Guppy fins nipped.

As some of you probably know I have 5 male guppies in a 7.5gal tank. I've had them for 4 weeks now, and I have noticed that one of them (Spike Lee) has had his tail fin nipped. At the start of the week (Monday) I noticed a few small nipps, but by today (Friday), he has quite a few nipps in his tail and I'm getting kind of worried. :-\ It doesn't seem to be bothering him at all, he is quite lively and swims with the others around the tank. I have never actualy seen any of the others nipp him, but I check them before I go to school, and I am often with them when I get home, until I go to bed (They are in my bedroom so I always see them). But, I don't know what happens when I am at school, and I'm worried about him and wondering who it could be. :-\

I often see them following him around the tank, but none of them ever try to nipp him. None of the others are nipped either. Can I do anything to help him? Why could they be nipping him?

You can see in the pic below below what I mean.

Thanks

Gwenz

P.S. - I don't have a Q tank at the moment, so I can't move him from the tank or anything.

 

Could it be that it's a fin rot?

 

That would be finrot. I use Jungle Fungus Clear tank buddies...it got Mist through a horrible battle with finrot plus an injury to the fins just as he was recovering...you've probably heard the story. Melafix is supposed to be really good too, I haven't tried it yet. It's all natural.
Of course you should get a q tank asap, but in the mean time don't panic since finrot isn't overly contagious. You want to start treating immediately since the case is already getting advancing. Don't be fooled if the sick Guppy is acting totally normal...a lot of fish don't seem to care about finrot, even if it's like killing them.
Before you treat test your nitrates. Poor water quality is the cause of finrot 99% of the time. (I'm not saying you have poor water quality or anything) If you water is fine, I'd guess the disease was triggered from nipping between the Guppies--he got nicked in the tail, and it got infected. I'd do a nice big water change like right now, just to keep it extra clean. Also raise the temp to 82-3 F.
One last piece of advise, don't totally panic like I did. Fish rarely die of finrot, unless you do nothing to treat it. I have seen a lot worse finrot than your Guppy, and on much less hardy fish, but I have yet to see a fish die of it.

 

OK thanks Omorrokh. I have Melafix with me already, and I did a water change yestaerday. I also tested yesterday :

Ammonia - 0
NitrAte - 10
NitrIte 0
PH - 7.2

The temp of the tank is at about 82 'F already - I raised it yesterday.

Is it OK to use the Melafix in the tank with the others in the tank too?

I will be getting a Q tank soon, and will get it cycled asap. If the Spike Lee hasn't healed by then I might move him to the Q tank when I get it.

Thanks for all the tips.

Gwenz

 

Well, your water quality is great, so his tail must have gotten nipped or something and it got infected. Melafix won't hurt the other fish.
When you get the filter for the q tank, you can just stick it in the main tank for a week or two--then you don't have to cycle the q tank from scratch.

 

Ok thanks. I will start adding the Melafix today.

Gwenz

 

Let us know how it works.

 

I added the Melafix yesterday, like I said. On the bottle it says:

"As a Disease or Wound Treatment: Add 5ml for every 40L of water. Repeat dose daily for 7 days followed by a 25% water change. Treatment can be continued if necessary",

so I will let you know how he is doing after 7 days.

Again today he seems fine, so I'm not worried to much.

Thanks for your help.

Gwenz

 

Keep an eye on his fins. You'll need to keep treating until the damage has stopped progressing and the fins have started regenerating. If they are not growing back yet after 7 days, you'll need to keep treating...I don't know if you can just do say a big water change and continue treating, or just leave the medication in the water, or if you have to remove it all and start over. Finrot can take quite a while to start healing, I'm not sure how you continue treating after 7 days with Melafix.
Hope he gets better. oh also let me know how well Melafix works.

 

Thanks. I will keep a close eye on him and keep posting to tell you how he is doing. Still he seems fine and eating normaly. ATM it doesn't look like it's getting worse, but it is hard to tell. It is worse than it was in the picture I showed you, but I guess it will get worse before it gets better. :-\

I will let you know how the Melafix works. My mum hates the smell, but I personaly think it is OK, and can cope with it.

Gwenz

 

HI Gwenz,

How are your guppies doing? Hope the fins have started to grow back.

Keep us posted.

 

Well, Spike Lee is still swimming around and eating, so that is OK. His fins don't seem to be growing back yet, but that might not be for a while anyway, I don't think.

I just realised today, that in the filter there is a section which holds Cartridge with supplementary filter material. The box says that in there, there is carbon, zeolite, etc. Should I take this out, while using the Melafix?

Thanks

Gwenz

 

Yeah you need to remove the carbon or it will adsorb all the meds.

