Fin and tail rot is one of those problems fish owners face when taking care of goldfish and there will come a time when fish get sick and you will need to treat them. Fin and tail rot is one of those goldfish diseases brought on by bacterial infections that has set in and slowly eats away on the fins and tail. Bacterial infections usually occur due to improper goldfish care due to poor water quality, overcrowding fish tanks and fish ponds. Once fin and tail rot has begun on your goldfish you will need to learn how to treat it and begin treatment right away.
How To Treat Fin and Tail rot?
To treat fin and tail rot on goldfish you will first need to buy some proper medication specifically used for the treatment of this bacterial infection. Some of the fish medications used to treat fin and tail rot are Melafix, Malachite Green and Aquarium or Pond Salt. Melafix is highly recommended over the Malachite Green as it's an antibacterial remedy for the treatment of koi and goldfish diseases, an all natural medication which will not destroy your biological filter. You see when you begin fish treatments this adds additional stress to the already sick goldfish. Sometimes the added stress can put the goldfish over its breaking point. So you will need to use fish medication that is safe not only for the fish but for plants as well if you have some in your aquarium or pond. Sometimes the best idea is to have a hospital tank set up for fish treatment depending on the disease that you are treating for. Simply quarantine your fish in a spare tank and begin goldfish treatment.
Melafix Treatment
To treat fin and tail rot with Melafix use 1 teaspoon (5ml) for every 50 gallons of water. For more advanced stages double the dosage to 2 teaspoons (10ml) per every 50 gallons. Make sure you also remove the activated carbon from your filter and shut off uv sterilizers as this will remove the medicine from the water making treatment ineffective.. When you begin treating your fish with Melafix you will notice that the water will begin to foam up. This is completely normal! You will also notice that it smells like cough syrup or a little like black licorice. You should always have a bottle of this medicine on hand in case bacterial infections arise on your fish. Melafix also treats bacterial infections like ulcers, cloudy eyes, mouth fungus, open wounds and damaged fins. A great product to have on hand when taking care of goldfish and other types of fish. Melafix will treat a variety of fish diseases and bacterial infections that will cure your goldfish of fin and tail rot as well as other goldfish illnesses.
Malachite Green Treatment
Malachite green as mentioned earlier is a stronger chemical used in the treatment of goldfish, koi and other types of fish. Malachite green should not be used for fish treatment when dealing with fish for human consumption. Malachite green is a carcinogen, meaning a cancer causing agent. If using malachite green to treat fin and tail rot make sure you wear gloves, wear eye goggles and be careful not to getting any on your clothes or skin as it stains. Perform a 25% water change before you add your malachite green. When beginning treatment add 1 teaspoon (5ml) for every 50 gallons of water. A good suggestion is to mix this in a jug of water to dilute it rather then simply pouring the medicine right into the tank. It eliminates fish stress in case a goldfish were to swim right through the super concentrated solution when added in. Make sure aeration level is at its peak as when treating fish diseases it can reduce the amount of oxygen in your aquarium or pond. After treatment has been issued you will need to carefully watch your fish for any signs of stress like clamped fins or gasping for air. If you suspect serious stress is occurring add your activated carbon in the filter right away and perform a 25% water change. If fish seem fine continue observation and perform treatment for 7 days doing a 25% water change daily. If after 7 days fin and tail rot is still there, begin treatment again.
Salt Treatment
Another way to treat fin and tail rot is to use aquarium salt or pond salt. This is one of the safest alternatives then using medications that can add additional stress to fish. Using salt will reduce the stress and help heal your goldfish. When we go to the beach the salt water helps treat our cuts and scrapes and the same goes for fish. To begin treatment with salt use 1 tablespoon for every 5 gallons of water and heat the temperature of the water up to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Salt can be used to treat a variety of goldfish issues and problems.
Jamie Boyle is an online author who writes and maintains his Goldfish Care Information (http://www.GoldfishCareInformation.com) blog to help people answer questions involving goldfish. If you need more information on goldfish and want to know how to treat various goldfish diseases please visit http://www.GoldfishCareInformation.com
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