Fin Damage – Is it Fin Rot?
submitted by Dena Edwards
Everything Aquatic
Published 20 March 2022
www.fishcures.com
There has been a significant increase in questions recently regarding fin rot. About 95% of the time, if not more, it is not rot. So, how to you know what is going on with your fish or what to do next?
First and foremost need to determine what type of fin damage exists. Does the fin look like a bite has been taken out? Shredded? Ripped? Are you seeing something dark on the fin edges that is not normal coloring? What about a clear or white edge? All of these questions can help point to what is going on as well as to determining what the root cause may be so it can be corrected.
Things I always ask when facing fin damage are:
What are the current water parameters? Specifics can help to determine if the tank is cycled and well maintained. Things to ask yourself include, how much and how often water changes are done. There is nothing better for freshwater fish than fresh water. Same is true on a smaller scale for saltwater environments. Doing water changes not only removes waste, but it also replenishes minerals that are lost to growing fish and to hungry plants.
How long have fish been in your tank? We they properly quarantined? New fish can be stressed from the shipping and new environment and come down with disease that may spread throughout a tank if not quarantined long enough to be confident no disease exists before adding to the main tank.
What tankmates are in the tank? Need to rule out incompatibility in species, such as keeping long finned fish with notorious nippers. Just because you don’t notice any aggression does not mean fish don’t nip or fight when you are not around.
Could you be dealing with an environmental issue? Environmental damage will appear as ripped or torn edges and sometimes shredded finage. When fins begin to repair themselves they will first look clear or white on the edges and many think this is fin rot when it is actually new fin growth.
If you have determined that you are dealing with environmental damage, there is no need to reach for medications. Instead, change the environment to eliminate the root cause. If the fin is ripped, then look at the decor for anything with a sharp edge that can grab a long, flowing fin. If cause by nipping or fighting, separate or rehome fish if unable to set up a second tank.
Treatment for environmental fin damage is to do nothing more than offering a variety of high quality, nutrient rich foods to support the immune system along with small daily water changes. Could add aquarium salt if fish will tolerate it or use botanicals to add tannins to the water column. Fish will repair their fins in 1-2 weeks.
White tips on this dark angel’s dorsal is new fin growth. This is what you want to see as it does not indicate there are any issues to be concerned about.
True bacterial fin rot is very distinctive. Fin edges can be a little jagged, but will always be dark from the rotting flesh that is being attacked. If you are seeing clear or white edges see the section about about environmental fin damage.
True bacterial fin rot along with one bite mark. These black sections are areas where bacteria is causing the flesh to rot and die.
True rotting flesh is the only time antibiotics should be used for fin damage. But which antibiotics? I use erythromycin in this case, but there are a few other fish medications that can treat fin rot. No matter which medication is used, it can be dosed with powder in the water column or with medicated foods; but once started continue treatment for a minimum of 10 days to ensure the bacteria is eliminated.
The Role Bacteria Plays in Keeping a Balanced Aquarium
submitted by Bob Steenfott
Feb. 13, 2023
Bacteria play a crucial role in maintaining a healthy freshwater aquarium. In this article, we will explore the various functions of bacteria in an aquarium, the types of bacteria that are commonly found in aquariums, and the benefits and challenges of establishing a balanced bacterial colony in an aquarium.
Functions of Bacteria in an Aquarium
Nitrogen Cycle: The most important role of bacteria in an aquarium is to facilitate the nitrogen cycle. This cycle involves the conversion of toxic ammonia produced by fish waste, uneaten food, and decaying organic matter into less toxic nitrite and then into relatively harmless nitrate. Nitrite-oxidizing bacteria, such as Nitrosomonas, and nitrate-reducing bacteria, such as Nitrobacter, are responsible for these conversions. Without these bacteria, ammonia and nitrite levels can build up to toxic levels, causing harm to the fish and other aquatic life in the aquarium.
Decomposition: Bacteria in an aquarium also play an important role in breaking down organic waste, such as dead plant material, fish waste, and uneaten food. This decomposition process helps to maintain a clean and healthy environment for the fish and other aquatic life.
Nutrient Cycling: Bacteria help to maintain the balance of nutrients in the aquarium by breaking down organic matter and releasing essential nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, back into the water. This helps to maintain a healthy and stable environment for the growth of plants and other aquatic life.
Types of Bacteria in an Aquarium
Nitrifying Bacteria: As mentioned earlier, nitrifying bacteria play a crucial role in the nitrogen cycle. These bacteria are responsible for converting ammonia and nitrite into nitrate.
