# Guppy Fin Rot?



## Zappity (Oct 15, 2011)

1. Size of tank? 5 Gallons

2. Water parameters Not sure of current conditions, but last time I checked everything was perfect.
a. Ammonia?
b. Nitrite?
c. Nitrate?
d. pH, KH and GH?
e. Test kit?

3. Temperature? 79F

4. FW (fresh water) or BW (brackish)? Freshwater

5. How long the aquarium has been set up? Over 2 1/2 months

6. What fish do you have? How many are in your tank? How big are they? How long have you had them?
Guppies.
4 (used to only be 2 up until about 3 days ago )
1 1/2 inches? I don't know, I don't keep track of these things XD
Two I've had for about 2 months and the other 2 I just got about 3 days ago.


7. Were the fish placed under quarantine period (minus the first batch from the point wherein the tank is ready to accommodate the inhabitants)? Nope


8. a. Any live plants? Fake plants? Wysteria, 2 moss balls and an anubia.
b. Sand, gravel, barebottom? Blue Gravel
c. Rocks, woods, fancy decors? Any hollow decors? A little house thingy

9. a. Filtration? Yes
b. Heater? Yep

10. a. Lighting schedule? What lights are used? Whenever I get up (usually around 9:30am on weekends and 7:00pm on weekdays) till my Mom goes to bed. Usually very late at night. (I turn it off for a few hours in the afternoon when the sunlight is on it)
No idea. Came with tank I had when I was little.
b. Any sunlight exposure? How long? Yes, probably around..3-4 hours?

11. a. Water change schedule? One 25% once a week and then a little more than 50% once a month with gravel siphoning.
b. Volume of water changed? See above
c. Well water, tap water, RO water? Tap
d. Water conditioner used? Yep
e. Frequency of gravel/sand (if any) vacuumed? Once a month

12. Foods? Spirluna Flakes, Tropical Flakes, and Freeze Dried BloodWorms (only occasionally on the last one)
How often are they fed? Twice a day.

13. a. Any abnormal signs/symptoms? My one male guppy has always had a tattered looking tail (didn't notice when I bought him), so I just thought it was from being in a tank with all the other guppies. A couple days ago, on his dorsal fin, I noticed some red tips. I figured it was just a flake of food that got stuck on him, and forgot about it. Today, he has the same red edges on his tail and a little on his dorsal too D: I'm not sure what I should do for him, he's acting normal except for a slight lack of activeness, but I think it's because he got kicked out of his dominant state when I added the two new guppies. Otherwise eating and acting fine.
b. Appearance of poop? Normal
c. Appearance of gills? Normal

14. a. Have you treated your fish ahead of diagnosis? No
b. What meds were used? None

15. Insert photos of fish in question and full tank shot if necessary. N/A

Just wondered if I should do anything for him.
Thanks for any help!


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## bettababy (Oct 12, 2006)

I can suggest a medication for him as this sounds like it is possibly bacterial... hard to say without photos.... but I hesitate unless I know what the water parameters are. When someone says the water quality is "fine" or "perfect" I have no way of knowing that that means. Each individual test tells us something, but so do the tests all together (how they relate to each other). I also have no way of knowing how long ago you tested last? 
Please be aware that water chemistry is ever changing, so what readings show on any given day they will fluctuate during the course of a day, course of a week, etc. and medications can be very dangerous, even toxic to add to any tank without knowing for sure what the water parameters are at that time. If you can post results for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH results (exact numbers please) then I would be more than happy to help you with a treatment plan. 
If none of the other fish are showing symptoms you will also want to consider using a quarantine tank for treatment if at all possible. Some meds can cause harm to live plants, destroy needed nitrifying bacteria in the tank, and be toxic to inverts (shrimp, snails, etc.).


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## Zappity (Oct 15, 2011)

bettababy said:


> I can suggest a medication for him as this sounds like it is possibly bacterial... hard to say without photos.... but I hesitate unless I know what the water parameters are. When someone says the water quality is "fine" or "perfect" I have no way of knowing that that means. Each individual test tells us something, but so do the tests all together (how they relate to each other). I also have no way of knowing how long ago you tested last?
> Please be aware that water chemistry is ever changing, so what readings show on any given day they will fluctuate during the course of a day, course of a week, etc. and medications can be very dangerous, even toxic to add to any tank without knowing for sure what the water parameters are at that time. If you can post results for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH results (exact numbers please) then I would be more than happy to help you with a treatment plan.
> If none of the other fish are showing symptoms you will also want to consider using a quarantine tank for treatment if at all possible. Some meds can cause harm to live plants, destroy needed nitrifying bacteria in the tank, and be toxic to inverts (shrimp, snails, etc.).


I unfortunately do not have a test kit on hand, as I have the petstore test it for me for free. Last time I got it checked was a couple weeks ago (mom gets irritated if I take it there too much, haha), and Ammonia and Nitrite were 0 and Nitrates were 'almost zero' as the petstore clerk said. I do not know the pH, however, I need to take a sample soon, but I don't know when that would be. I'll ask my Mom if we can go tonight.
The only thing I have available for a hospital tank (at this time) is a 1 gallon fishbowl. Would this be sufficent? Or should I see if I can get something better? I also have a few small cups that my betta and moss balls came in, would that work as well? 
Thank you for your help


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## Zappity (Oct 15, 2011)

Also, here's a picture I took of him.


