Help! Fin rot won’t go away.

[Emily Grace]

My betta Fish, Crescent, has been dealing with some awful fin rot for months.

I have been treating him with 1/2 tsp aquarium salt per gallon of water for about three months now, and it worked great at first but soon fin rot set in again. I’m now finding people saying you should absolutely not use low doses of salt for extended periods of time, and others who swear by it, so advice on that is appreciated.

After fin rot came back I treated with two rounds of Maracyn two, everything was great, I saw some regrowth, and then just like overnight his fins were totally shredded. I’ve now moved him to a quarantine tank while I figure out what’s up with the water in his 5 gallon. I wasn’t even thinking about ammonia because I was doing really frequent water changes, but that’s all I can think of.

Since I’ve been dosing with aquarium salt so regularly, I am wondering if it would be safe to do higher dosage of salt treatment in quarantine. I’m planning to do daily 100% water changes, but I’m not sure if I should totally stop with the salt, keep at the level I am, or increase to 1tsp per gallon to try and get this fin rot under control. I have more Maracyn two on the way, but I’m not sure if it’d be okay to give him a third round of that, either.

Any ideas for what I should try while I re-cycle the tank? Does the salt and/or Maracyn plan sound safe?

 

[PheonixKingZ]

You shouldn’t be using salt for fin rot. Fin rot is caused by poor water quality.

Preform large daily water changes (70%+) until things improve. When was the last time you cleaned the filter?

 

[Emily Grace]

You shouldn’t be using salt for fin rot. Fin rot is caused by poor water quality.

Preform large daily water changes (70%+) until things improve. When was the last time you cleaned the filter?

Really? Everywhere I’ve looked has suggested frequent water changes and aquarium salt, I’ve never heard that it isn’t good for fin rot.

Current tank has HOB filter, I replaced the media and cleaned the siphon out about a week ago, along with a 90% change (on different days so the bacterial colony would do okay) and I’ve done one 25% since then.

 

[Essjay]

@PheonixKingZ Colin recommends salt for finrot especially if water changes alone doesn't seem to be doing anything.

Are there any other fish in the tank? If he's the only fish you don't need to move the betta to another tank

 

[Essjay]

Current tank has HOB filter, I replaced the media and cleaned the siphon out about a week ago, along with a 90% change and I’ve done one 25% since then.

Did you change all the media in the filter or just part of it? What are the ammonia and nitrite readings in the tank water?

 

[Emily Grace]

@PheonixKingZ Colin recommends salt for finrot especially if water changes alone doesn't seem to be doing anything.
[/QUOTE]
Are there any other fish in the tank? If he's the only fish you don't need to move the betta to another tank


Ah okay, great! Thanks so much I will definitely increase water changes then

 

[Emily Grace]

Did you change all the media in the filter or just part of it? What are the ammonia and nitrite readings in the tank water?

I replaced all of It (I didn’t realize there was another option? Very new to this and I’m doing all the research now that the pet store said I didn’t need to do, oops), I suspect the readings are bad. I’ve ordered a test kit that’s on the way and I’m planning to cycle the tank/make sure it’s all good before I put betta back in from his hospital tank.

 

[Emily Grace]

@PheonixKingZ Colin recommends salt for finrot especially if water changes alone doesn't seem to be doing anything.

Are there any other fish in the tank? If he's the only fish you don't need to move the betta to another tank

he is the only fish, but I figured the smaller tank would be easier for big water changes and since I did kind of a rushed/uninformed & incomplete tank cycle the first time I figured I’d make sure it’s done right this time before putting him back in

 

[Essjay]

If you changed all the media you will have thrown away a lot of the bacteria you need. If you have been doing this regularly, the tank will not have cycled properly.

What is the media, carbon cartridges?

Re the quarantine tank, that too will be cycling if you have just set it up, and if it is smaller than the usual tank, ammonia and nitrite will build up faster. it is better to use the tank with the largest volume.

 

[Emily Grace]

Ohh okay. Yes the media is carbon cartridges, and I have been replacing the whole thing regularly.

I was thinking the smaller quarantine tank would be okay uncycled, since I planned to do daily 100% changes, but if that’s not the case then I’ll forgo that plan!

 

[Essjay]

Since both tanks are not cycled, use the one with the largest volume. 5 gallons is not a huge volume to do water changes. The bigger the water volume, the more dilute the ammonia and nitrite.

If all that's in there is carbon cartridges, you can modify the filter - do it now before bacteria start to grow. Since the cartridges have been in there a week, cut the bag open and throw away all the carbon - it isn't actually needed. Then get some filter sponge, any make, and cut it to the same size and shape as a cartridge. Cut the bag part of the cartridge off the frame and put that tight against the sponge then put them both in the filter where the cartridge is supposed to grow. Leave them untouched for around 6 weeks, then squeeze them in old tank water which you take out during a water change at least once a month. Sponges will last for years until they finally fall apart, and all you need to do is wash them.

 

[Essjay]

I should also mention that another thing you can do is get some live plants. Even a few stems of anacharis left to float will help to remove ammonia. Plants use ammonia as fertiliser and they don't turn it into nitrite.

 

[Emily Grace]

Thank you so much for all your help!!
I did have one more question I’ve been wondering about, when doing really big water changes is it better to leave your fish in the tank, or take them out first. My fish seems to be equally stressed in either scenario.

 

[Lajos_Detari]

Thank you so much for all your help!!
I did have one more question I’ve been wondering about, when doing really big water changes is it better to leave your fish in the tank, or take them out first. My fish seems to be equally stressed in either scenario.

I think it's better to leave it inside the tank during the water change to reduce stress to the fish.

Maracyn Two is an antibiotic, so please follow the the dosage directions/instructions strictly.
If you don't follow the exact instructions, the bacteria will develop immunity against the medication and it won't be effective any more in the future.
The antibiotic works the same way like the antibiotic that we used when we are sick.

But if Maracyn Two is no longer effective, then its better to use salt to treat the fins rot.
You have to increase the dosage of salt to 1 tablespoon per 10 liters of water.
Too low dosage won't be effective.
Usually the advice is to use it for 2 weeks. Don't use it longer else the fish may die.
Whenever you change water, add salt to the new water that you will be adding.

On the 3rd week, you have to reduce the salt slowly within a week for the fish to get used to the salt.
Each time you change water, reduce the salt.

Remember to keep your tank clean at the same time.
Do large water change each time and siphon out all the debris/waste to reduce the bacteria to the minimum.

 

[Colin_T]

Fin rot is caused by a dirty environment. To fix the problem you do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate every day for at least 1 week, and add 2 heaped tablespoons of rock salt for every 20 litres (5 gallons) of tank water. Keep the salt in the tank for at least 2 weeks but no longer than 4 weeks.

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Anti-biotics like Maracyn should only be used on known bacterial infections that have not responded to normal fish medications. Improper use or mis-use of anti-biotics has lead to drug resistant bacteria that kill people, animals, birds, fish and reptiles.

If you have to use anti-biotics, try to use them in a bare glass tank with no substrate or driftwood. Have an airstone bubbling away in the tank and wipe the inside of the glass down and do a 90-95% water changes before re-treating the tank.

Use the full dose of medication and use it for the recommended period of time.
If you use low levels/ doses of anti-biotics and don't do the full course of treatment, you are much more likely to get drug resistant bacteria.