Fin Rot :(

[Danieow]

My 15 gl. tank recently got hit with fin rot and I've lost 5 fish in 3 days before I figured out the problem I am now treating them with Mardel Maracyn and I see slight results after only a day. Even though eveyone seems to be getting better I have a few questions. First off is fin-rot common in gouramis? I can't figure out how they got sick since the tank conditions are finally perfect. I also read that it isn't contagious, but it has spread to one of my clown loaches Lastly one of my 2 dwarf gouramis that are left (only the gouramis died; thick-lipped and dwarfs) was looking really bad and on his way out but he actually looks much better today. Is there a chance that he'll actually be a healthy fish again? He lost his feelers and has cloudy eyes and doesn't seem to swim right, can fin-rot permantely damage him?

P.S. Also if your curious on how the fish died so fast it's because I was told to give them salt baths for treatment. I did it and followed all directions but all the fish that got salt baths died overnight except two

 

[sylvia]

Test your water and let me know the results.

Cloudy eyes are the result of bad water quality.

Anti-finrot meds often damage biological filtration as they are ment to kill the bacteria that cause finrot.

Were you cycling the tank with these fish in it?

It sounds like they were weakened by ammonia/nitrIte poisoning. That would explain how they contracted the finrot in the first place as healthy fish rarely get it.

Finrot is an external bacterial infection. It is contagious.

As you may already have realised, bacteria are everywhere so contracting finrot is very easy - particularly if the fish' fin was damaged previously. Secondary infections like this are quite common in tanks where tankmates are incompatible. What fish do you have in this tank, how many of each and what size tank are we talking about? They are even more common after ammonia/nitrIte burns have taken their toll and caused damage to fins, gills etc.

Also, what's the temperature of your water? This may sound insignificant but it's one of those annoying things that have a double effect - you see, high temperatures mean bacteria can multiply faster, but also mean the fish have a more efficient immune system. You need to balance the two.

Lastly, more 'for the record' than anything else, clown loaches grow to be 12 inches long. They should be in groups of at least 3 in a 90 gallon tank. A 15 gallon is unsuitable. You should re-home them or return them to your LFS. The stress placed on these fish and their tankmates by this over-crowding/over-stocking would be largely to blame for their susceptibility to disease.

Oh and the 'feelers' many species of gourami have will grow back once healed.

 

[Danieow]

They weren't cycled in the tank but there was a nitrite spike about three weeks ago that killed off 3 of the 6 barbs before the rest were returned to the store. I thought I was in the clear afterwards but no such luck I guess. Right now it reads on my test strips as follows:

Nitrate: 20
Nitrite: .5 was reading closer to 0 yesterday
Total Hardness: 150
Alkalinity: 120
pH: 7.2

The tank is a 15 gallon, with 2 clown loaches (3 in.), 1 rainbow shark (3 1/2) (both moving to larger aquariums), now 2 dwarf gouramis, and 6 zebra danios.

P.S. How can I get the nitrates stable, I've been doing water changes 2-3 times a week to get rid of the problem, it has worked but the levels want to constantly change. I know I'm not over-feeding, nor over-stocked.

 

[Danieow]

Oops and I forgot to add that the medication says it will not mess up biological filtration, and the tank is kept @ 80 at all times. Is that too high? I was told keeping it at 80 would kill all bacteria.

 

[sylvia]

Keeping it at 80 deg F certainly won't kill bacteria. The person who told you that may have been reffering to ich (it doesn't kill it - just speeds up its life cycle - ich is a parasite). None the less, 80 is about right for the gouramies and the other fish should be ok as well though lowering it ever so slightly (to about 78) might be of benefit to some of the other fish and to allow more oxygen into the water.

Your tank is heavily over-stocked. Not just as far as bio-load is concerned but when it comes to physical space also. It's no surprise you've been having problems. You have to move the danios to at least a 20 gallon. You should have 10 gallon per dwarf gourami (though that's ok temprorarily - just watch they don't fight), the clown loaches need a 90 gallon (I know they are still small but they need at least a bit mroe space even now) and the shark needs a 30 gallon (it will grow quickly and will become very distructive if kept int here). You have to move them all ASAP or your problems are only going to get worse. Firstly, the shark is territorial and will be craving space by now - competing with the gouramies and the loaches. The danios, especialy in this size tank, are likely to get nippy with the gouramies as well as with the other fish - and that is one way to set off finrot and other diseases.

Have you tested for ammonia? Please do. You shouldn't have ANY nitrItes. If you do (which you do), you have to do a water change and, seeing as you say the tank IS cycled, they are a sign that you are over-stocked and your biological filtration cannot cope.

I don't understand what you mean with the nitrAtes not stablizing - nitrAtes don't ever stabilize, they just keep increasing and that's why you are supposed to do a weekly 25% (approx.) water change with DE-CHLORINATED water to keep them below 20ppm.

About the medication, I wouldn't trust it entirely but, as long as you aren't getting major spikes, it obviously isn't killing off your good bacteria yet. Can I just ask, are you certain it is a med. for finrot? Just double-checking.

Last thing I have to point out - you said you tested with 'test strips'. I would seriously advise you to get a liquid-based test kit. The etst strips need replacing every so often because they lose their accuracy. Well they aren't actualy that accurate to begin with The liquid-based ones my be a little mroe expensive but, in the long run, they are better value as they last longer, don't need replacing and are a lot more reliable. I'm sure you are aware of how important testing is so I'm sure your ealise why it being reliable is so very essential.