Rosy Barb w/ fin damage

Everyone has been very helpful here @ Fishlore and help is much appreciated but I have another problem.

I posted a little while back about my long finned rosy barb swimming funny but I decided not to use the same thread as I have finally found the problem. I wanted to be able to get specific advice. His tail fin is split all the way up. I don't have sharp surfaces in my tank and I have never seen a real fight. My Bolivians threaten each other and lip lock now and again but never bother the other fish. I figure the tear got worse when I was trying to figure out what was wrong because his swimming has got progressively worse. I have him in a hospital tank now and am treating for fin damage with maracyn oxy. Will this ever heal or is it too bad now? He is struggling so hard to swim (a lot of the time swims in loops or circles) his breathing is labored. His color is almost nonexistent. He is eating fine but looks horrible. Scrawny and possibly even has shrunk. Is there anything I can do? Thanks in advance.

 

I did some research and people mostly seem to say that ripped/torn fins usually just heal on their own and that its not really a big deal. However, no one else that was asking advice on damaged fins mentioned the horrible crazy swimming. He sometimes looks like he's having a seizure when he swims. It's awful to watch. I don't think he is really having a seizure because it happens when he is trying to swim in certain directions or turning tightly when he is after food or something. Does anyone have any ideas at all?

 

Do you remember me answering in your other thread that I had an Odessa Barb that was acting similarly. I forgot to mention that at the time it was happening I was talking to a co-worker about it. He had kept fish as a kid, and claimed that it was something like a parasite in the brain. I don't know it that was correct or not, but it seemed to make sense based on the behavior. And like I mentioned, my Odessa Barb never got better.

 

Yes I remember I actually mentioned that you said that in the other thread. But when I noticed his tail fin was torn in half I figured that would definitely affect his swimming. Is that not the case? I wasn't sure if he had fin rot but I am pretty sure now that he does. Still eating but looks awful. I am using Maracyn and added salt to the water.He is alone in the quarantine tank now. Have you ever noticed barbs swimming very erratically in the AM? Mine always do (I have 3) and when he tries to it's terrible he just swims in circles and crazy loops. It's sad. I wish I could do something.

 

I really don't think the torn fin would make him swim like that. And yes, you are right, it is sad to see your fish swimming around like that. It was a slow, death for my Odessa Barb, but sadly I didn't have the heart to euthenize him. I kept holding out hope that he would get better.

 

I guess I'm trying to hold out hope too. Today he really does seem better though. Swimming all around the tank and making quick turns easily. Only saw him looping crazily once for a couple seconds. Maybe he'll pull through. I hope he doesn't keep getting a little better then worse again and die slowly like your Odessa. I don't have the heart to euthanize either. I had a Cory cat I probably should have put down but just couldn't.

 

I have this barb in a 10 gallon quarantine tank. It has not yet cycled but I did not want to medicate all the healthy fish. I had just totally started over with this tank b/c it got a nasty fungus. So, the water was clean when I put him in there but not cycled. My problem now is that I tested the water and I got zero ammonia but a very high nitrite reading. Maybe the medicine put the tank into a mini-cycle? I doubt that the tank is at the tail end of the cycle now with all the medicine throwing it off. The real problem though is the Maracyn I am using for the The fin rot says no water changes in the 5 day medicating period. I am only on day 4. What would be the best thing to do?

 

Just put some Prime into the tank in order to detox some of the nitrites. According to SeaChem, you can overdose with Prime (I think up to five time the normal dose but you might want to check that) when battling nitrites.

 

I think you are right it does say 5x. I triple dosed with prime yesterday. It's ok to do that two days in a row right?

Oh, and the barb looks much better. His tail fin and the other frayed fins are healing, his color is much better and he is swimming much better.