Severe Fin rot, HELP almost dying

[Camillemj]

Smaller tiger barb, very pale colored. Weak, not eating at all, hids, or just swims enough to where the filter makes a current in my tank and floats/moves with that. Her tail is gone now and base is all grey. Floating at top gasping. What more can I do???

I am sure this is fin rot. Been treating with Melafix, for last three days when it wasn't so bad but just when I saw how grey and deterorated her tail was. The meds don't seem to help.

Please, I don't know what more to do

 

[Porthious the Gourami]

Emmediatly put 5 grams of salt per litre (already mixed with a bit of the tank water) into the barbs tank, introduce the salty solution slowly - that is all of it in 5 minutes into the tank to let the barb adjust a bit.
If you have a 5 litre tank add 25 grams of salt.
If you have a 10 litre tank add 50 grams of salt, etc.
If you do not have any direct way to measure the salt then put one heaped table spoon, yes table spoon, in every 5 litres of water. Even strong salt solution such as 10 percent have been used to treat fish, but only for short periods of time, and I prefer 3 to 5 percent solutions for a week or two. Ensure that you have more conditioned water available to use when your next tank water change is due.

 

[Porthious the Gourami]

I have used this perfect solution to cure all the fish I have owned in the past of that dreaded fin rot. Even when I bought them from the shop with fin rot (disgusting) I could cure them every time, gouramis, angelfish, barbs, neons, corydora catfish, dollars, and platies. Salt is very humane way of treating fin rot as it does not harm the fishes immune system, and is a natural disinfectant, I try and buy table salt without anti-caking agents in them (but in an emergency I even used the table salt with the additive with success). Some books recomment sea salt but you got to use what you got.
Good luck to the barb - my barbs where called Charger, Pacer, Allah, and Kunamah.

 

[BettaMomma]

I agree - salt baths are wonderful things.
Too bad they don't work the same way with humans.
Try it - what have you got to lose?

1 teaspoon of aquarium salt with 1 gallon of water for the bath.
Dechlorinate the bath water and make sure the temps match.
Make sure you watch the fishy - if it rolls over return him to the tank pronto - just means he's passed out briefly, not a big deal. He'll return to normal once he's back in the tank..
And to think - I used to be TERRIFIED of salt baths!!
Best of luck to you!

 

[Camillemj]

How long do I leave him in there? I put an air stone in the bucket too. He is just kinda floating/gills, mouth moving at the top.

 

[BettaMomma]

I left amos in his bath for 30 minutes today but he seemed to be enjoying it.
If it's stressing your fishy out at all, take him out a bit earlier than that.

 

[Camillemj]

oooh he is swimming alittle.


What is the chance that my other 5 fish will get sick. will or won't. So far the this fish is the only one showing any signs of sickness.

Would it be bad to treat the whole tank with salt, and still do the salt baths (daily?) on the sick fish?

Is there a serious difference between table salt and aquarium salt? Due to the late hour here in ND, the salt bath was with table salt. If I treat the whole tank should I buy aquarium salt or can I still use table salt.

 

[BettaMomma]

Finrot itself isn't contagious.
However, the reason the first fish ended up with it might be also stressing out everyone else in the tank, too, and they might end up with it too.

Just keep an eye on them.

All the best wishes to your fishy in the bath right now.
I'm off to bed for the night so I won't respond to anymore posts tonight, but I'll check back in the morning to see how your fishy responded to the bath. Just tell him it's his "day at the spa".

OOH YIKES - I hope your table salt is non-iodized and contains no additives... eek.. is it

 

[Camillemj]

I don't know More then likly it is iodized....mom bought it for me.

I am taking it that iodized salt is bad, I won't treat the whole tank tonight but when I get aquarium salt in the morning.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Camillemj

Salt baths are an old fashioned treatment that still does the trick in severe cases of bacterial infection, which is what finrot is.

I suggest you go to the lfs and buy some aquarium salt to use for this purpose. While you are there, pick up a 20 gallon tank and the necessary filter and heater too, so that you can properly house your other fish. This might keep them from coming down with the same disease if you act quickly.

Your fish is sick with this terrible illness because of bad conditions which ruined his immune system. The same bacteria that caused it is in your tank and all the other fish are getting weaker by the day from living in such over crowded conditions.

It is extremely urgent that you take action immediately if you wish to save them.

 

[Blue Lobster]

I hate fin rot. I just fought it and one 2 months ago.

Fin rot is from a cumulative effect of Stress from overfeeding or one type or oudated or low quality food and/or a harmful bacteria that comes from too much feces in the gravel.

To save the rest of the tank, up the gravel vac/water changes, buy 3 different foods to mix it up, do the salt dose on your main tank with aquarium salt, skip the table salt if you can.

Definatly stick with the melafix for 7 days, it works. It's not a magic bullet, it's a medicine bath. Fin rot is like if you got a cut, it takes time to heal. be patient and vigilant with the vacuuming after the 7 days.

Fish need a varied diet and they do like treats too.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Blue Lobster

Did you happen to notice how many fish she has crammed into a tiny bit of water? No amount of cleaning up after them is going to be much of a help. There are simply too many fish in too little water for them to survive.

While you have mentioned some causes of bacterial infections, high nitrites, overcrowding, low oxygen content in the water, aggressive tank mates and other stress causing factors could also lead to the same problem.

 

[Blue Lobster]

Hi Blue Lobster

Did you happen to notice how many fish she has crammed into a tiny bit of water? No amount of cleaning up after them is going to be much of a help. There are simply too many fish in too little water for them to survive.

While you have mentioned some causes of bacterial infections, high nitrites, overcrowding, low oxygen content in the water, aggressive tank mates and other stress causing factors could also lead to the same problem.

Whoops, I didn't see the 3.5 gallon thing. I forgot they made them so little.

Yeah, that's like ten pounds of SH!+ in a five pound bag.


Get a bigger tank with lots of air and filtration camille, it's the only long term fix for your problems.

 

[Camillemj]

Okay, Thank you everyone for your good and quick advice. I am so glad I stumbled across this forum the other day. B)

Sadly my tiger didn't make it though the night

I'll get the new tank as possible being a college student it could be a while Walmart has 10 gallon tanks for $10 would that be better since I can't afford a 25 gallon.

I do in fact varie the food, my tigers started out not eating flake food at all, so I mix freze dryed tubfex worms and flakes. This they eat. Also I do partal water changes every three days, with vacuming gravel, my filter isn't clogged and the water is clear.

 

[BettaMomma]

Sorry to hear of your loss.
Losing a fish is always hard.
You did what you could.