Denitrifying Bacteria: Denitrifying bacteria are responsible for reducing nitrate into nitrogen gas, which is released into the atmosphere. These bacteria play an important role in maintaining the balance of nitrate levels in the aquarium.
Decomposing Bacteria: Decomposing bacteria help to break down organic matter and release essential nutrients back into the water. They play an important role in maintaining a clean and healthy environment in the aquarium.
Benefits of a Balanced Bacterial Colony in an Aquarium
Stable Water Conditions: A balanced bacterial colony helps to maintain stable water conditions by converting toxic substances, such as ammonia and nitrite, into less harmful substances. This helps to prevent harm to the fish and other aquatic life in the aquarium.
Healthy Aquatic Life: A balanced bacterial colony helps to provide essential nutrients to the aquatic plants and other life in the aquarium, promoting healthy growth and overall well-being.
Clean Aquarium: Bacteria help to break down organic waste and maintain a clean environment, reducing the need for frequent water changes and making it easier to maintain a healthy and stable aquarium.
Challenges of Establishing a Balanced Bacterial Colony in an Aquarium
Slow Growth: The growth of bacteria in an aquarium can be slow and may take several weeks to establish a balanced colony.
Water Quality: Poor water quality can inhibit the growth of bacteria, making it difficult to establish a balanced colony.
Overstocking: Overstocking an aquarium can lead to an increase in fish waste, which can overwhelm the bacterial colony and make it difficult to maintain a balanced environment.
Bacteria play a crucial role in the functioning of a freshwater aquarium. They participate in the nitrogen cycle by converting toxic substances, such as ammonia and nitrite, into less harmful ones. Bacteria also break down organic waste, releasing essential nutrients back into the water, and contributing to a clean and healthy environment. To establish a balanced bacterial colony, it is important to monitor water quality, avoid overstocking, and provide the right conditions for bacterial growth. Having a balanced bacterial colony in an aquarium not only prevents harmful water conditions but also promotes healthy aquatic life and makes maintenance easier. Thus, a balanced bacterial colony is a key component of a successful freshwater aquarium.
What is the Best Diet for Guppies, Endlers and Other Livebearers?
submitted by Dena Edwards
fishcures.com
1/30/23
All livebearers are considered omnivore species, which need a variety of proteins and plant matter in their staple diet. In the wild they would eat insects, insect larvae, copepods, shrimp, algae, plant leaves, etc. They really are opportunistic eaters.
In an aquarium I like to offer different foods to keep the overall diet varied. There is no single food that can provide everything needed, not even a prepared food sold for feeding in the home aquarium can provide everything needed for growth and overall health.
I like to have proteins in the range of 40-50% generally, and prefer quality proteins, such as a variety of shrimp, insects and even fish.
Good protein sources include whole meals, such as whole salmon meal or even fish hydrolysate, which basically is fish meal before all the liquid has been removed. Insect meal is another great protein source that is found in some higher quality foods as well.
As for plant matter, there are many, many options. Along with spirulina, kelp and veggies in processed foods I like to add fresh, raw veggies and even occasional fruits. I try to get organic, but not always possible. Cut a small bit and stab it with a fork to weight it down in the tank. Cucumber, zucchini, mushroom, green beans, broccoli, etc. Easy to get into the habit of setting a small amount aside for the fish before cooking to prepare my own meals. My fish go crazy over strawberry and tangerine slices, but they can quickly pollute the tank so those are offered the day before a water change.
Good treats include live (so long as you could trust the source), frozen or even freeze dried, but rehydrate first to avoid digestive issues.
Everyone has their own idea on what the the best diet may be. Personally I believe if you offer a variety of foods, including some fresh veggies as well as a few fruits along with a varied protein diet you should be able to provide the correct balance.
In my tanks I feed Guppy Color Feast (a granule very high in protein at 52%), Guppy Flake (a mix of veggie and meat based flakes, 40% protein), and if needing a color boost I add Guppy Color Flake (47% protein focusing on shrimp sources to boost oranges and reds). Then, for veggie content I occasionally add fresh, raw veggies. Just a small bit which I can stab with a fork. No cooking, no blanching as I want to retain the nutrients. I also on occasion feed live Baby Brine Shrimp as well as Repashy, etc.
In the summer I also set out a bucket of water and collect the mosquito larvae to feed to my fish. Man do they go ape over them! They perk up so much that I don’t even recognize their behavior!!
