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Symptoms
Fin and Tail Rot is a familiar disease in fish tank aquariums caused by a group of bacteria called Cytophaga, which concern fish with long, soft fins. The symptoms have a broad range. Normally the tail and fins start off looking raggedy, either in the form of a ‘bite’ or a ’shredded’ effect. These lesions are discoloured white/grey with an edging of red. They can grow into ulcers which have an orange/yellow color. The fish may also be lethargic and hesitant to feed. At an advanced phase, large milky patches can be seen on the fins and a substantial amount of tissue will have been damaged. Respiration will also be rapid with excessive amounts of mucous in the gills and the lips of the fish may be swollen. The foremost danger is that if left untreated, the disease can disintegrate the whole fin and start to attack the fish’s body.

Causes and Prevention
It is very important to diagnose why this infection has occurred. The bacteria in reality exists in most fish tank aquariums without being a problem, therefore the infection is mostly triggered by other factors, nearly all cases being precipitated by stress or poor environmental conditions. It is essential to recognize and eliminate underlying stressors.

It is frequently introduced into tank aquariums by new fish from the pet store that harbour the harmful bacteria, which they let loose into your tank through faeces. It is therefore vital to quarantine all new fish for about 10 days before introducing them into new fish tank aquariums. Fish can be extremely vulnerable to anxiety and can also develop the disease due to the shock of not being wisely acclimatized to a new fish tank environment. It is imperative that all fish are well-matched and peaceful fish are not matched with assertive fish, as this would cause bullying which usually results in fin and tail nipping and the wounds offer ideal breeding grounds for the bacteria. Also do not overcrowd tropical freshwater aquariums as this stresses out fish and can even make peaceful fish become nippy, as well as resulting in polluted fish tanks.

To recognize and eliminate any problems with water condition, do a check of your water quality using a test kit to ensure there is no build up of unwanted chemicals. Make sure you keep the correct water parameters particular to the fish species you keep. Hard water with a high pH encourages the development of bacteria, as does a rapid dip in temperature.
As part of your usual maintenance schedule, ensure all equipment is working properly, particularly the filter. Do 15% water changes weekly as well as vacuuming the gravel. You should also try to get rid of any uneaten food after each feeding time.

Remedy
Before using any medication, do a thorough clean of the fish tank. Wash the inside of the glass/acrylic and thoroughly clean the gravel to eliminate waste from the substrate. Alternatively, you may totally remove the gravel for greater effect. You ought to reduce the areas where the bacteria can live and reproduce so remove any ornaments in the tank and bleach them. Clean the outside of the aquarium, hood, light and tank top. Water quality plays a critical role in the prevention and cure of fin and tail rot so you need to perform a large water change – I would suggest 50%. Remove activated carbon from filters as this will eliminate any medication you use.

There are diverse degrees of fin and tail rot which will govern the type of remedy you use in your fish tank aquariums.

For the first stages of the disease, I strongly recommend using Melafix along with aquarium salt. This is an all natural medication which will not hurt your biological filter. Use 2 teaspoons (10ml) of Melafix for every 50 gallons of water, combined with 2 tablespoons of aquarium salt per 10 gallons of water. Regular tropical fish will be all right with it. Dissolve the salt in water rather than pouring it into the tank, as if it comes into direct contact with fish it will burn them. The water will foam up and smell of liquorice but this is normal and will soon disappear after the treatment is finished and you perform water changes. Perform a 5% water change each day for 10 days and replenish the medication and salt according to the correct ratio to bring the concentration back up to full strength. Continue to keep the tank clean by wiping the sides and vacuuming the gravel (if you keep it). This will treat the bacterial infection and help to repair the damaged fins. You should observe a speedy improvement and restoration of fish fins. If not, the fish need to be removed to a quarantine tank for stronger treatment.
I would just point out that some advocate using copper sulphate but this risks further damage to the gills of the fish.

For more advanced forms of the disease I would advise moving the infected fish into a spare, clean tank for treatment. You will need to treat the fish with antibiotics such as Tetracycline, Maracyn-Two or Maracyn Plus Antibacteria for at least 10 days. Carefully follow the directions and do not combine medications as this can be lethal. These medications are available from pet shops and online vendors.

Keeping fish aquariums disease-free
Following a protocol of quarantining when adding new fish and carefully acclimatizing them to new aquariums, as well as correctly matching fish and avoiding overcrowding, will really reduce stress, which is a major cause of the disease. Through regular and thorough maintenance of fish tank aquariums, ensuring good water quality, correct water parameters and efficient filtration, incidence of parasites becoming a difficulty should be eliminated. Should fin and tail rot occur despite your best efforts, early signs of the disease can be easily detected by carefully monitoring your fish each day, especially at feeding time. Through swift remedial action, fish can be quickly treated and restored to health.

Copyright © 2009 Jill Kaestner @ Kaestner Marketing LLC

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