Curing Fin Rot

Fin rot is a disease affecting fish with long, soft fins such as the Zebra Danio.  A tank with good quality water is not likely to show signs of fin rot.  It is most commonly introduced into a tank by new fish.  There are several ways to address fin rot:

• Make sure the pH isn't too high

• Change 20% of your water to improve water quality.

• Add aquarium salt.  This can be purchased from Walmart or most pet stores.  Add a teaspoonful for each 10 gallons or about three pinches of salt between two fingers.  Most fish can easily tolerate small quantities of salt.  This approach isn't recommended for scaleless fish such as plecos though.

Add Mela Fix, which is made by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Inc and contains melaleuca.  It is recommended for fin and tail rot, open red sores, open body wounds, eye cloud, pop eye, body slime and mouth fungus.  Carbon filters should be removed during treatment and water changes should be done after the treatment.  Mela Fix is sold at Walmart.

Add a penicillin based drug, such as tetracycline.  Carbon filters should be removed during treatment and water changes should be done after the treatment.  Tetracycline is sold by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals.

You should see a rapid improvement in fin quality, as most fish will regenerate their fins.  If not, it's time to quarantine affected fish.

For a more detailed analysis of fin rot problems, visit National Fish Pharmaceuticals