So, like I said, variety is important as no one food can provide a complete balanced diet for any creature.
As time went by, I sold my large 55 gallon, 20 L, 29 Gallon and a few 10’s. I wanted to downsize the fishroom because I was having a difficult time with the upkeep of the tanks and keeping live stock alive.
I sold alot of stock of guppies, corydora and several fry from the two pleco species I have, the L133 and L133a. They have continually bred for me and I am enjoying them in my fishroom.
I still haven’t decided what main fish I want to put in the 40 breeder. I added a heater but keeping it below 75 degrees. I still have thinking of a good way to buffer the KH to stablize the PH. It comes out of the tap at 6.8-7.0 and drops to 6.4 or below. The plecos are fairing and still breeding without a heater in the 10 gallon and the 25 gallon tall.
I have mutt guppies which are pretty and exciting to see what you get. I want to concentrate on a high demand guppy that will breed well in my water and temperature range.
I also hope to get some shubunkin/goldfish hybrids this spring and will be watching that situation I have set up outside. I still have duckweed growing outside and water wisteria and a few other plants here and there.
I want a couple more different strains of neocardinia shrimp to breed and sell and mech from a couple fishfam businesses in my fishroom too.
After I decide what the main fish species I want to keep in the 40 breeder, I will let you know.
What I have learned setting up this tank:
1. Patience
2. Plans Change
3. The fish decide whether they are happy or not.
4. Snails come from nowhere!
5. Lights burn out when you least expect them to.
6. Fishfam is Family
7. There are so many choices out there, I don’t know what to do next! LOL
And There will be more things to learn as I add more plants, fish and keep the maintenance up on this tank.
The substrate is mixed gravel with crushed coral and separate from that is Eco-Complete where I have most of my plants, but I will be putting some in the gravel too.
I Thank the Fishfam Community for the donations towards the 40G breeder, the substrate, and the memberships that have been gifted to viewers.
I wouldn’t have made it without you guys! I love you and hope to see you around YouTube.
LESS IS MORE
I have , over time, found most corals to have relatively few requirements to thrive much as they would on a natural reef. While many amateur reef keepers have taken a high-tech route to creating the proper micro-environment, I have found that less is more. Readers of this book will see that I do not advocate any single method of reef keeping. Indeed, many types of systems – both technically sophisticated and elegantly simple _ can be made to work.
ESSENTIAL EXPERIENCE
Who among us really can say they know what the captive requirements of some of these animals are?
For example, Euphyllia ancora, the hammer coral, is kept by many thousands of aquarists around the world with a high-degree establishing the captive needs of this species. I have had two of these corals in my aquariums for many years, and coupling my own observations with the experiences of countless others, I think we have a pretty good picture of what this animal needs to thrive in captive settings.
The reality is that our collective ignorance about corals and coral husbandry is still profound. In my mind, it’s a simple matter of being confronted with so many corals and so little time. It is simply not possible for a single person to proclaim with any degree of accuracy the relative ease or difficulty with which a good number of these corals can be maintained. Many corals can easily outlive us, after all. How many generations of corals have any of us seen in captivity? Usually, not even one that reaches reproductive maturity. Can we claim success because we have maintained a certain coral for a period of months, or even a few years? In reality, we are just arriving at the frontier of captive coral husbandry. We barely know a thing about coral disease in the aquarium, much less how to treat it. We can’t keep most aposymbiotic corals alive for very long, despite the large number of flamboyantly colorful species available.
A SIMPLE PHILOSOPHY
I return to my basic philosophy: to be successful with corals, one needs to understand them, not merely follow a cookbook. There is no doubt in my mind that the recipes are going to change, in some cases dramatically, in the coming years, and I hope that readers will keep this in mind as they read this or any text on coral husbandry.
Finally, I think a proper approach to the keeping of corals calls for all of us to have or adopt ethical and responsible attitudes toward the species in our care. I’ve tried to treat corals in my aquariums as the living animals that they are, not merely as art, ornaments, or transient display items. I know that this fundamental respect for all life is shared by many, many reef aquarists. I urge anyone who is either currently keeping live corals, or who is planning to do so in the future, to take great pains to learn about the many complexities and relationships that abound on coral reefs in nature. Visiting a coral reef in person, if at all possible, is a never-to-be-forgotten experience; it provides a whole new appreciation for the physical and biological dynamics we try to replicate in the aquarium.
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