Fin Rot Medication

Aquarium fish diseases can be rather ghoulish and disturbing to owners, and fin rot probably tops the list. Fin rot is one of the most common aquarium fish diseases, but treatment with fin rot antibiotics is known to be quite effective. It is caused due to one of the several gram negative bacteria. While fin rot antibiotics offer an effective cure for fin rot, if left untreated, it can prove to be fatal for the fish and can infect all the other fishes in the tank.

Fin rot is a bacterial infection of the fins, usually brought about unclean water, unhygienic conditions inside the tank and/or stress that causes the fins to deteriorate. The most common cause of fin rot is elevated levels of nitrate in tanks where the water is not cycled properly. Fin rot may be caused by rapidly fluctuating temperatures as well as frequently changing pH levels.  Such fluctuations and the presence of toxins can continuously attack the fish, weakening the immune system and finally making the fish susceptible to the growth of bacteria. Physical damage or an attack by parasites can also leave a fish susceptible to fin rot.

Fin Rot Symptoms

Fin rot is not just easy to spot, it’s hard to miss, though in the early stages it would take a keen eye to detect. If you notice that chunks of your fish’s fin are missing, fin rot is possibly to blame. The common fin rot symptoms are:

• The earliest symptoms that you’d notice would be the appearance of a white fluff on the fins, tails, and elsewhere around the extremities.
• Fins fray.
• The area may become red and inflamed, with bloody patches.
• Fins seem to be growing thinner or more transparent.
• Fins seem to be breaking off in large chunks.

Fin Rot Treatment

Fin rot treatment methods depend on its severity. Here are a few points which must be taken care of:-
It is important to address the correct root cause of the fin rot so that right treatment can be given to your fish. You must change the water in the aquarium. Fresh water will help the medication work faster and more effectively. Raise the temperature of the new water just a bit, if possible.

Since fin rot is caused by bacteria, the treatment should be with fin rot antibiotics recommended by a veterinarian. Tetracycline and jungle fungus eliminator are two of the most popular fin rot medicines.
It is very important to follow proper dosage instructions, as per the veterinarian, or as directed on the label of the medication. These fin rot medications usually come in the form of tablets which are simply dropped into the fish tank. If you see that a particular medicine isn’t responding well, you may have to switch the fin rot medications. However, before switching medications, leave the fish free of meds for 5-7 days. During this time, continue to change the water everyday so that any traces of the medication in the water, are eliminated. Though there are many herbal medicines and tonics available commercially, try to avoid them, sticking on with what your doctor recommends. Try not to mix medications into the tank.
If nothing else is helping your fish, try aquarium salt.

Fin regrowth is an excellent sign that the bacteria have been taken care of. Fin Rot is a disease which can at best be called opportunistic, so you must keep your fish in conditions which are optimal for their health. A steady temperature is important in maintaining good health, therefore try to avoid any major fluctuations. Also try to feed them a well balanced diet.

Goldfish Health

If you have a pet fish, you probably know how susceptible they can be to health problems. Goldfish, when kept in an indoor aquarium, become susceptible to several diseases. Fortunately, not only can these diseases be treated, they can be prevented as well. Goldfish health is very delicate and it is important to take care of the fish well in order to prevent them from suffering from any diseases. Here are some common goldfish health problems and common ways of dealing with them.

• Ichtyopthirius: This is one of the most common goldfish diseases. Ich is a parasite which attaches itself to the body of the goldfish. When undue stress is put on the goldfish due to fluctuations in water temperature or bad weather conditions, the fish might begin to develop small spots on the body. The fin and the gills may show small white colored spots. The parasite sticks to the body of the fish and begins to reproduce at a very fast pace. Ich can be easily prevented by keeping the fish tank clean.
• Fin Rot: Fin rot is a very common goldfish health problem. This is a condition in which the fins or the tail of the fish appear to be rotting away. Fin rot is usually caused due to poor water conditions and bacterial infections. If a fish is already weak, it can easily fall victim to this disease. Fin rot can be treated using anti bacterial and anti fungal medications. It is however recommended that the water quality of the tank should always be kept high so that this disease can be prevented.
• Fungus: The easy formation of fungus in an unclean aquarium tank can make fish care very difficult. Tanks should always be kept clean and to keep the water quality high, the water should be changed frequently. Fungus usually appears on the area of the goldfish’s body where an ulcer or a wound is already present. The growth of the fungus can further complicate the condition of the fish. Adding anti fungal medications can help treat the fungus.
• Constipation: Another common goldfish health problem, constipation affects fish that are over fed. Fish do not have large appetites. However, if large quantities of fish food are added to the aquarium, they continue eating till the food is all finished. The fish appears visibly bloated and becomes very less active. To treat constipation, you can give them boiled peas, which act as a laxative and allow them to relieve themselves.

Betta Fish Health

Betta fish are also referred to as Siamese fighting fish. They are extremely popular throughout the world and are known for their active nature and attractive color. Betta fish diseases treatment and care is quite easy to carry out. Betta fish are ideal for those who love to keep fish, but may not have the time to care for them.

