Fin Rot

[Essjay]

I've always found esha 2000 to be another good medication. If the interpet one doesn't work, see if your shop stocks esha meds.

Since the hospital tank doesn't have a cycled filter you will need to do daily water changes as the ammonia that will build up will make the fish worse. Some medications you dose every day so in this case do a water change then add the med. Some meds aren't dosed every day. With these, after the water change add enough med to replace the amount in the water you just took out. For instance, with a 5 gall tank (the size you said it was) if you do a 2 gall water change, add two fifths of the amount of med you add for a normal dose. Then on days you are supposed to dose, add the full dose after the water change.
The lower doses will be quite small. If they will be tricky to measure, get a babies' medicine dosing syringe from the chemist. I have one that measures up to 1ml in 1/100 ml stages. The babies medicine bit is important as you will be regarded with suspicion if you ask for just a syringe!

 

[lisa2701]

Thanks Essjay. I have a wee at the thought of asking for a syringe without the babies medicine bit.

I don't think the interpret is a dose every day. Will double check it today to makes sure.

A wee update:

The fish is doing well, still swimming around his hospital tank. No further loss to his tail and the fuzz definitely is less, barely any . NOw for the negative, he's not eating Is this normal for fin rot or is this a sign he's not going to make it?

 

[Moby-Krib]

I Actually play the honesty card in asking for the syringe,
" Hi Mr/Mrs Pharmacist, I need one of each of the sizes you have available baby medication dosing syringe, they are for dosing my fish tank actually but if you could. Please.."
Never ever had a problem! Always have gotten them free.
They don't include needles so who cares anyway, Right?
So useful to have for allot of fishy things.

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

I ordered a mixed pack of syringes off ebay for...well I can't remember but it was no more than £5 and I got 2 each of 4 sizes, 10ml, 5ml, 3ml, 1ml - they are incredibly useful and I now have them labelled for use for specific things. One is for dosing Prime (dechlorinator), one for liquid carbon one for fertiliser, one for drawing out water for my test kit tubes, etc etc etc!!!!

 

[Moby-Krib]

I ordered a mixed pack of syringes off ebay for...well I can't remember but it was no more than £5 and I got 2 each of 4 sizes, 10ml, 5ml, 3ml, 1ml - they are incredibly useful and I now have them labelled for use for specific things. One is for dosing Prime (dechlorinator), one for liquid carbon one for fertiliser, one for drawing out water for my test kit tubes, etc etc etc!!!!

Labeling is a good idea.
I still have one I no longer use marked with red that I used to dose Ammonia while fish-less cycling.
It just sits there rubber banded to the lonely yet strangely still mostly full bottle of Ammonia that now is of no use to me since cloning is the method of choice.

Bought or free the syringes are a invaluably useful tool to the fish-keeper.

edit: ammonia does not have a shelf life does it? LMAO.. maybe I should get rid of the 2yr old stuff somehow..

Edit of the edit: I would think a bit of reduced appetite while recovering to be ok, keep up the best of care and hopefully it will end well. Fin rot is a general term for what could be many things.
I have all the best wishes directed to you and your fish. Treating just about anything gives mixed results, do the best you can and above all know that you did the best you knew how either way.

 

[lisa2701]

I have looked at syringes on ebay too so that I could have a different one for each thing I need them for. Maybe I should go back on and order them .

To be honest I'm surprised my endler is still going, I did think at one point I might loose him as he was struggling to swim, it was taking all his effort as he had nothing to propel himself with, but he seems to have adjusted and maybe being on his own has helped him relax a little and he seems quite happy now so I am keeping my fingers crossed he makes it. How long will it take to notice an improvement if the medication works? As in, how long until he's back in the main tank do you think?

 

[lisa2701]

Aw my little guy doesn't look so good tonight he has tucked himself in the corner of the tank and is just sitting there, hes also lost pretty much all of his tail. He did eat tOnight but i have a horrid feeling for what I'll find in the morning.

 

[lisa2701]

Well i am shocked to say he's still alive this morning. His tail is pretty much all gone, only got two tiny we nubs of orange left, I'll try get pictures later. The treatment is clearly not working, so I am going to go today and see if I can get any of the other treatments thats been recommended. The pet store had said they were getting a delivery on friday so finger crossed one of the things was in that delivery.

