How to cure fin rot in fish

Fin rot is a common symptom of a bacterial infection found in many fish species, from bettas to goldfish. This disease is often caused by dirty aquariums, poorly cared for fish or exposure to fish with infectious diseases. The fins of infected fish look tattered as if rotting. Fin rot can also cause fish to become discolored and lethargic. ^{[1] X Source of Study} If left untreated, fin rot can cause permanent fin damage and potentially death to fish. It is also a contagious disease and sick fish must be isolated as soon as possible to prevent spreading the disease to other fish in the tank.

Table of Contents

Clean the fish tank

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Remove the infected fish from the tank. Start by removing the sick fish from the tank and placing it in a separate tank of clean, chlorine-free water. ^{[2] X Research Sources}^{[3] X Research Sources}

You also need to transfer the remaining fish to another tank containing clean, chlorine-free water. Use a different racket to pick up the remaining fish, as fin rot can be spread if you use the same racket to catch fish. Do not put infected fish in the same tank with other fish to prevent the spread of fin rot.

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Wash the aquarium and all accessories in the tank. You will have to drain all the water from the tank, remove all accessories and gravel from the tank. ^{[4] X Research Sources}^{[5] X Research Sources}

Rinse the aquarium thoroughly with hot water. Do not use soap to wash the tank. Use a paper towel to wipe the nooks and crannies and make sure the tank is clean.
Soak the accessories in hot water for about 5-10 minutes. If there are aquatic plants in the aquarium, you should soak the plants in slightly warm water, then take them out and let them dry.
Wash the gravel with warm water and use a small vacuum cleaner to remove the dirt on the gravel.

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Change all the water in the aquarium. After rinsing the aquarium and letting it dry completely, you can spread the gravel and put the accessories back in the tank. If your aquarium does not have a recirculating water system, you will need to replace all the water in the aquarium with dechlorinated or filtered water. Make sure the water is at a temperature of 26-27 degrees Celsius ^{. [6] X Research Source}

If the aquarium has a circulating water system, it means that there is a concentration of beneficial bacteria on the submerged surfaces of the tank (beneficial bacteria accumulate mainly because the fish living in the tank excrete nitrogen); In this case you should change 50% of the water in the tank; Next time you can change the water less. ^{[7] X Research Sources}
If the aquarium has a water filter, you should take a bucket of clean water in the tank to wash the filter. Once you’ve washed away the dirt or sand, you can put it back in the aquarium. Do not use tap water for washing as this may contaminate the filter.

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Check the pH of the water in the tank. Before releasing the fish back into the tank, you should test the pH to ensure water quality. The pH needs to be between 7-8, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate concentrations should not exceed 40 ppm. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

Once you’ve determined the water is suitable for your fish, you can slowly reintroduce the fish back into the tank, including the infected fish. You can then add an antibiotic or antifungal medication to the water to kill the bacteria that cause fin rot. The combination of clean water and medicine can help fish recover from disease.

Treatment with drugs and herbs

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Use anti-bacterial drugs. If the disease in your fish does not improve within a few days of cleaning and treating the aquarium, you may need to use an anti-fungal medication. You can buy over-the-counter medications at your local veterinary drug store. Look for a fin rot medication that’s specific to the type of fish you keep, such as a betta or goldfish fin rot medication. Use according to the dose instructions indicated on the medicine box label. ^{[9] X Research Source}^{[10] X Research Source}

These medications often contain antibiotics to treat fungal infections such as erythromycin, minocycline, trimethoprim, and sulfadimidine. Make sure fin rot treatments don’t contain organic dyes, as they can be toxic to some fish.
Common fin rot treatments include Jungle Fungus Eliminator and Tetracycline. You can also use medicines called Maracyn, Maracyn II, Waterlife-Myxazin, and MelaFix. ^{[11] X Research Source}

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Try tea tree oil and salt. An alternative to medication is tea tree oil and salt. Be aware, however, that tea tree oil is not considered a proven treatment and should only be used as a precaution rather than as a treatment. You may need to add an antibacterial or antibiotic supplement to the tea tree oil. ^{[12] X Research Source}

You can add 1-2 drops of tea tree oil to the aquarium water to keep the water clean and disinfected. Make sure the fish doesn’t react negatively to the tea tree oil before you add it to the tank the next day.
Sodium chloride can also be used to prevent fin rot. Add to the aquarium 30 g of sodium chloride salt for every 4 liters of water. For use only on salt-tolerant freshwater fish.

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Use an air pump or aerator when you put the medicine in the aquarium. When using medicine to treat sick fish, you should provide more oxygen for the fish to breathe. Medicines usually suck up oxygen from the water, so you’ll need extra oxygen to keep your fish healthy. Install a pump, aerator or aquarium in the aquarium to pump more oxygen into the water. ^{[13] X Research Source}

If you have bettas, you should set the pump on low so that the water flow is not too strong, as strong currents can cause stress on the bettas.
You should only take the medicine for the duration stated on the label. Medicines can be stressful on fish and should only be used when needed.

Prevent fin rot disease

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Keep the water in the tank clean and change the water once a week. A clean aquarium keeps fish from fin rot and prevents disease from developing later on. You should get into the habit of cleaning your fish tank periodically. ^{[14] X Research Source}

With a 4-liter aquarium, you should change the water every three days. A 10 liter aquarium needs to be changed every 4-5 days, and a 20 liter aquarium needs to be changed every 7 days. ^{[15] X Research Source}
If your aquarium doesn’t have a recirculation system, you’ll need to do a 100% water change every time you wash the tank. Wash all accessories and gravel in the tank.
Add aquarium salt (aquarium salt) to the water after each tank wash to keep the water clean and monitor the pH in the tank to make it suitable for the fish.

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Make sure not to put too many fish in the tank. While it’s easy to be tempted to keep a lot of fish in one tank, a cramped aquarium can increase stress levels and increase the risk of fish getting sick. Make sure fish in the same tank get along well, have plenty of space to swim and interact in a healthy way. ^{[16] X Research Source}

If you see fish starting to nibble or bite each other, this is a sign that your aquarium is overcrowded. You may need to remove the fish from the tank or isolate the aggressive fish from other fish.
Some types of fish that are used to predicate their fins include tetrapod, red snapper, and sailfish. Angelfish and catfish can also preen each other’s fins, like puffins and sardines. If you keep any of these fishes, you need to watch out for them and keep them away from vulnerable fish like guppies. ^{[17] X Research Source}

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Feed your fish high quality food. Try to feed your fish a variety of good quality food at the right times. Under or overfeeding can weaken the fish’s immune system and increase the risk of disease. ^{[18] X Research Sources}

Overfeeding fish can also introduce bacteria to the aquarium, as leftovers will float in the water and increase the bacteria density in the aquarium.

Steps

Clean the fish tank

Treatment with drugs and herbs

Prevent fin rot disease

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