Siamese Fighting Fish Health

As soon as you bring your fish home, it is advisable to become familiar with their movements and behavior. This will enable you to know if something is wrong just by looking at them. The bowl in which you keep the fish should be large enough in order for it to swim around without bumping its scales or fins. There must also be adequate surface area so that the fish receives sufficient oxygen. You may ensure good care for Siamese fighting fish health problems by providing your fish with clean water. These fish do not needs filtration systems, but a third of the water must be changed every 3 days. This will ensure that the water remains clean and fresh at all times. As a result the fish will not be vulnerable to fungal and bacterial infections. The old water must be replaced with aged water, which is water that has been set out for a day. One must also not place betta fish with other bettas since these are fighting fish. They tend to tear at each other and may even cause the death of a fish by the time they stop. Betta fish may be placed with guppies, corydorus catfish or algae eaters. Debris of uneaten food that remains at the bottom of the bowl may be cleaned using a turkey baster. These particles must not be allowed to remain there since it could contaminate the water and cause it to become cloudy and foul-smelling. This could lead to many betta fish diseases. The pH tank must be 7.0 and you can use a pH testing kit to minimize the PH of the water.

Do not use soap while cleaning the rocks, plants and other decorations in the bowl. It becomes difficult to rinse all traces of the soap and the residue of the soap may harm the Betta fish. You may use warm water to clean these objects. Betta fish tend to jump and hence the bowl must be kept covered. Betta fish may be fed with brine shrimp or frozen bloodworms. You may also feed your fish Betta pellets.

Sick Fish Treatment:

If you have any pets of your own, you would know that pets do tend to fall sick and have ailments. Most pet owners are unable to recognize the signs of illnesses, and even if they do, they have no clue about what could be wrong with their pet.

It is easy to take your pet to the vet if you find something wrong with them. However, if your pet is a fish, taking the fish to the vet is not always an option. Hence, it is up to you to make sure that your fish gets treatment as soon as there is something wrong with it.

You may not always know what is wrong with your fish. However, if you keep in regular touch with a pet shop owner or better still, a vet, they will be able to help you keep your fish healthy, and even treat minor infections, if any.

The first step to making sure that your fish remains healthy is to keep the aquarium as clean and well aerated as possible. Regularly check the hardness of the water and its pH balance. It will also be worthwhile to check the oxygen, nitrate, and ammonia levels of the water. Get yourself a gravel vacuum to be able to clean the bottom of the tank. Every week, do a 50% water change in your tank. Every time you do this, add aquarium salt and a dechlorinator into the water. Make sure that the aquarium has a good system of filtration.

If your fishes are ailing, usually these steps would help to improve their health. However, if your fish have bacterial problems you can add some antibiotic medication into the tanks. Since the fish eat, excrete, and live in the same water, it is very easy for the bacteria to grow there. Bacteria can cause both internal and external problems in fishes. Internal infections can cause tuberculosis, dropsy, eye infections, septicemia, etc. Since these are internal infections, they are hard to both diagnose and treat. Externally, bacteria may cause fin rots and other external infections.

There are many antibiotics available in the market. You can discuss with your vet as to which one would be the best suited for your fish. Fish may also have fungal infections. These appear as threadlike projections from the body of the fish. Though usually fungus is not able to easily invade the skin of the fish, it may begin to grow if the fish has an external injury. If you have parasites in your fish tank, they should be identified and treated for.

Fungus on Fish:

Fish in aquariums are often prone to fungal infections. The fungus, when present on the fish resembles or appears like fine white colored threads, passing through organic material and these may start growing on the fish, appearing like pieces of cotton wool. There are several types of fungi that might occur on fish. Fungus hyphae is the cotton like fungus which may grow anywhere on the body. There is also mouth fungus which is a grey colored filament that grows only around the mouth.

There are several types of fungi on fish. Some common fungal species in aquariums are achyla and saprolegia. These are present in almost all aquariums. They feed on organic material like the fish food that remains uneaten or the feces of the fish. Though fungal spores are present in aquariums, they usually do not harm the fish. They do invade living tissue and other organic material but are not able to harm the fish because of the thick upper membranes on the fish which prevent the fungi from affecting them.

Fungus will develop on the fish only if the thick tissue and the layer of mucus on the fish’s skin are broken or damaged. In such a case, fungus develops rather quickly. If you do not clean your aquarium regularly or handle your fish rather roughly, they may develop fungus. Fish may also often fight with each other and damage the fins or skin of each other. These open wounds are then not only an invitation to fungus, but could also foster other skin conditions like ulcers, itch, and others.

Characteristically, fish have an extremely weak immune response when they are not taken care of properly. If the water is cold or unclean, fish may develop a variety of diseases. It is therefore recommended that the quality of water should be good. It is also important to keep freshwater fish in water which has the right chemistry. If this is not done, the fish may develop fungal infections.

Fungus should ideally be treated immediately because once it starts to grow, it spreads rather quickly. Such a fungal attack makes the fish more susceptible to other secondary infections. If fungus is not remedied promptly, it may grow to a significant amount and then harm the fish. You can add a few drops of tea tree oil or a dash of salt to the fish tank to treat fungal infection on fish. Organic dyes with malachite green are also often used as treatment, but whatever you use it would be best to first consult your local aquarium, as salinity levels and even the dosage levels may vary greatly for different species.