Do my fish have a disease?

[MySonsMother]

I have looked at the disease database but don't know forsure, was hoping for pictures. I have a white molly, the one with the wide tail and the tail, which is clear is getting white spots on the edges. todya I noticed that a few of my glass tetras are strting to get a whitish worn look at the edge of their fins/tail. Anyone know what this is?

Thanks!

 

[Purple]

It could be the first stages of fin rot - hard to tell without seing it. The good news is that fin rot meds are fast acting, and should clear the fins in a day or so, the fins will re-generate fast as well, so your fish are not in immediate danger.

More of a concern is what has caused this to happen in the first place, and it's usualy down to water quality. Make sure you're changing 25% - 30% of the water every week, and cleaning the bottom of the tank as you go. Uneaten flake etc is hard to see on the bottom, and will quickly re-contaminate your fresh water if left.

 

[Leopardess]

Yup. Sounds like fin rot (either bacterial or fungal). I'd clean the water more frequently for a week or so until it goes away. Also, I'd pick up something taht treats fin rot. Perhaps something like Maracyn Plus or Maracyn I and II. Maybe add a little melafix to help keep the "wounds" clean and soothed.

Do you know what your water parameters are?

Good luck with your fishies!

 

[MySonsMother]

Thanks for the replies. I went to the fish store and look at some different products. The fins and tail do not look like they are damaged, they just have these white spots on them so I concluded it may be ich. I bought coppersafe and have already put it in the tank. The tank is only 4 weeks old, I have changed the water once week and vaccuum the bottom very well each time. Hopefully this treatment does the trick. Yesterday I had my water tested and the Ph was great and the amonia was just a tad high but I did a water change when I got home.

=-)

 

[Leopardess]

OH, I see. We thought you meant white edges. Yah, white spots are usually ich.

Be careful using that med. Coppersafe is a harsh med (though it's the one I've used for ich) and fish can be particularly copper sensitive (and inverts more so).

Follow the directions very carefully. Keep the lights off a bit more (supposedly ich in the freefloating stage is attracted to light. So they swim from the gravel to the top of the tank and may find a fish host along the way. with the lights off, they're more likely to stay at the bottom).

I'd also raise the temperature VERY slowly to about 85F.


The fact that your tank had measurable amounts of ammonia after four weeks means that it somehow hasn't finished cycling or that you are overstocked and the filter can't handle the bioload - or that you're overfeeding too much.

After the fish get better...I suggest trying to figure out what caused the ammonia spike...maybe increase water changes...

As an aside...make sure you know exactly what the disease is before you add meds to cure them. Especially before adding something like coppersafe, which is pretty harsh.

Good luck

 

[MySonsMother]

Thanks for your advice! I would say that I am overstocked for a new tank, probably too anxious to get different fish in there. 80% of the people I talked to when I set up this tank 4 weeks ago gave me great advice about the rate in which to add fish, however, I chose to listen to the 20% and this is obviously the result. Oh well, I guess you learn as you go.

I was also let to believe that by adding BioSpria (I think that is how you spell it) my tank would automatically cycle, but since being on this site, I am hearind differently. That has probably been the most confusing aspect of all of this.

Your advice has been very helpful! Thanks!!!

=-)