 

Ok thanks I'll make sure I do that asap. I don't know why I forgot to do that. No wonder I haven't been seen much change in his health. :

Gwenz

 

Remember that any meds you previously added are probably gone. You'll need to start medicating from day 1 after removing the carbon.

 

OK thanks. I took out the carbon and did a water chnage because I hadn't done one for a while, and then I added the Melafix.

One problem though, when I did the water change, somehow I forgot to add the dechloronator.  :-[ As soon as I'd realised I put some straight into the tank water.  :-\ Is this OK? Could it harm my fish in any way?  ???

I don't know If it has hurt them in any way, but afterwards they were all swimming at the surface.  :-\ They have stopped doing this now and are swimming normally again, but do you think i've harmed them? If so, what can I do to help them?

(Sorry, thought I'd ask here so I don't have to start another post)

Thanks

Gwenz

 

Guppy is attacking other fish!

My guppies are starting on my gourami (honey gourami). My fish are mostly guppies, so I am thinking of schooling my gourami into 2 or 3 as I only have the one. Is this the best thing to do, or what else should I do?

My fish setup isn't new, but it has had a previous owner, my nitrate is 0 so I am wondering if this is a good thing? my ph and other levels are good. I have 7 guppies all male, and 1 gourami. All of these fish were put in today at the same time. My tank is a hexagon shape and is about 70-75 litres which is said to be about 20 gallons according to the calculator on this site. I have an external 105 fluval filter. So what other fish would be reccomended with this setup? I was thinking on adding a african silver cichlid, is this wise? Also what larger fish would be safe with the current fish?

Thank you.

 

I'm a little confused, did someone merge pauliface and Gwenz's posts?

Gwenz--it could have harmed your fish, but hopefully not. Any contact with chlorine is bad. There's nothing you can really do about it now though. Hopefully they will be ok. I'm not sure why they were swimming at the top, maybe it was because of the chlorine. They should be alright since you added dechlor right away.

 

Sorry I merged my message accidently in this post.

 

Ok thanks Omorrokh. They all seem fine now anyway.

Spike Lee's fins do not seem to be getting any better. I know this is probably because I forgot to take out the carbon so the Melafix didn't really work. :-\ Do you think now that the carbon is removed, could he start to get better?

I'm getting quite worried about him now. :-\

thanks

Gwenz

Just thought I'd post this pic. This is what he looks like today. :-\

Gwenz

 

His finrot is getting pretty bad, but all you can do at this point is keep medicating. Worrying won't make him better. :-\ Just be patient, from personal experience it can take a long time for fish to start responding to finrot meds. I can't promise that he'll get better, but fish usually do not die of finrot unless it is never treated. Just keep a close eye on him...and did I tell you to turn up the temp? 82-83 F will help in the healing of his fins. I hope he starts getting better.

 

Thanks. You are a great help. I will turn up the heater to that temp. later tonight. I don't have much time to do anything now as I'm going out for my dads birthday meal. My temp. is currently 26 'C, I will turn it up to 28 'C and hope it helps.

thanks again.

Gwenz

On the bottle of Melafix is says to put 5ml of in for every 40litres of water. My tank is 28 litres.

At the moment I'm adding 2.5ml every day. Is this enough do you think, or should I be adding a bit more than that?

Thanks

Gwenz

 

You're welcome, I got great help when my fish got finrot so I'm glad to be of help to someone else.
Hmm, I'm not sure what to tell you. On one hand you don't want to overdose, but if you are not adding enough then it won't do as much good. Maybe you could just add a tiny bit more than 2.5 ml. I think Melafix is pretty safe. I wish I knew how strong it is, but I've never used it. If it seems pretty strong you probably don't want to add any more. I noticed the finrot medication I used made the fish a bit sluggish, so I actually purposely under-dosed it since Otos are sensitive to medications. On the other hand Guppies don't really mind chemicals in the water. You want to treat it aggressively without endangering the fish.
Sorry, I'm rambling... Just do whatever you think is best, I can't really tell for you. If you are not sure what to do just continue adding the amount you are, better safe than sorry.

 

Ok thanks. I think I'll add a bit more that 2.5ml, as 28l is more than half 40l, so I'll start adding a bit more. I don't think it's a very strong medication as it is a herbal medication, so it should b OK.

P.S. - Temp now at 28 'C, and still adding Melafix everyday.

Well, today the 7 days of medication is up, so tomorrow I will do a water chnage. I can tell that some of his fins have healed a little but there is one big bit that hasn't hardly healed at all. :-\ I'll see if I can post another pic,also, do you think I should keep adding Melafix until I notice that more of his fns are healing?


^ What do you think I should do?


Any ideas? Should I still be adding Melafix?

