only affected my male guppies, not any short-finned fish.
Started when I got this male, and @emeraldking saw pics of him and taught me about the ribbon tail gene, which gives the tail a more ragged, uneven looking edge.
This photo was taken in July 2020, soon after I got him. Now, I'm wondering whether he had the early stages of fin rot.
He's still alive today, but really not looking good. Photo taken today;
But I also had fish like this female in my colonies;
Who definitely did not have fin rot, so I assume was a proper ribbon tail? What do you think, @emeraldking ? She maintained that distinctive shape to her tail for her entire life. So I knew I had uneven edged fin genetics in my bloodlines, and was slow to recognise that there was a problem, unfortunately.
Sadly, because I had a male only tank, including him before I knew it was fin rot, I now have several males who are affected to different degrees. Have also lost several. They can live with minimal damage for months, or like him, for more than a year! Or it can progress relatively quickly, eating away at their tails. Had to euthanise one yesterday, because he was staying on the bottom breathing hard, his tail almost completely gone. I hate that I think of this as the doomed to die tank now (they're no longer with the pygmy cories, or any other livestock). These are the males I kept when I stopped breeding livebearers, my favourites, and the adults I'd bought to produce the fry, so I'm attached to these individual fish, and has been breaking my heart to see them slowly lose their tails, then having to euthanise when it's become severe. Sometimes the edges get worn away, or look as though they've had chunks taken out of them, and sometimes they split into ribbons.
Hate having to euthanise, but when I left one to pass naturally, it took days in which he stayed on the bottom of the tank gasping. Euthanising was better than letting them suffer, but it's also very hard on me. They would be such beautiful fish without this horrible thing destroying their tails, and eventually killing them
Here are pics of the others, all taken today;
I have tried everything I could think of to try to heal these fish. Spent a small fortune on different medications at different times, done daily large water changes, kept up with increased water changes every few days, and I'm on top of tank maintenance and water parameters. Tanks are long established and heavily planted, lightly stocked and over filtered 60 L tank, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrates rarely get above 10ppm. These guys until fairly recently were also living with my pygmy corydora colony, who have been breeding non-stop for the last year. Pygmies show no signs of any problems, and are happy enough with the water quality that they never stop spawning, with the fry raising themselves in the tank. It's not a water quality/maintenance issue.
I'm so frustrated and upset, because it often feels as though they're just doomed. I've used eSHa 2000, eSHa gdex, eSHa ndx, with no improvement. Even did a very extended course of the eSHa 2000, as the medication suggests for difficult to treat problems. Tried MB too.
Most recently I've tried Pimafix and Melafix at the same time. Did nothing but leave an oily sheen on the surface of the water.
Today I saw mention of a medication I've never heard of before, called Waterlife Myaxin
www.pro-shrimp.co.uk
Anyone have any experience or thoughts on this medication? I've already spent a lot of money on meds, and this feels sorta fruitless to spend another £10-11 and put them through yet another round of medication, when nothing seems to be touching it. Feeling like throwing good money after after bad, when I'm only on a carers income. But if there's a decent chance it could help, I'll definitely be willing to get it! It hurts my heart to see them like this, and feel so powerless to help them!
Or if anyone has any other suggestions, I'd really welcome any input at all!
Started when I got this male, and @emeraldking saw pics of him and taught me about the ribbon tail gene, which gives the tail a more ragged, uneven looking edge.
He's still alive today, but really not looking good. Photo taken today;
Sadly, because I had a male only tank, including him before I knew it was fin rot, I now have several males who are affected to different degrees. Have also lost several. They can live with minimal damage for months, or like him, for more than a year! Or it can progress relatively quickly, eating away at their tails. Had to euthanise one yesterday, because he was staying on the bottom breathing hard, his tail almost completely gone. I hate that I think of this as the doomed to die tank now (they're no longer with the pygmy cories, or any other livestock). These are the males I kept when I stopped breeding livebearers, my favourites, and the adults I'd bought to produce the fry, so I'm attached to these individual fish, and has been breaking my heart to see them slowly lose their tails, then having to euthanise when it's become severe. Sometimes the edges get worn away, or look as though they've had chunks taken out of them, and sometimes they split into ribbons.
Hate having to euthanise, but when I left one to pass naturally, it took days in which he stayed on the bottom of the tank gasping. Euthanising was better than letting them suffer, but it's also very hard on me. They would be such beautiful fish without this horrible thing destroying their tails, and eventually killing them
Here are pics of the others, all taken today;
I have tried everything I could think of to try to heal these fish. Spent a small fortune on different medications at different times, done daily large water changes, kept up with increased water changes every few days, and I'm on top of tank maintenance and water parameters. Tanks are long established and heavily planted, lightly stocked and over filtered 60 L tank, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrates rarely get above 10ppm. These guys until fairly recently were also living with my pygmy corydora colony, who have been breeding non-stop for the last year. Pygmies show no signs of any problems, and are happy enough with the water quality that they never stop spawning, with the fry raising themselves in the tank. It's not a water quality/maintenance issue.
I'm so frustrated and upset, because it often feels as though they're just doomed. I've used eSHa 2000, eSHa gdex, eSHa ndx, with no improvement. Even did a very extended course of the eSHa 2000, as the medication suggests for difficult to treat problems. Tried MB too.
Most recently I've tried Pimafix and Melafix at the same time. Did nothing but leave an oily sheen on the surface of the water.
Today I saw mention of a medication I've never heard of before, called Waterlife Myaxin
Waterlife Myxazin 250ml - Anti Bacterial, Fin Rot, Ulcers & White Spot
Water Treatment Fin Rot, Body Rot, Ulcers, Sores and Other Bacterial Infections in aquariums
www.pro-shrimp.co.uk
Anyone have any experience or thoughts on this medication? I've already spent a lot of money on meds, and this feels sorta fruitless to spend another £10-11 and put them through yet another round of medication, when nothing seems to be touching it. Feeling like throwing good money after after bad, when I'm only on a carers income. But if there's a decent chance it could help, I'll definitely be willing to get it! It hurts my heart to see them like this, and feel so powerless to help them!
Or if anyone has any other suggestions, I'd really welcome any input at all!