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## bettababy (Oct 12, 2006)

I would not attempt to put this fish in a bowl or cup of any kind, it needs a filtered, heated tank, especially in this condition. IF the water parameters check out where they should/need to be (ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate under 20, pH within the range of 7.0 - 7.9) then I would suggest treating the tank with Fungus Eliminator, made by Jungle. That is going to be the easiest and most effective method of treatment. Follow ALL directions on the label of the medication, being very careful not to overdose. If you have live plants in this tank they will need to be removed during treatment, and also any carbon in the filter should also be removed until treatment is complete. The fish bowl may come in use for the plants while you treat the tank, however, watch the water temp. Water that is unheated will get quite cold fast and that can kill plants as easily as it can kill fish.

If there is anything more I can do to help you please don't hesitate to ask. I will do all I can. If you have questions, please ask BEFORE you move forward so you have all of the needed info up front rather than getting 1/2 way through and fumbling. That can mean the difference between life and death, guppies are not a real sturdy fish to begin with.

Good luck to you and your fish!


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## Zappity (Oct 15, 2011)

bettababy said:


> I would not attempt to put this fish in a bowl or cup of any kind, it needs a filtered, heated tank, especially in this condition. IF the water parameters check out where they should/need to be (ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate under 20, pH within the range of 7.0 - 7.9) then I would suggest treating the tank with Fungus Eliminator, made by Jungle. That is going to be the easiest and most effective method of treatment. Follow ALL directions on the label of the medication, being very careful not to overdose. If you have live plants in this tank they will need to be removed during treatment, and also any carbon in the filter should also be removed until treatment is complete. The fish bowl may come in use for the plants while you treat the tank, however, watch the water temp. Water that is unheated will get quite cold fast and that can kill plants as easily as it can kill fish.
> 
> If there is anything more I can do to help you please don't hesitate to ask. I will do all I can. If you have questions, please ask BEFORE you move forward so you have all of the needed info up front rather than getting 1/2 way through and fumbling. That can mean the difference between life and death, guppies are not a real sturdy fish to begin with.
> 
> Good luck to you and your fish!


Thank you so much! I got the parameters tested last night, and the guy said everything was normal (idiots never give me exact numbers). I have never seen that medication in stores around here...Would salt be helpful as well? I put a teeny bit in (after mixing it in some tank water) last night, and they all seemed quite happy when I poured it in, and the one with the tail was swimming around real happy.  
Thank you again


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## Zappity (Oct 15, 2011)

bettababy said:


> I would not attempt to put this fish in a bowl or cup of any kind, it needs a filtered, heated tank, especially in this condition. IF the water parameters check out where they should/need to be (ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate under 20, pH within the range of 7.0 - 7.9) then I would suggest treating the tank with Fungus Eliminator, made by Jungle. That is going to be the easiest and most effective method of treatment. Follow ALL directions on the label of the medication, being very careful not to overdose. If you have live plants in this tank they will need to be removed during treatment, and also any carbon in the filter should also be removed until treatment is complete. The fish bowl may come in use for the plants while you treat the tank, however, watch the water temp. Water that is unheated will get quite cold fast and that can kill plants as easily as it can kill fish.
> 
> If there is anything more I can do to help you please don't hesitate to ask. I will do all I can. If you have questions, please ask BEFORE you move forward so you have all of the needed info up front rather than getting 1/2 way through and fumbling. That can mean the difference between life and death, guppies are not a real sturdy fish to begin with.
> 
> Good luck to you and your fish!


Now he's seems worse..
Aside from not eating this morning (though he seemed slightly interested), all he's doing is swimming in the same place at the surface of the water, very nondescript. All the other guppies seem fine. 
Symptoms:
Lack of apatite
Swimming just below surface in same spot
Slightly pale
Did strange movement where he flared his gills and stretched his mouth out like he was going to eat but there was no food. Repeated several times then stopped. 
Under his gills seems VERY slightly red, but that could just be the way he is, although I've never noticed it.

Thank you for all your help


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## bettababy (Oct 12, 2006)

Fungus Eliminator can be purchased online, its pretty easy to find. If you need any links to help you just let me know and I can offer you a few places to find it.

In answer to your question about the salt, no, its not going to cure fin rot. It may help a bit with relieving some of his discomfort and promote healing if the proper amount is used, but aside from that, it will not kill the bacteria or fungus that are involved in fin rot situations. 

The fungus eliminator is the safest and easiest medication to use for treating this condition because it addresses both gram positive and gram negative bacteria as well as fungus all in one medication. To find an alternative safe treatment will be more complicated and more expensive because not all meds are safe to mix with each other, nor do any of the others cover the wide range of problems by themselves that fin rot presents. Your best bet would be to order the suggested med from online. Fin rot can be deadly once it gets too far into the fish's system, so I wouldn't wait to treat this. Guppies are not a real sturdy fish, don't have strong immune systems to fight such difficult infections, and are not tolerant of a wide range of medications like some species of fish are. 

I wish you luck. Let me know if you need those links.


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