# need help diagnosing... fin rot?



## beetlebz (Aug 2, 2007)

Howdy..

yesterday I noticed a small red dot on the tail fin of one of my bala sharks, right where it meets his body. I did a water change anyway because its still a new tank, and today I treated the tank with amquel plus. 

the ammonia in the tank is waaay down, around 1-1.5 where as it was 4 a couple days ago.

at any rate today I noticed his red spot was clearing up, but the very end of his top tail fin is fading away, to the point where it looks frayed a bit and there is no more black in that section. 

1) have i solved the root problem by starting my ammonia down in the right direction? my PH is around 7.4

2) is this actually fin rot? from what ive read on the subject thats what it would seem like to me

3) If i have to medicate, is it possible to do so without a hospital tank?

4) if I DO need a hospital tank will the stress of the move do him more harm than good?

EDIT: i should also add while bala #2 is normal as ever bouncing himself off the side of the tank, this little guy here just hangs out pretty much in 1 spot since yesterday, about mid level in the tank, right close to the front, which is really weird for these guys.


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## Lupin (Aug 2, 2006)

Looks like a case of finrot to me. Finrot can be triggered if the fish is stressed which balas are quite notorious for considering their skittish behavior. Keep up with your water changes. Stress and poor water quality are the main causes of fin rot disease. What food do you feed them?

Beetlebz, may I suggest providing details of your tank? Inhabitants? Tank size? Water parameters? Not all of us can remember quite well what a fellow member has.


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## beetlebz (Aug 2, 2007)

food is tetramin tropical flakes, and hikari sinking tropical pellets, im getting ideas in another thread to mix it up a bit. mostly I see the balas eating the sinking pellet, however.

the tank is a 29 gallon, currently housing 2 bala sharks (still really small, maybe 2, 2.5 inches max) 2 cory cats, 1 pleco, and 10 little glowlight tetras. 

as of oooh about 20 minutes ago ammonia was 2ppm (between 1 and 2) nitrates were 0.5, and PH was 7.4

the ammonia was hovering around 4 for a few days, but the amquel plus and water changes have done wonders, its slowly but surely going down.


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## Lupin (Aug 2, 2006)

beetlebz said:


> food is tetramin tropical flakes, and hikari sinking tropical pellets, im getting ideas in another thread to mix it up a bit. mostly I see the balas eating the sinking pellet, however.


A good suggestion would be to widen your food range so fish can eat almost every vitamins and minerals available thus strengthening their immune system. Lettuce, peas, mosquito larva, shrimps and frozen stuffs will really help. This is one way that will help your bala sharks fight fin rot. Moving them to a quarantine tank will only add unnecessary stress thereby increasing the chances of them not being able to survive.


> as of oooh about 20 minutes ago ammonia was 2ppm (between 1 and 2) *nitrates* were 0.5, and PH was 7.4


You have confused nitrites and nitrates. It appears you have 0.5 nitrites, not nitrates. What are your nitrates? Water changes to be set until both ammonia and nitrites are zero.


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## beetlebz (Aug 2, 2007)

no no it was nitrates, i didnt test for nitrites. i kicked the numbers, it was between 0 and 5.0, not 0.5, my bad! 

as for pierce, if a good diet and good water conditions help him fight this off.. will his fin(s) ever grow back?

im heading to the fire house to get some work done during lunch


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## Lupin (Aug 2, 2006)

His fins should grow back as he recovers. Avoid stress as much as possible.


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## beetlebz (Aug 2, 2007)

can, and will do.

thank you so much for your help lupin! <3 I've had nothing but hurdles since I started my tank, and without you and the rest of the guys here I'd have thrown in the towel a long time ago. I was getting so worried, I've become really attached to my balas. thank you!


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## beetlebz (Aug 2, 2007)

welp, as of right now I dont think hes recovering  his tail fin started to look less frayed, and the decomposition of the fin appeared to be slowing down by quite a bit, as of yesterday. This morning when i woke up theres a whole other big chunk of it missing. Id say within 24-48 hours it will be completely gone 

i gotta do something!

edited for params..

ammonia 1.0
nitrates 10.0
nitrites 0.0


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## Lupin (Aug 2, 2006)

Your ammonia is high which a water change will surely dilute. Your fish seems severely stressed brought by the intoxication of ammonia otherwise it would be able to recover. Sorry to hear about the current situation.


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## beetlebz (Aug 2, 2007)

thats after a water change. actually, within about an hour of the last one when i took those params. Ill do another one tonight and add some amquel in the mean time. thanks again lupin


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## beetlebz (Aug 2, 2007)

I found my bala this morning (and after the first dose of maracyn) on the bottom upside down  hes still alive though.... im getting progressively more worried


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## beetlebz (Aug 2, 2007)

disregard  

poor little guy didnt make it till I got back from the store with the melafix. RIP hale


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## Lupin (Aug 2, 2006)

Sorry to hear your loss, Beetle.


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