fish losing its fins

creep · 10/20/2006, 12:35 PM

Ok i have this royal gramma that had ick. I treated it with garlic, and he got better. He was out swimming around, and seemed happy. No signs of ick. The only problem was he had a small hole in his tail fin. Then he went into hiding for a couple of days. Now he is on the bottom of the tank, with almost no tail fin and parts of his other fins are missing as well. does Ick cause this? If not, what else could be the cause of this?

bkiba · 10/20/2006, 12:37 PM

probably another fish in the tank attacking him. It could also be anything from a hermit crab / other crab / shrimp or other hitchhiker attacking your fish. When fish get sick they are especially vunerable to getting picked at

creep · 10/20/2006, 12:43 PM

I don't have any other fish or crabs. The first hole in its fin was right where the ick was. THen it got a little worse, and apparently has taken the whole fin now.

akrimmel · 10/20/2006, 01:14 PM

did you recently add any LR?

creep · 10/20/2006, 01:26 PM

yeah, but the rock didn't have any real caves or anything in it. And i scrubbed it pretty good before i put it in there. Could something have still hitch hiked in on it?

akrimmel · 10/20/2006, 01:29 PM

no doubt.

creep · 10/20/2006, 01:31 PM

what can I do about that? How do i get the hitchhiker out?

kiknchikn · 10/20/2006, 01:37 PM

I had a royal gramma that had that happen as well. I believe it was fin rot, which is an infection. It died very shortly after that began, before I could treat it =(

akrimmel · 10/20/2006, 01:39 PM

i do it with a 5gallon bucket and make the water at 1.031-or so so that the rock sits in the bucket for at least 5min or so and they should come out if there is any!!

creep · 10/20/2006, 01:49 PM

Ok, i've done some research on fin rot, And i am completely confident that is what my fish had. Thanks for the help everyone.

kiknchikn · 10/20/2006, 02:44 PM

I hope you have better luck saving the little guy than I did. Once he stopped eating it was pretty much over.

rowland75 · 10/20/2006, 02:49 PM

He may well have brought it in with him.

Possibly drop the salinity, if you have a uv add it, perhaps garlic to keep him feeding.

Thats basically your lot without taking him out.

If you can copper and food.

kiknchikn · 10/20/2006, 02:59 PM

I'm not a fish disease expert, but dropping the salinity probably won't help any for fin rot, as it is usually a bacteral or fungal infection brought on by stress. It might make it worse because it will stress the fish out that much more unless dropped very slowly. UV and garlic might help, but antibiotics are probably the best bet. As to which ones... I have no clue.

Try checking out the Fish Disease Treatment Forum.

10/20/2006, 12:35 PM	#1
creep Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Cypress, Ca Posts: 379	fish losing its fins Ok i have this royal gramma that had ick. I treated it with garlic, and he got better. He was out swimming around, and seemed happy. No signs of ick. The only problem was he had a small hole in his tail fin. Then he went into hiding for a couple of days. Now he is on the bottom of the tank, with almost no tail fin and parts of his other fins are missing as well. does Ick cause this? If not, what else could be the cause of this?

10/20/2006, 12:37 PM	#2
bkiba Premium Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Bridgewater, NJ Posts: 1,410	probably another fish in the tank attacking him. It could also be anything from a hermit crab / other crab / shrimp or other hitchhiker attacking your fish. When fish get sick they are especially vunerable to getting picked at __________________ "...and all the fish that lay in dirtied waters dying.... have they got you hypnotized?" -Robert Plant

10/20/2006, 01:37 PM	#8
kiknchikn Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Bel Air, MD Posts: 1,556	I had a royal gramma that had that happen as well. I believe it was fin rot, which is an infection. It died very shortly after that began, before I could treat it =( __________________ I am a proud member of the Chesapeake Marine Aquaria Society (CMAS). If you're in the Maryland area check us out! Current Tank Info: 30g nano reef

10/20/2006, 02:44 PM	#11
kiknchikn Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Bel Air, MD Posts: 1,556	I hope you have better luck saving the little guy than I did. Once he stopped eating it was pretty much over. __________________ I am a proud member of the Chesapeake Marine Aquaria Society (CMAS). If you're in the Maryland area check us out! Current Tank Info: 30g nano reef

10/20/2006, 02:59 PM	#13
kiknchikn Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Bel Air, MD Posts: 1,556	I'm not a fish disease expert, but dropping the salinity probably won't help any for fin rot, as it is usually a bacteral or fungal infection brought on by stress. It might make it worse because it will stress the fish out that much more unless dropped very slowly. UV and garlic might help, but antibiotics are probably the best bet. As to which ones... I have no clue. Try checking out the Fish Disease Treatment Forum. __________________ I am a proud member of the Chesapeake Marine Aquaria Society (CMAS). If you're in the Maryland area check us out! Current Tank Info: 30g nano reef

10/20/2006, 12:43 PM	#3
creep Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Cypress, Ca Posts: 379	I don't have any other fish or crabs. The first hole in its fin was right where the ick was. THen it got a little worse, and apparently has taken the whole fin now.

10/20/2006, 01:14 PM	#4
akrimmel Moved On Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: HAZELWOOD, MO Posts: 2,260	did you recently add any LR?

10/20/2006, 01:26 PM	#5
creep Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Cypress, Ca Posts: 379	yeah, but the rock didn't have any real caves or anything in it. And i scrubbed it pretty good before i put it in there. Could something have still hitch hiked in on it?

10/20/2006, 01:29 PM	#6
akrimmel Moved On Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: HAZELWOOD, MO Posts: 2,260	no doubt.

10/20/2006, 01:31 PM	#7
creep Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Cypress, Ca Posts: 379	what can I do about that? How do i get the hitchhiker out?

10/20/2006, 01:39 PM	#9
akrimmel Moved On Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: HAZELWOOD, MO Posts: 2,260	i do it with a 5gallon bucket and make the water at 1.031-or so so that the rock sits in the bucket for at least 5min or so and they should come out if there is any!!

10/20/2006, 01:49 PM	#10
creep Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Cypress, Ca Posts: 379	Ok, i've done some research on fin rot, And i am completely confident that is what my fish had. Thanks for the help everyone.

10/20/2006, 02:49 PM	#12
rowland75 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 106	He may well have brought it in with him. Possibly drop the salinity, if you have a uv add it, perhaps garlic to keep him feeding. Thats basically your lot without taking him out. If you can copper and food.