# Sick Fish with apparent Fin Rot and white strings throughout tank



## Yoshiko75 (Aug 8, 2012)

Hello! This is my first post in the forum, and unfortunately I haven't had time to post an introduction in the newbie thread because I am having an emergency in my aquarium. My aquarium is a 10-gallon freshwater aquarium with a gourmet goldfish and a plecko. I read the sticky for this forum regarding the basic aquarium info to include when posting regarding sick fish, but I am new to taking care of fish and do not have the stats of my aquarium regarding ph and other things like that.

Starting about three days ago, I noticed that my fish's tail had a white line around the edge. I kept an eye on it, and the next day, some of his tail and his top fin looked like it was deteriorating. The fish also was not swimming much. Thinking it was fin rot, I added medicine for curing bacterial diseases into the tank. Later that day, continuing into this morning, my fish looked happy and was swimming around like normal. I used the bacteria medicine again today (instructions say to treat the water with it for 7 days). However, when I got home from work, now my fish is wedged in a corner of the tank, breathing fast, with small white strings coating him. These white strings are stuck to my fake plants too. The fins do not look like they have been damaged more, but my fish looks as if he could die any moment. His body seems stiff. The plecko looks fine. Any suggestions as to what I should do or what the white stringy stuff is that is clinging to my plants and some of the stones on the bottom of the tank?


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## Manafel (Sep 4, 2011)

Well, what is your water change schedule(how often and how much), a 10 gallon is too small for both of your fish. a goldfish needs at least (I think the standard is 30gallons for one, and add 15 gallons per additional goldfish). If your pleco is a common pleco, then he will get huge. You have two MAJOR waste producers in a tank already too small for one of them. Anywho. I would do at least 50-75 percent water changes every day(Clean water is always the best medicine IMO) do you have an airstone going on in the tank?

Sorry for the rough start, but welcome to the forum


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## Yoshiko75 (Aug 8, 2012)

Manafel said:


> Well, what is your water change schedule(how often and how much), a 10 gallon is too small for both of your fish. a goldfish needs at least (I think the standard is 30gallons for one, and add 15 gallons per additional goldfish). If your pleco is a common pleco, then he will get huge. You have two MAJOR waste producers in a tank already too small for one of them. Anywho. I would do at least 50-75 percent water changes every day(Clean water is always the best medicine IMO) do you have an airstone going on in the tank?
> 
> Sorry for the rough start, but welcome to the forum


The fish tank is new and has been in place for one week and three days so far. During that time, I have done a 25% water change right before I put in the first medicine treatment, according to instructions. I was told at the pet store that a goldfish only needs about 6 gallons per fish, and the pleco is about 2 inches long. I do not have an airstone in the tank. Thanks for the help!


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## Manafel (Sep 4, 2011)

Pet store employees are always more than not a bad source of information and give new hobbyists terrible advice. your tank is ging through what we call the nitrogen cycle. your ammonia is probably really high, so I would do a 50% water change(be sure to use dechlorinator) and read up about the nitrogen cycle


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## Manafel (Sep 4, 2011)

Here is a thread to get you started:
http://www.aquariumforum.com/f66/fish-poop-you-primer-8310.html


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## Chididdy123 (Jul 21, 2012)

Though im not sure about the white stringy stuff, im sure your fish are breathing rapidly because the amount of ammonia that is in your tank. Your tank is no where near being cycled and there isn't enough bacteria to convert the ammonia. it usually takes 3-4 weeks for a tank to barely finish cycling. and if you want people to help you identify the disease, its best if you post pictures of it lol.


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## Yoshiko75 (Aug 8, 2012)

So it's ok to do a water change even though I am currently treating the water with Melafix for the fin rot? After the change, should I put a half-dosage of the medicine in to make up for the water that was cycled out? Also, what about the goldfish - should he just stay in the aquarium to wait it out? Thanks for the advice.


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## Manafel (Sep 4, 2011)

Believe me, the water change will do more good than the medicine your taking out. you probably have fin rot because of poor water quality(and the fish being stressed out) due to your tank not being cycled. if you keep your water clean, you shouldn't even have to use medicine to clear up the fin rot. Unless you have gotten attached to your fish I (personally) would take them back or to a LFS and do a fishless cycle for your tank. if your going to be keeping your fish, your going to have to do daily water changes.


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## Yoshiko75 (Aug 8, 2012)

Chididdy123 said:


> Though im not sure about the white stringy stuff, im sure your fish are breathing rapidly because the amount of ammonia that is in your tank. Your tank is no where near being cycled and there isn't enough bacteria to convert the ammonia. it usually takes 3-4 weeks for a tank to barely finish cycling. and if you want people to help you identify the disease, its best if you post pictures of it lol.


Thanks - because this was my first post, when I tried to post the picture, it said something about not being allowed to post pictures in the forum until posting 5 times. Looks like it's allowing me to post it now. From the picture, you can't really see the stringy white stuff on his body, but you can see the damage on the fins.












Manafel said:


> Believe me, the water change will do more good than the medicine your taking out. you probably have fin rot because of poor water quality(and the fish being stressed out) due to your tank not being cycled. if you keep your water clean, you shouldn't even have to use medicine to clear up the fin rot. Unless you have gotten attached to your fish I (personally) would take them back or to a LFS and do a fishless cycle for your tank. if your going to be keeping your fish, your going to have to do daily water changes.


I will do a water change right now, thanks for the tip. This fish actually came from a carnival (he's been alive for a few weeks - can't believe it!!), and I moved him into this tank due to fighting with another goldfish.


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## Manafel (Sep 4, 2011)

ah I gotcha. I actually won a goldfish from a carnival myself, didn't expect him to make it past a week, he ended up living for about 5 years, it's amazing really.


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## Manafel (Sep 4, 2011)

If you have another tank running(and that is cycled) you could jump start your cycle and grab some gravel from the other tank, put it in your new tank along with some filter media.


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