Fin rot can't be treated? 4 months

BuzzIIIG

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Hi there,

I've been treating this fin rot issue for 4 months but failed. Please help. Here is the story.

75 Galon tank

Livestock:

1 blue tang

1 purple tang

1 powder blue tang

2 clownfish

I noticed one of my clownfish's tail rot at first, and then the other clownfish's tail and fin rot in a week. After the powder blue tang fin rot, I moved all the fishes to quarantine and left the display tank still running since I got some inverts in the tank. The QT was set up for some macroalgae for 2 months, so I didn't clean it up and just change the water.

1. I treated the fishes with API General Cure for 3 weeks, not healing. Did an 80% water change.
2. Tried Fritz Coppersafe for 30 days, not healing. Sometimes they seem like recovered a little, but it rotted again. Did another water change.
3. Tried Hikari Prazipro for 2 weeks, not healing. One of the clownfish was getting worse and worse. 90% water change.
4. Tried Seachem KanaPlex and MetroPlex both at the same time for 2 weeks. The clownfish got stable, but still not recovering.
5. Tried NeoPlex and SulfaPlex for 2 weeks, not much difference. I move them to another QT with new water and filter.
6. Kept dosing NeoPlex and SulfaPlex for 3 weeks and all finishes recovered.

I change the display tank water twice in the last 4 months and one more last weekend. Moved all the fishes back to the DT on Sunday. Today, I found out the powder blue got fin rot again. So frustrating and not sure what I can do. Please help.

Here are the pics

IMG_1754.jpg IMG_1755.jpg
 

Lasse

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Fin rot is normally caused by aerobic bacteria - the last two drugs is the only in your drug list that seems to manage to defeat aerobic bacteria. Fin rot is also - IME - often a secondary damage which occurs after a bite or so. With the latest example - the power blue - are your sure that you do not have something that can bit a fin in your DT? In my DT - my thread fin cardinals often show up damage in their caudal fin, I have something that like to take bit now and then.

Sincerely Lasse
 
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BuzzIIIG

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Fin rot is normally caused by aerobic bacteria - the last two drugs is the only in your drug list that seems to manage to defeat aerobic bacteria. Fin rot is also - IME - often a secondary damage which occurs after a bite or so. With the latest example - the power blue - are your sure that you do not have something that can bit a fin in your DT? In my DT - my thread fin cardinals often show up damage in their caudal fin, I have something that like to take bit now and then.

Sincerely Lasse

Thank you for the information. I have the same concern. I haven't observed any aggressive fights so far. The tangs use their caudal fin to push the other tangs out of their territory sometimes. It was like gently push away. Do you think using a camera to record the tank will help to find out? Last night the powder blue was fine. This afternoon I found out 1/4 of the fin was missing. Can aerobic bacteria develop that rapidly? 3 tangs are about the same size, and 2 clownfish are 1/3 of their sizes. 3 Hermit crabs and a few snails. That's all.

Would you happen to know how long aerobic bacteria can survive in a fishless environment (only inverts and macroalgae in the system in the last 4 months)? I am not sure if it is necessary to remove everything from my DT and dry it out for a month or so in order to get rid of the aerobic bacteria.
 

Lasse

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This is my experiences with fin rot - mostly from freshwater - says that there is at least two types. One driven of certain bacteria and it can attack even fish without any stress symptoms or mechanical damage. These attacks is normally both fast and serve. It will not only attack one fin or one fish. It could completely destroy the fins in a day or two, However - there is also one that is secondary and the pathogens are normally occurring bacteria that turn into pathogenic behavior because of stressed fish and mechanical damage. If you get a fin rot in a mechanical damaged fin - you often can see this as white edges or spots in the damage fin and the damage grow slowly. Aerobic bacteria means bacteria that use oxygen and there is millions of them in a normally aquarium - most of them will give no harm, some of them will and some of them can't decide which side they are on. Pathogenic bacteria is bacteria that cause a disease and there is both types that always cause a disease and some that both can and not can cause a disease. Most bacteria in our tanks is from the second group. Keep an eye on the damaged fin

Sincerely Lasse
 

Jay Hemdal

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Hi there,

I've been treating this fin rot issue for 4 months but failed. Please help. Here is the story.

75 Galon tank

Livestock:

1 blue tang

1 purple tang

1 powder blue tang

2 clownfish

I noticed one of my clownfish's tail rot at first, and then the other clownfish's tail and fin rot in a week. After the powder blue tang fin rot, I moved all the fishes to quarantine and left the display tank still running since I got some inverts in the tank. The QT was set up for some macroalgae for 2 months, so I didn't clean it up and just change the water.

1. I treated the fishes with API General Cure for 3 weeks, not healing. Did an 80% water change.
2. Tried Fritz Coppersafe for 30 days, not healing. Sometimes they seem like recovered a little, but it rotted again. Did another water change.
3. Tried Hikari Prazipro for 2 weeks, not healing. One of the clownfish was getting worse and worse. 90% water change.
4. Tried Seachem KanaPlex and MetroPlex both at the same time for 2 weeks. The clownfish got stable, but still not recovering.
5. Tried NeoPlex and SulfaPlex for 2 weeks, not much difference. I move them to another QT with new water and filter.
6. Kept dosing NeoPlex and SulfaPlex for 3 weeks and all finishes recovered.

I change the display tank water twice in the last 4 months and one more last weekend. Moved all the fishes back to the DT on Sunday. Today, I found out the powder blue got fin rot again. So frustrating and not sure what I can do. Please help.

Here are the pics

IMG_1754.jpg IMG_1755.jpg
I don’t see any seriously acute issues with the tangs fin. You may be battling tears from aggression. Bacterial fin rot tends to progress one way or another: it either gets better, or the fish continues to lose fin tissue - it doesn’t linger.
Of the treatments you listed, only #6 would be indicated for bacterial fin rot.
Jay
 
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BuzzIIIG

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This is my experiences with fin rot - mostly from freshwater - says that there is at least two types. One driven of certain bacteria and it can attack even fish without any stress symptoms or mechanical damage. These attacks is normally both fast and serve. It will not only attack one fin or one fish. It could completely destroy the fins in a day or two, However - there is also one that is secondary and the pathogens are normally occurring bacteria that turn into pathogenic behavior because of stressed fish and mechanical damage. If you get a fin rot in a mechanical damaged fin - you often can see this as white edges or spots in the damage fin and the damage grow slowly. Aerobic bacteria means bacteria that use oxygen and there is millions of them in a normally aquarium - most of them will give no harm, some of them will and some of them can't decide which side they are on. Pathogenic bacteria is bacteria that cause a disease and there is both types that always cause a disease and some that both can and not can cause a disease. Most bacteria in our tanks is from the second group. Keep an eye on the damaged fin

Sincerely Lasse

Thanks for all the useful information. The damaged fin isn't getting worse. I think it was probably caused by another fish in a fight. I will keep an eye on it for a few more days.
 
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BuzzIIIG

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I don’t see any seriously acute issues with the tangs fin. You may be battling tears from aggression. Bacterial fin rot tends to progress one way or another: it either gets better, or the fish continues to lose fin tissue - it doesn’t linger.
Of the treatments you listed, only #6 would be indicated for bacterial fin rot.
Jay


Thank you. You are right. I didn't see any fin tissue loss yesterday. I will observe for a few more days and see how it goes.
 

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