Fin rot salt treatment procedure

[Lcc86]

Saw him for the first time since this morning just now, tried to feed him but unfortunately as soon as he sees me he goes back to his hiding place. I've done the third dose of medication and left a couple of pellets in there just in case he comes back out.

 

[Colin_T]

Don't leave food in the water for more than 30 minutes or it will cause ammonia problems.

 

[Lcc86]

Don't leave food in the water for more than 30 minutes or it will cause ammonia problems.

It's gone now so I think he grabbed it, it was only 3 small pellets.

I was going to ask whether I can do water changes during this treatment or do I need to wait until I've finished the 5 day course? The bottle doesn't say.

 

[Colin_T]

For most medications you can do a water change before adding more medication but some medications add a bit each day and build the levels up. If you are adding the same amount each time you treat the tank then it's fine to do a water change and gravel clean just before adding another dose of medication.

If you do a water change before re-dosing, do a big (75-90%) water change, and gravel clean all the substrate if possible.

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

It's also a good idea to wipe the inside of the glass down before adding another dose of medication.

 

[Lcc86]

For most medications you can do a water change before adding more medication but some medications add a bit each day and build the levels up. If you are adding the same amount each time you treat the tank then it's fine to do a water change and gravel clean just before adding another dose of medication.

If you do a water change before re-dosing, do a big (75-90%) water change, and gravel clean all the substrate if possible.

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

It's also a good idea to wipe the inside of the glass down before adding another dose of medication.

Thanks, he is due a routine change tomorrow but it would also be final meds dose tomorrow so might just check the parameters and if things are OK I may leave it until Sunday before doing a change.

I managed to feed him and get some pics just now. The fin is almost completely rotted away but he still has appetite and seems in better spirits than yesterday. As you can see none of his other fins are affected but to my human eyes it looks like it would be really sore! Apologies for the glare, I can't work out how to ever get a good pic without glare.

 

[Colin_T]

If the final dose is due tomorrow just wait until 24 hours after that before you do a water change.

The medication doesn't appear to be working. The bacterial infection is getting worse and has eroded the fin rays. If you want to save him it will probably mean a trip to a vet for antibiotics but that will cost you a lot more than replacing the fish. The other option is to euthanise the fish, flush the tank and start again.

 

[Lcc86]

If the final dose is due tomorrow just wait until 24 hours after that before you do a water change.

The medication doesn't appear to be working. The bacterial infection is getting worse and has eroded the fin rays. If you want to save him it will probably mean a trip to a vet for antibiotics but that will cost you a lot more than replacing the fish. The other option is to euthanise the fish, flush the tank and start again.

That's what I was thinking, it seems to be progressing and the area on his back looks really bad. One day he is hiding and I worry he's died then the next he is out and seems more himself. How much longer do you think I should give it? I don't want to euthanise him if there's a chance he could recover, but also don't want to prolong any suffering, especially if he's in pain. I wouldn't even know of a vet that could treat him, all the ones close to me are for your run of the mill pets. I do have clove oil so I can euthanise him if I need to.

 

[Colin_T]

The medication you are using isn't doing the job so you need something stronger (probably antibiotics). However, finding a vet that can treat the fish is probably not going to happen. You can give it a couple more days and if it hasn't improved, then I would euthanise. Sorry if that sounds bad but when you can't get the medication to treat the fish, and the problem isn't getting better with the current treatment, the fish is going to die so euthanising is probably the most humane thing to do.

If you have a Department of Agriculture nearby they might have a Fish health section that might be able to take swabs and tell you what the problem is. Some charge for the testing but others don't. You would have to call to find out if they do testing for home aquarium fish and how much it costs.

 

[Lcc86]

The medication you are using isn't doing the job so you need something stronger (probably antibiotics). However, finding a vet that can treat the fish is probably not going to happen. You can give it a couple more days and if it hasn't improved, then I would euthanise. Sorry if that sounds bad but when you can't get the medication to treat the fish, and the problem isn't getting better with the current treatment, the fish is going to die so euthanising is probably the most humane thing to do.

If you have a Department of Agriculture nearby they might have a Fish health section that might be able to take swabs and tell you what the problem is. Some charge for the testing but others don't. You would have to call to find out if they do testing for home aquarium fish and how much it costs.

Thank you, I will do whatever is best for him, I'll give it until Sunday and see if it's healed at all and if it hasn't I'll euthanise him

 

[Lcc86]

Unfortunately no better today and there is a bit of white fuzz on the wound. Although he ate this morning he's now hanging out at the top of the tank by the heater so I am going to euthanise him this afternoon before he gets worse. Thank you for your help on this thread everyone, sadly I'm not having much luck with my fish at the moment