new fahaka, fin rot plz help!

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Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.

1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.

2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.

3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)

4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.

5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.

We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.

While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.

Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
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jbjack
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new fahaka, fin rot plz help!

Post by jbjack »

hi, new to puffers not to fish - got a 7 inch fahaka puffer from some one the other day, healthy, but with in a day of me taking him he developed some white splotches on his fin, they are now on 2 other fins, kind of a milky splotchy fungus. assuming fin rot. water paqrims are 78f 2ppm nitrates, 0 nitrites and nitrates. he is in there alone. ( temp 50 gallon long) how should i treat? i have on hand melafix, epsom salts, aquarium salt.....

thanks.
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Re: new fahaka, fin rot plz help!

Post by Pufferpunk »

[welcome]
I'm not sure what you're using epsom salt for? AQ salt can be added 1 tbsp/10g. Also add Melafix & Pimafix. What size tank is he in?
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

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Re: new fahaka, fin rot plz help!

Post by J-P »

finrot is usually a sign of stress / trauma.

Fungus is a totally different.

Any chance of getting a pic?
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Re: new fahaka, fin rot plz help!

Post by jbjack »

I'm not using epsom, I just listed what I have on hand.... Also I did mention he's in a temp 50g long.... I will try to get pics up...
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Re: new fahaka, fin rot plz help!

Post by bigfatfish »

You have stated nitrates 2ppm & nitrates 0. Assuming this is a typo? What is the ammonia reading & was this temporary tank housing any other stock before the fahaka? If so, what? & if not, how was the tank cycled? & yes, a picture would be great!
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Re: new fahaka, fin rot plz help!

Post by jbjack »

Oops ya a typo 0 ammonia. Yes this is an old, long time running and long ago cycled tank. It housed some tangs before moving them to one of my 120 gallons. Once my 100 gallon is free the fahaka will be moved there.
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Re: new fahaka, fin rot plz help!

Post by bigfatfish »

Then I think I would use the aquarium salt as PP has advised, along with melafix & pimafix & keep the water scrupulously clean. IME, finrot has always appeared as red, raggedy fins, rather than the white that you describe - so I would lean towards a fungal infection. Either way, as you know, nothing beats clean water as first aid treatment.
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Re: new fahaka, fin rot plz help!

Post by Pufferpunk »

Tangs? They're SW fish. How was this tank cycled for FW? Please test the parameters again & post.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

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Re: new fahaka, fin rot plz help!

Post by jbjack »

Lol, no, should have been more specific not sw tangs, tanganikan cichlids - tropheus from lake tanganika. Sorry lol
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