# Deteriorating fins



## Sydney (Dec 31, 2012)

Lately I've noticed that most of my fish, which includes a couple Molly's, barbs, 1 guppy and a platy, are having problems with there fins. I've had 2 guppies die from what I thought was fin rot so I treated my 10g tank with a fungus guard I got at petsmart. 

I've treated the tank prior to that 1 because a dwarf gourami I brought home had fungus which I'm positive he already had. I'm starting to doubt the fact that my tank has a bacterial infection considering the number of times I've medicated it. So I'm wondering if perhaps the pH level of the water could potentially be affecting the fins of my fish, or any other water levels. 

Please let me know if there's something I'm doing wrong, or should be checking, thanks.





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## weedkiller (Nov 18, 2012)

see if there is one in particular that is nipping fins first off otherwise treat with fin rot or similar if you are sure that is what it is


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## Sydney (Dec 31, 2012)

I know fin nipping isnt the problem. And I'm not 100% sure if it's fin rot, but I've treated the tank for bacterial infections previous. That's why I'm wondering if it's the water. All fish are showing slight signs of it. It's becoming very stressful!


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

low pH, say <6 or high ammonia can indeed erode fins as can bacterial and other "fin rot" infections. Take water changing to the next level, ramp up both the amount and frequency and see if things improve. Water changes fix the water quality, dilute pathogens and provide trace nutrients so they can often help without identifying the specific problem.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

instead of treating with fungus guard ; treat the finrot with " Mela Fix "....i have had much greater success with it..


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## Sydney (Dec 31, 2012)

Thanks guys, I'll try it all out


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

I consider melafix to be snake oil. It has never really worked with me. I'd use methylene blue.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

kid...until you actually are able to prove something , i would suggest you just not open your mouth...10s of thousands of people have had great success with this product...the extremely limited experience of a 14 year old juvenile with a couple of bettas that used it incorrectly does not make it a snake oil..


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

lohachata said:


> kid...until you actually are able to prove something , i would suggest you just not open your mouth...10s of thousands of people have had great success with this product...the extremely limited experience of a 14 year old juvenile with a couple of bettas that used it incorrectly does not make it a snake oil..


I have spoken with others who say it doesn't work. And I am not 14. Just because I think it's snake oil doesn't make it snake oil. It not working makes it snake oil.


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## Guest (Jan 17, 2013)

Betta man: melafix is NOT snake oil. It is oil based. Read the controversy and dangers on this link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melafix

If you are not 14 then how old are you, 5? LOL


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## Vayurules (Dec 7, 2012)

I'm nearly 14. I know that its not a snake oil. Lets not go ripping on 14 year olds here. 


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## Guest (Jan 17, 2013)

Vayu: we are not ripping on all 14 year olds. Just Betta man, because he thinks that melafix is snake oil. I just put a link up that verifies that melafix is not snake oil. One of these days someone is going to read Betta man's post and go by it and then their fish are going to die. Betta man needs to verify what he says, back up what he says with proof.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I don't blame betta keepers for avoiding mela-fix as it is an oil. Methylene blue is also a mild anti-biotic and anti-fungal. Either could help if it is a mild infection. Clean water is good medicine also. Check hardness as well as pH if you get a chance. IME, it is soft, acid water that eats fins.


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

I have used it and it did almost nothing. Actually, it did nothing at all. As much as I treated the fish and gave it clean water, the fin rot kept going. With methylene blue, I did a bath and the fin rot went away. Methylene blue is the best med for finrot IMO. It kills fin rot and prevents fungus which is a side effect of having stressed or sick fish. I should have amputated the sick fish's fins, but I knew little back then. I prefer not to give away my age online except to people my age or those who I am likely to meet, but you can feel free to guess. ;-)


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## Vayurules (Dec 7, 2012)

Lol, for the sake of fun, 20 something.


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## Guest (Jan 17, 2013)

Vayu: Betta man is a kid.

Betta man: that is good that you don't display your age on the internet. Very smart.


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

Thank you angelclown.


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## Guest (Jan 17, 2013)

You're welcome Betta man.


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

This thread has been hijacked. Let's get back to subject. Anyways, I do not like melafix and don't recommend it. Methylene blue works well.


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## C. King (Dec 14, 2012)

Mollies get fin rot more often (and are less healthy in general) if you do not add some aquarium salt to their water. Salt is a natural anti-fungal, but it is also good for mollies specifically. It increases their electrolytes, and they live longer. I would have to look up the exact amount to add, but if you haven't been using salt, you might want to start. Make sure it is aquarium salt, however, not table salt. There are also some products out there that add electrolytes to the tank. Mollies prefer harder water, and temps nearer to 80. Fin rot is a sign to me that your water hardness/temp./salinity/minerals are not quite ideal, stressing the fish and making them prone to chronic infection.


