# Fin Rot??? Please help...I don't know what to do...!



## Alisha (Aug 5, 2005)

Okay I have some questions about fin rot with my bettas.

1. I just got a female betta the other day from petco, and she has some fin rot, so I put her in a tank with one of my males, and now he has a hole straight through his fin, and I think that is fin rot, so is it contaigious? Like could my female have given it to him? 

2. What is the best way to treat it?

3. Is it life threatening? Could it kill your betta? 

Thanks for any and all help! :shock:


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## DavidDoyle (Jan 18, 2005)

Maracyn by mardel should do the trick if its bacterial. Maroxy if its fungal. If not sure use both as they are safe together.


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## fish_doc (Jan 31, 2005)

Fin rot is caused by one of several gram negative bacteria. Several anitiboitics are effective, however the root cause must be addressed as well.

Fin rot occurs when the fish is stressed for some reason. The most common cause is poor water quality. Overcrowding the tank, feeding outdated food or overfeeding, and moving or handling the fish can also cause stress leading to fin rot. 

Treatment should include a water change, and careful examination of the aquarium conditions. If there is food debris, vaccumm the gravel and take care to avoid overfeeding. Start dating your fish food, as it loses the vitamin content fairly quickly after it is opened. Feeding fish fresh, high quality food, in smaller quantities is far better than frequent large feedings of stale foods. 

Check the water temperature of the water, and make sure it is appropriate for your fish. Low water temperatures, particularly in fish with long flowing fins, can trigger fin rot. 
Treatment

Correct root cause
Water change
Treat with antibiotics
Addition of aquarium salt

If the root cause is corrected, antibiotics will usually cure the disease itself. Use a drug that is effective against gram negative organisms. Maracyn, Maroxy, Chloramphenical, Oxytetracycline, and Tetracycline, are good choices. Treat according to manufacturers instructions.

The use of aquarium salt will benefit livebearing fish, but should be avoided in fish, such as scaleless catfish, that are sensitive to salt


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## Alisha (Aug 5, 2005)

Okay thank you so much Fish_doc. You really helped. I moved her into a new large bowl of water with extra stress coat. I also added some salt into hers, and I will add some into my male's tank when I clean it tomarrow. I will also go to the LFS to get some antibiotics asap! Thanks so much!


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## fish_doc (Jan 31, 2005)

I have my good days and bad days. LOL I guess sometimes Im the doc sometimes the patient. 

PS. Can I have the jacket when fishfreaks is done with it.


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## Chazwick (Aug 24, 2005)

I'd just like to say (and i'd hate to be the one to tell the kids theres no santa claus).. Fin Rot IS INDEED life threatening.. you see, if all the fishes fins rot away (well, a large portion), the fish has difficulty swimming and can die.. it's a major problem for Bettas, because they are part of the Ladyrinth family, and have to take a breath from the top of the tank every so often.. if they can't swim to the top, they drown.


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## Alisha (Aug 5, 2005)

Well, I changed their water, and it looks a little bit better, but what type of antibiotics do you suggest I use for them?


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## fish_doc (Jan 31, 2005)

Maracyn, Maroxy, Chloramphenical, Oxytetracycline, or Tetracycline they are all good for helping out with fin rot


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## Alisha (Aug 5, 2005)

I got them some MelaFix...is that okay? It says it treats many things, as well as fin rot.


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## amelia (Aug 11, 2005)

Finrot is life threatening I must agree. I just lost my butterfly koi to finrot.. Well, it started as fin rot. I'm supposing that I didn't treat it correctly and the bacteria spread to other parts of the fish, caused dropsy, and the fish to die.


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## Alisha (Aug 5, 2005)

Oh, I'm sorry about your koi! I have began treating the fin rot immediately, so I hope they will be okay. The female is already looking better...and the male hasn't gotten any worse, so that's a good sign.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Baby_Baby said:


> yup yup. what about coppersafe?


No. Never use copper with bacterial infections. Bad bacteria LOVE copper, and will grow like crazy if copper is handy. This can make things much worse.


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