He is still tucking himself up in a corner next to the heater (the tank is sitting about 27-28c) to rest but he's coming out looking for food, having a swim then going back to rest. He's a fighter thats for sure.

Any advice on how to use a different med? Do I have to do a 100% water change?

 

[Essjay]

I would do a 100% change. You've only just set the tank up so the water shouldn't be very different with only one small fish - and you should have been doing water changes daily with no cycled filter in there. Strictly speaking you should also add some carbon to the filter and run it for 24 hours to remove the last traces of the old med, but the way you describe the fish he may not last that long. In your circumstances, I would risk adding a second med straight away after the water change rather than wait even a day.

 

[lisa2701]

Thanks for the advice, I agree that I doubt the fish would survive 24 hours unmedicated. I think the next 24 hours will be make or break for this little guy.
I have been testing the water daily and it's been at .25ppm but my tap water has .25ppm ammonia do water changes wouldn't do anything and the medication says not to do wter changes do I've only done one water change since it went in.

I've been and bought melafix (the store didn't have the other one I was hoping to get). I've also picked up filter sponges and I'm thinking I'll take 1/3 of my filter media from the main tank and put it in the hospital tank to help cycle it, the last thing this little guy needs is ammonia burning his fins. Is it safe to do this? As in it won't harm my main tank? It only has 6 endlers in it so not a huge bio load but I do have a betta coming that I intend on trying in the main tank So thoughts on how taking filter media will effect the main tank?

I've sent this from my phone so excuse any typos.

 

[Essjay]

Split the cycled media in proportion to the number of fish. The big tank has 6 fish, the small one has 1, total 7. You need to move about one seventh of the media, but I'd take about a fifth. That will leave plenty of bacteria in the big tank, and make sure you've moved enough to the samll one. Keep an eye on the ammonia and nitrite levels in both tanks for a few days just in case.

I'm afraid melafix won't cure your endler. I regard it as being the same kind of product as dettol, fine to use to stop a wound getting infected, but won't cure an infection that has got hold.

 

[lisa2701]

Ahh your kidding me. Jeeze I don't know what to do. I'm going to have to go out and try to hunt down a better medication. Can you make a suggestion or two of the best treatment for this do if I can't find one I have the chance of finding the other?

 

[lisa2701]

Right, I am going to return the melafix. Have been to my (not so local) MA and got Myxazin by water life. This is probably the best I can find around me, please tell me this is better?

 

[Essjay]

Myxazin is fine, it's one of the two I'd recommend. The other is eSHa 2000.

As for the melafix, if you can return it, that's one option. The other is to keep it in the cupboard. It is useful if a fish gets injured (catching itself on decor, fighting etc) to help keep the wound clean in addition to extra water changes (nothing better than clean water while a wound heals!). Only, if you get the betta you mentioned, use it at half dose in a tank with a betta in.

 

[lisa2701]

Sorry I'm forgetting who recommended what. I've been reading up on treatments today and went with a list of some I'd read up on or had recommended.

That's brilliant, I am really hoping I can save this little guy, he's put up such a huge fight for survival I don't want to let him down by not giving him the right treatment. Ok, so am I right in saying I dose every day for five day? Water changes or no water changes? I will put a bit of mature filter media into the filter so hopefully it helps cycle it? Suspect it'll be a week or two before he's fit enough to be back in the main tank anyway even if he does survive so best making it as comfy as possible for him.

I will keep the melafix in the cupboard, don't know why I didn't think of that. My betta is arriving on Wednesday so I will put a big sticker on the melafix to remind me only to half dose if treating the whole tank. Either that I could move the effected one.

This is a huge learning curve for me, I will definitely be having a more thorough look at fish before buying them. I was unlucky this time in that it was the clear section of its tail that was missing when I got it so it wasn't as obvious as it could have been on a different fish. Never mind, i've became quite attached to this little guy who currently sits right next to my chair and comes to say hello occassionally, keep your fingers crossed for him.

I'm not home yet but as soon as I am I will be making all necessary changes. I will keep you posted.