Fin Rot????

[erawtik]

Iv lost about 5 fish in past 2 days all tropical fish. I noticed 1 dead fish today that was like eatin in half his head was in one place and body in another. And the one that stumbles me is i had a fish that was about 2.5-3 inches he had this tissue like crap all over him last night covering his eys. I come home from work today he is no were in tank at all and my filter is really fine i couldnt see how he could go up it unless it sucked him in peices up it. Plus a few fish have white dots which i was told was ick or whatever it is called. But the pet store told me it is fin rot. I understood it that fin rot will have white dots to. So from what i have explained is this fin rot and how can i keep it away once it is gone i just treated the water with fungus eliminator? Now im afraid to change water since this happened couple days after water change.

[Darlene]

Hi there. It does sound more like ick to me but if it is true fin rot you won't get rid of it with fungus guard/eliminator. To cure fin rot you need "fish penicillin". I personally have had wonderful experience with "erythromyacin". You can get this at your local pet store. Ask for "E.M. tablets". They are very easy to use , just follow the package directions & are for many other diseases/problems as well. I recommend any serious fish keeper be familiar with them , they'll save you many heartaches ! Also , just in case it is ick , raise your temp slowly to 82 - 84 degrees for 1/2 to one week to get rid of it. You can do this simultaneously. Keep in mind when treating fish to remove any carbon & provide extra air ; even if you pump it right in without an air stone. Fish can be easily suffocated by strong medications in their water. Hope this helps ! Dar.

[Darlene]

Forgot to tell you to finish your fungus treatment before starting any other. Do your water change according to the directions. If you really think there is a problem with your water & you don't have a test kit yourself then take a sample to the place you got your fish. A reputable store will test it for free. They will also tell you how to pre-treat any problems with the water before adding it at change time.