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## Sydney (Dec 31, 2012)

I did my second treatment with the melafix today, but I'll definitely have to get some aquarium salt. As for keeping all those things ideal for my fish, I am only 15. I got my water tested yesterday and my ammonia was high and I think nitrates which apparently normal for the time I've had the tank, which is just under a month. I'm hoping to get things more stabilized soon.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Ammonia will definitely burn away fins. Keep changing water. salt & Prime can help some with nitrite, but again, water changes are your best plan. If you salt, calculate to keep concentrations consistent during water changes.


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

Sydney said:


> I did my second treatment with the melafix today, but I'll definitely have to get some aquarium salt. As for keeping all those things ideal for my fish, I am only 15. I got my water tested yesterday and my ammonia was high and I think nitrates which apparently normal for the time I've had the tank, which is just under a month. I'm hoping to get things more stabilized soon.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App


Age has nothing to do with it. Nothing personal, but I keep my water ideal for bettas and I am younger than you. If you can't keep good water quality, try upgrading to a larger tank where water quality is easier to keep stable. If your water isn't the right hardness or ph, try a different species or use something that adjusts those things.


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## Guest (Jan 18, 2013)

No matter how old you are, you can keep fish, if you research them and their needs before getting them. Also ask questions if you find contradicting information. Most of us here have experience in keeping fish. There are different ways to keep healthy fish, but the main thing is maintain good water quality, because some fish are more sensitive to changes in water quality.


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## Sydney (Dec 31, 2012)

I haven't even had my tank for a month yet... so I don't plan on giving up that fast.


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## C. King (Dec 14, 2012)

You'll catch on just fine!


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Betta once again, you miss the information that is being told to you. 

This tank has been set up for one month. 
This fish has ammonia burns on his fins.
This tank has now had recommendations to have increased water changes with added salt. 
Personally I would add that this user try adding a biological filter booster, such as Stability. It is interesting to note that this works for some and not for others. Wow. It is a good product. This will help your tank cycle quickly, which will help your fish immensely. 

"Perfect" water is not the issue. The tank is cycling.
As long as fish are kept in aquariums there is no such thing as "perfect" water as they will always be swimming in their own waste, and that is not "perfect" and is why we do water changes. 


Interestingly enough this person said they are 15 and you just said you are younger than them, meaning you have just told us you are in fact an adolescent at best. So much for not giving your age on the internet. 

Age has nothing to do with many things, in this instance it has to do with lack of experience more than anything else. You have not been in this for very long, therefore you are not an expert. You do pretend to be one, which can get dangerous. 

As for Melafix it is not a "snake oil" and has been tried and true for countless individuals for countless years. It just cured ich in my tank. That must upset your world. 

As for it not working on your fish- sucks to be you. Not all meds are going to work on all fish and THAT is what you have experienced. Penicillin is great- unless you are allergic to it- point being whats good for one is not good for another. 

Given the fact that you keep Betta's I would suggest that YOU not use Melafix- it is not good for Betta or other labyrinth fish- it interferes with the labyrinth mechanism and can cause difficulty in breathing. A lot of Betta's have died as a result of using it because people have used it improperly. 

If a Betta keeper chooses to use Melafix or Betafix, it is best to use a less than full dose to be on the safe side. The deaths have usually been from overdoses. To be safe- use something else. Your choice of methylene blue is a great one which is nice because it proves that you can do something right. Keep figuring out those things and your experience will eventually catch up to what you think you have now.


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

Ummmm, Obsidian, I hate to be the one to have to break your bubble, but being younger than 15 means I am either 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1. SO, I obviously just gave away that I am am 1 right. Seriously. If I was one, I wouldn't know how to spel.  I just set up a tank a few days ago and added a pair of livebearers. It's an 8 gal, so it's pretty small. Ammonia is 0 ppm. I have never had issues with ammonia when cycling tanks. EVER.


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## Guest (Jan 20, 2013)

Obsidian: I have to agree with Betta man that he didn't display his age on the internet. As he can be anywhere from 14 and younger. So therefore he didn't display his exact age. You can try to guess his age, but I think that you won't even come close.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

hmmmmmmmm...never had a problem with ammonia....me neither....but you do know how to kill the bettas...


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Well there it is, I stand corrected, you have told us that you are in fact even younger than we thought you were, thats probably not a good thing maturity wise- turns out we were giving you credit. 

My mistake, won't happen again.


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