Possible Fin Rot. Need help to diagnose.

[LivingLegacy85]

Hello HFB,

It's been a while! So here's the situation. I went to Walmart's Pet Section to find they had live fish... and the story goes I felt bad for two Angels because the conditions were terrible.

Bought the two Angels and have them in quarantine. The past couple days the golden angel seems to have some fuzzy cotton-like bacteria growing on the caudal fin.

Can anyone diagnose this? I've been dosing Melafix as of yesterday, but I need to know is this fish beyond saving and can his buddy catch the same thing.

Please have a look at the photos and tell me what you think it is and how to treat it.

As always thanks for your valuable input!

[ptran]

Looks like fin rot and you are going the right direction. I believe it can be saved. Keep up with Melafix and water change after 5 days.


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[imagirlgeek]

It's really hard to tell between a fungus and a bacterial infection without looking at a skin scrape under a microscope, but since true fungal infections are pretty rare, I'd start with the assumption that it's a bacterial infection. I mentioned fungus just so you can keep it in the back of your mind as you are treating the fish in case you don't start seeing improvement pretty soon. I was thinking it could be columnaris, but I only see the problem on the tail. Is that correct? Hard to tell from the photo. Usually you see gray/white patches on the fish, and usually on the mouth as well as the fins. Depending on how bad the conditions were at the store, it could be a fungus growing on dying skin (kind of like you see that fluffy stuff on a piece of fish food left too long in a tank) and overcrowding will cause them to nip at each other's fins.

You mind consider getting an antibiotic because whether it's straight bacterial, or a fungus with an underlying bacterial infection, an antibiotic should help. Tetracycline maybe? Something that is for both gram-negative and gram-positive would be the best bet since we don't know for sure what it is.

I would also do small daily water changes. The water has to be super clean so he/she can heal. Don't give up...I've seen fish in far worse shape get back to 100%.

[LivingLegacy85]

@ptran what about this scenario- My Hospital Tank isn't cycled. I've introduced media from my other tanks to quicken the cycling process.

Do you suggest not doing any water changes for 5 days while dosing melafix?

I did a partial today because I thought poor water quality contributed to the fin rot.

My plan was to do partial water changes AND dose the Melafix. Are there holes in that reasoning and action plan?

[LivingLegacy85]

@imagirlgeek I'll take your word for it because it seems very hard to distinguish between bacterial and fungal infections. Let's say that it is a bacterial infection, I like your theory regarding food left in the tank growing a fuzzy-like substance. That is something I can visualize and relate to.

Tetracycline? Is that available for purchase at any of my LFS? Seems to be going to extreme measures to treat a problem that we can't diagnose.

My plan was to do small water changes and continue dosing the Melafix, to see what happens.

I'd hate to lose both of the Walmart Survivors.

[ptran]

I believe that is what is suggested on the bottle. No wc until complete dosing and treatment. Also, make sure you remove carbon during treatment because carbon will absorb the med. Good luck and don't give up.

You can use media from other tank to speed up the cycling, but the hospital tank not fully cycled could be a problem.

[imagirlgeek]

@imagirlgeek I'll take your word for it because it seems very hard to distinguish between bacterial and fungal infections. Let's say that it is a bacterial infection, I like your theory regarding food left in the tank growing a fuzzy-like substance. That is something I can visualize and relate to.

Tetracycline? Is that available for purchase at any of my LFS? Seems to be going to extreme measures to treat a problem that we can't diagnose.

My plan was to do small water changes and continue dosing the Melafix, to see what happens.

I's hate to lose both of the Walmart Survivors.

Yeah, tetracycline is in the fish section at most, if not all, of the LFS. Probably at Walmart too. It's made by API and is pretty standard. But I understand wanting to go easy at first. I usually go with liquid vitamins when any of my fish start degrading. Then move onto meds if their immune system doesn't kick in. You'll want to keep an eye out for any ulcers or redness around the tail area. That would point to an infection for sure.

Good luck! Let us know how it goes!

[LivingLegacy85]

Update. Seems as if these Angels were doomed way before I bought them. I found one of the Walmart Soldiers stuck to the filter. The Golden looking Angel seems to have lost the part of the tail with the cotton-like fuzz around it. Will continue to observe if the tail will grow back with the melafix treatment.

[morpheus]

melafix is the most gentle of the treatments, and i usually combo that with pimafix. you can use both in conjunction with one another. it covers a broader range of agents. just keep the water well oxygenated, and i agree with no water changes. its usually recommended you do a water change before and after the treatment. if you change the water during then you dilute the medicine, rendering it less effective. also make sure to remove carbon from your filter if you have not already. the carbon will remove the meds from the water.

it is hard to treat growths like that since it can be a wide range of things. you just treat for the majority and hope for the best.

[ptran]

No feeding or very lite feeding during treatment.


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[LordBarron7692]

hopefully you can save them

[LivingLegacy85]

Welp the Walmart Angel didn't survive. -_-

[ptran]

Oh man, sorry to hear that. Your hospital tank is not fully cycled could be a problem.

Are they still in the hospital tank? What are the water parameter?