# Guppy fin-rot?????



## fishyjenjen (Mar 3, 2013)

Hello once again fellow fish keepers,
I have a 29g guppy/planted tank. Also a few platys.
Early last week I added about 10 nice guppies- got them from a local guy who breeds specialties. They were all healthy & beautiful fins.
Slowly I started to notice since the weekend the fins on a few started to "shred" & get slices in them. Those ones then acted sluggish.
Since, Ive had 5 deaths now. 3 of the real bad ones are in a quarintine tank.
I dont know what to do!
Ive never dealt with "fin-rot".... if thats what it is, not positive. But their pretty fancy fins seem to get shredded & ripped apart & all goes downhill from there.
My thought was to add salt.... but I cant exactly do that, cause I have MTS babies in the gravel.... like 100 or more!! Salt will kill the snails.

Suggestions please!!!
As always, thank you in advance & I appreciate any help you can offer!

BTW, sorry I dont have any pics... its actually quite difficult to take pics of guppies!! If you all ask & really want to see.... I will try my darnest to get pics on here 

THANK YOU!*c/p*


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## starrysparkle (Aug 4, 2013)

how often do u change your water ??? Fin rot is usually a symptom of bad water quality ,, what are your water params ?? I would do a 50% water change and are u sure its not a fungus no whitish growth or stringy stuff hanging off them ?I would quarantine them all if you can I have treated fin rot with melafix and salt and lots of water changes in the past with success but I would make sure that's what it really is before treating with anything pics would be helpful
hope this helps a little


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## fishyjenjen (Mar 3, 2013)

starrysparkle said:


> how often do u change your water ??? Fin rot is usually a symptom of bad water quality ,, what are your water params ?? I would do a 50% water change and are u sure its not a fungus no whitish growth or stringy stuff hanging off them ?I would quarantine them all if you can I have treated fin rot with melafix and salt and lots of water changes in the past with success but I would make sure that's what it really is before treating with anything pics would be helpful
> hope this helps a little


Hey Starrysparkle & thanks for your reply!!
Water quality is excellent- all params are within ideal range. I do 2=4 gal water changes every couple days. 1/2 water change/siphon gravel once every week to week & half.
Just did water change last night.
No fungus, no stringy growth, nothing like that.... just freyed & shredded fins. 
And Im nervous to try anything medicated because I have so many live plants in there & ALSO snails.... & I certainly don't want to harm them.

I'll try to attach pics, otherwise look in my albums. ******PLEASE!!! Keep in mind how difficult it is to take pics of fast moving fish!!!!


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## fishyjenjen (Mar 3, 2013)

Here's some pics------ please look up my album for details of each pic.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

I have MTS and add salt and have no issues. I usually only do half the suggested, but have done more. Fin rot is usually water quality issues as are most problems. I would do larger water changes. A bunch of small water changes does not add up to the benefit of larger ones.


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Hm shredding sounds like fighting to me more than finrot. Also I see it looks like they have been beating each other up. WHo all is in the tank with them? Just a bunch of boys or is there other fish? Have you noticed any aggression between any of them?


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## fishyjenjen (Mar 3, 2013)

Thanks for the replies!
Well the tank is entirely devoted to livebearers! So only guppies & platys. Both male & female. LOTS of fry. They are so peaceful, they don't even go after the fry!!!
I call this tank "my therapy tank" LOL & for good reason! Haha
No, no bullying going on here.... They all get along peacefully 

Hmmm.... Maybe a 1/4 water change today & dissolve salt into new water going in? If you all really don't think salt will hurt the MTS....... Consider though that there are LOTS of babies... Like over 100!

THANKS GUYS!


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Those Platys are eating fry you can bet on it. Guppys a little less likely but they will also. I used to think the same thing. People think you can feed them a lot and it keeps them from doing it...not true. It is instinctive to chase and eat small swimming creatures and you cannot fight natural instincts.


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## starrysparkle (Aug 4, 2013)

I have used salt in my tank with life plants and snails ( I wish it would kill the pond snails I have lol ) it never seemed to affect them adversely so try half of the recommended dosage per gallon ( 1 tsp per gallon ) so 29 gallon tank roughly 14-15 tsp for the whole tank I wouldn't waste my money on aquarium salt either I use the sea salt that you can get a the grocery store just make sure it doesn't have iodine in it ,, I really don't know if the iodine hurts the fish but wouldn't want to take the chance ,, I always add about 20 tsp of salt to my tank every week to 2 weeks just for gp fish seem to like it and I haven't had any problems with any disease I also have a white mystery snail in my tank who doesn't seem to mind it at all


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## starrysparkle (Aug 4, 2013)

yes dissolve salt in water first before putting in tank


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

You can do that if you like, I guess. I drop mine straight in...always have.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

IMO waterchanges less than 33% are basically useless(better than nothing ,but not much).If(just saying if) your nitrates were 100 and you change 25% then you would still have 75 for nitrates.
I totally agree with jrmain that smaller water changes,even every day won't help as much as larger weekly changes.
If it is finrot then regardless of test it is a water quality issue that only waterchanges can fix.You can cure it with meds/salt,but that won't stop it from reoccuring.


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## fishyjenjen (Mar 3, 2013)

OK, here's the SCOOP-----
Doing 1/2 water change, increasing water temp a few degrees, & IM Doing it--- Im going to try adding SALT!! LOL
See how that goes for a few days I guess.

Also.... purchased API FUNGUS CURE today, claims to work great for fin rot. That's my next plan of action...... but Im concerned about using a medication.... possibly killing fry, or plants! ekk!
So any tips on that MED for fin rot would be EXTREMLEY HELPFUL!!!!! 

THANK YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIPS!!


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## fishyjenjen (Mar 3, 2013)

OH, and BTW.......
Platy's seem to not mind the fry at all!!!! really!
The fry even have plenty of hiding spaces.... but they are ALWAYS out in the open lately.... curious little things!
Trust me on this... I watch this tank for an hour or so sometimes... LOL, (yes, I know, TOTAL WEIRDO!)
They all get along! I only have blue platy's if that means anything?? Only 5.

THANKS!!!!!!!!!!


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

I would add the med as directions state. Should not harm plants and the directions will state if it is harmful to fry, but my guess is no.


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