Gwenz

 

When I did the latest research on Melafix and Pimafix, they recommend that the medication be continued until the regeneration of fins is complete to prevent a recurrence of finrot. I guess any time there is a hole in the fins it invites bacteria to grow and cause the bacterial finrot so I guess I would continue for another 7 days. Then you can take another look at it. If it is not doing anything maybe then you can consider quitting.

Rose

 

Sorry to butt in on the conversation, but I have a very similar question.
One of my platies was getting beaten up when I had the wrong male/female ratio. The problem's now been solved, but his nipped fin is not getting better (it's not getting worse either) After reading this discussion, I realized I should medicate him so I went to the fish store to buy some metafix. I did get some, but the guy in the fish store suggested I just try aquarium salts first. Has anyone tried this & does it work or should I go ahead and put my injured platy in my q tank and start the metafix treatment?
I have added the aquarium salt to the main tank (1 tablespoon per 5 gallons) was this okay? It seems kind of strange to put salt into a fresh water aquarium!
Thanks!

 

It is true that salt is okay for some things and while I am trying to do the least amount of medicating that is necessary, I do think the best treatment for regeneration of fins is still the Melafix. The salt may help with the lessening of the chance of bacteria forming but remember that bacteria are in the tank at all times and once a fin is torn it does not take long for bacterial finrot to start. Fins will regenerate but may not ever be a strong in the webbing again or as beautiful in the case of fancy guppies, bettas, mollies and other fish where the fins are a very decorative part of their anatomy. The last research I did on finrot suggested that a combination of Pimafix and Melafix was the best course of treatment for cases that were actually diagnosed as finrot and Melafix alone could be used if the problem only needed regeneration of a fin that had been ripped but showed NO signs of finrot. The fins should be watch very closlely though for signs of finrot beginning even with treatment as there is sometimes no rhyme or reason for the beginnings of the disease. The water needs to be kept clean and warm above ALL. If I am treating one of my fish and they need a water change before the 7 days of Melafix or Pimafix treatment is over I just add a bit more medication after I do the water change. The water quality and parameters are of the highest importance in treatment. I hope I have helped a little. Salt has its place and can be used with MOST FISH (not with scaleless fish like catfish, plecos, or sharks or with freshwater invertebrates) but I have never had much faith in its All Healing Properities. Melafix and Pimafix are herbal and will not decrease in effectiveness with repeated usage (like antibiotics and other medications do) so I feel free to suggest them as they do work and are useful for a lot of conditions. (Finrot and Fin regeneration are two of the best)

Rose

 

Thanks!
I'mm put him in the q-tank tonight & turn the temp up.

 

Gwenz-Do a huge water change and then keep medicating. Make sure the water quality is decent. Fins can take a long time to heal, and it may not look as good as it used to, but it will grow back eventually. How is your Guppy doing?

 

When I did the latest research on Melafix and Pimafix, they recommend that the medication be continued until the regeneration of fins is complete to prevent a recurrence of finrot. I guess any time there is a hole in the fins it invites bacteria to grow and cause the bacterial finrot so I guess I would continue for another 7 days. Then you can take another look at it. If it is not doing anything maybe then you can consider quitting.

Rose

Thanks Rose! I started to add Melafix again last night.

I am thinking of doing a water change today and then start the 7 days of treatment again.

This morning he was resting on the filter and not swimming at all. When I was feeding them a little later he came off the filter to eat some but kept spitting the food back out. :-\ After a while he went back to rest on top of the filter again. I'm getting worried now as he was swimming fine yesterday, even though his fins are not compleately healed properly, but this morning his fins look a bit more torn again, and I'm wondreing if the others might have been nipping him, as I have seen them chase him around the tank.

I will test the tank, then do a water change and add Melafix later this afternoon.

Thanks for all your help.

Gwenz

P.S. - Do you think the others could be nipping him?

 

I did a water change and started treating again last night.

He was fine this morning, but when I came home I couldn't see him. I then found him at the bottom of the tank. He had died while I was at school. :'( :'(

I will miss him.

Gwenz :'(

 

Sorry for your loss gwenz.

Heidi

 

Sorry for that... Gwenz

I've been seeing this post for the past one month..

I really feel for you

 

Thanks. The other four seem to be doing OK though, which is good.

1 question. Should I put the carbon back in the filter now?

Thanks

Gwenz

 

Probably yes, as you would have stopped medicating the tank. But wait until some senior members of this group comes with an answer.

Regards
Lokesh

 

OK thanks. I will do that today.

Gwenz

 

Sorry about your guppy. :'( :'(

 

Thanks. I guess I did all I could have done, but it just wasn't enough.

For now I'm just going to keep the 4 I still have.

Gwenz