New Tank With A Sick Fish

[Philcav7]

I have a 40g aquarium that was setup last week with a aqua clear 70 filter. I moved the small aqua tech 20 filter from my 10 gallon tank and some of the substrate. Tank is filled with city water that was treated with stress zyme and stress coat from API. A small amount of salt has been added, four table spoons.

I did my first wc today of 10% and below are the measurements:
Nitrate: 10ppm
Ammonia: 0.5ppm
Nitrite: 2ppm
PH: 7.6
High range ph: 7.6
Tap water ph: 7.6

One of my new fish, that was added to the tank appears to have a case of fin rot or disease affecting his fins. There is a bit of fin missing on his right tail fin and the tips of his bottom fins are gone. There is minimal white stuff where the fin damage is. It's not fuzzy white stuff, just a whitish slime on the frayed areas.

He was eating well and moving around fine until today, he slowed down and is hanging on the bottom of the tank. What is the best way to treat him since it's a new tank that's not fully cycled?
I have three fish in this tank. A 3 year old common goldfish and two young telescope eye goldys that are new. I now know I should have quarantined them, but did not.

Any help would be great, I am new to this and want to get the tank off on a good start. What meds should I use to treat him?

 

[7F3WI4M]

Sorry to hear. I'm not very.. uh.. I've never dealt or read about fin rot. My friends fish had it, and he used Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Mela Fix, and it worked for him. Take advice though from someone at the LFS you bought it at, or someone who knows more then I do.

 

[mossonthemoon]

I'm not really sure about treating that kind of fish, but you need to do a big water change and ideally get the ammonia down to zero. That might help a bit, along with whatever other advice you get. But do that water change ASAP.

 

[Philcav7]

What confuses me is the fact that pretty much all the meds say they cure fin rot... Gram positive meds, fungal meds, and gram negative meds all make the same claims.

Most of my reading has claimed Maracyn and Maracyn 2 is the best treatment.

I have mela fix but think it's best for repairing damaged fins and treating mild cases of fin rot. There seems to be debate if it even works at all.

 

[WILDER]

When I kept goldfish I found it best to over filter your tank. Double the filter size to gallons of tank.(80 gallon filter)

Keep doing water changes.
Excess slime on fins is due to bad water quality.

I would hold off adding meds for now. Just preform plenty of water changes.

 

[Philcav7]

I do have two filters, but the one is small. The main filter is for tanks up to 70 gal and 20 for the small one. I'm not sure of the flow rate on the aqua tech, but I should be near or above the recommend 3X/hour water flow.

I have done 12 gallons of water change in 3 intervals today, 4 gallons each and have a forth ready to go once temp stabilizes. I will continue water changes daily and keep an eye on ammonia.

I moved the small filter over to my 10 gal tank for use as a treatment tank, if I decide to medicate. I have some Maracyn on hand, but no Maracyn 2.

 

[WILDER]

Maracyn should be fine. It treat fin damage, finrot.

 

[Philcav7]

Well, it looks like I should not have waited to proceed with treatment. He is so much worse when I got home from work today. I'm afraid it's too late for this little guy.

I moved him to the treatment tank with Maracyn but I don't expect a positive outcome. 75-80% of his tail fins dissapeared today.

Im dissappointed that I allowed this to happen. It's amazing how he went downhill in 36 hours.

 

[WILDER]

Poor thing.
Do you have maracyn 2.

Finrot can progress fast.
I thought he would be OK with water changes. As goldfish are tough little things.
Have the other goldfish been nipping at his fins.

 

[Philcav7]

I just picked up the Maracyn 2 now. The tank at the store were much the same. Two were dead and others were visibly sick with fin rot. The employee said our new distributor sucks and has sent several shipments of diseased fish and small mammals. Last week when I was there, half the tanks were under quarantine.

I have both the new guys in the treatment tank. The other guy started to loose a bit of his fin today. I really hope it doesn't spread to my other goldy that I have had for years.

 

[WILDER]

Sounds like a bad strain of bacterial finrot.

Add the maracyn 2, with the maracyn 1.
You are covering all bases then.

Poor things.
I do hope it not to late for him.
Never seen a goldfish go downhill so fast.

Good Luck.

 

[JohnHuff]

I think it's sometimes the fish and not the water.

 

[Philcav7]

He didn't make it

The other new fish, Mel, looks ok but seems to be slowing down a bit.

My comet, mr fin, seems okay in the main tank.

Fingers crossed.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Sorry things didn't work out. I had this happen with a guppy a couple of months back at the same rapid rate.

 

[WILDER]

So Sorry.
Not nice. I've lost goldfish. The best fish I have ever kept.
You get really fond of them.

You tryed your best.