Medicating planted tank

[Eric Schreiber]

Some of the fish in my heavily planted tank are showing signs of fin
rot, and a couple of them are 'glancing' off objects in the tank.
Aside from the fin rot, I don't see any external signs of disease (no
white spots, film, or obvious parasites).

The fish in the tank are:
Peacock Gudgeon (9)
Fundulopanchax Scheeli (3)
Betta Splendens (1)
Otocinclus Catfish (6)
Leopard Danio (4)

In addition to the fish and plants, I have a half dozen or so ghost
shrimp, and countless snails, mostly MTS.

I've been using Melafix, but I have the impression it's more for
treating the symptoms rather than the cause.

What medication could I try that won't hurt the plants or the inverts?


Thanks in advance.

--
www.ericschreiber.com

[news.so-net.com.hk]

Hi,

Melafix sucks, other than making the water smell good.

I dunno if it applies to planted tank, but in normal circumstances, I would
isolate the affected fish, salt bath them for a little while. Do a daily
water change, add in a pinch of salt and methylene blue. You will be able to
stop the fin rot in less than 7 days. Quarantine them for a longer while
before letting them into the community tank again.

In these period, do look out for other signs and symptoms for white spots,
fin rot, externel parasite and velvet. Treat accordingly...

hope im right
Vincent

"Eric Schreiber" > wrote in message
...
> Some of the fish in my heavily planted tank are showing signs of fin
> rot, and a couple of them are 'glancing' off objects in the tank.
> Aside from the fin rot, I don't see any external signs of disease (no
> white spots, film, or obvious parasites).
>
> The fish in the tank are:
> Peacock Gudgeon (9)
> Fundulopanchax Scheeli (3)
> Betta Splendens (1)
> Otocinclus Catfish (6)
> Leopard Danio (4)
>
> In addition to the fish and plants, I have a half dozen or so ghost
> shrimp, and countless snails, mostly MTS.
>
> I've been using Melafix, but I have the impression it's more for
> treating the symptoms rather than the cause.
>
> What medication could I try that won't hurt the plants or the inverts?
>
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> --
> www.ericschreiber.com

[Victor M. Martinez]

Eric Schreiber > wrote:
>What medication could I try that won't hurt the plants or the inverts?

I successfully treated fin rot last year using both Maracyn and Maracyn Two
concurrently. The only casualty was the singapore shrimp, the amano shrimp
and the snails were not affected. I didn't have ghost shrimp back then.

--
Victor M. Martinez

http://www.che.utexas.edu/~martiv

[Duncan A. McRae]

"Victor M. Martinez" > wrote in message
...
> ...amano shrimp and the snails were not affected. I didn't have ghost
shrimp back then.

Aren't Amano shrimp and ghost shrimp the same thing?

[Victor M. Martinez]

Duncan A. McRae > wrote:
>Aren't Amano shrimp and ghost shrimp the same thing?

Nope. Very different critters.

--
Victor M. Martinez

http://www.che.utexas.edu/~martiv

[Eric Schreiber]

(Victor M. Martinez) wrote:

>>Aren't Amano shrimp and ghost shrimp the same thing?

>Nope. Very different critters.

But most likely affected the same by medicines.

Maybe I could move my shrimp out to a temporary tank while I treat the
fish...


--
www.ericschreiber.com

[Victor M. Martinez]

Eric Schreiber > wrote:
>Maybe I could move my shrimp out to a temporary tank while I treat the
>fish

Good luck catching them! But like I said, I only lost the one filtering shrimp.
My theory is that its normal food supply including microscopic critters that
died because of the treatment (paremecia, etc.).


--
Victor M. Martinez

http://www.che.utexas.edu/~martiv

[Eric Schreiber]

(Victor M. Martinez) wrote:

>Good luck catching them!

Ghost shrimp are pretty dumb. Mine are constantly swimming into the
net when I'm scooping out plant debris.

>But like I said, I only lost the one filtering shrimp.

Ah yes, misread your original message.

>My theory is that its normal food supply including microscopic
>critters that died because of the treatment (paremecia, etc.).

Sounds likely. I've got a very thick mat of algae on the back of the
tank, so my shrimp spend most of their time grazing on it, probably
eating tiny stuff just as you suggest.


--
www.ericschreiber.com