Fin rot, not getting better! Please help!

[SarahandOscar]

Stress Coat is an API brand, call around to your local pet stores and ask them if they have it or can get it in. it also conditions the water which is helpful., i'd try the daily clean water, watch his poo (if it's white and stringy that's internal parasites) and monitor his progress, it may be a few days but if it's only rot and water conditions he will perk up in time, especially with the constant temperature =)

[SarahandOscar]

Clean water is actually the only thing he needs to heal himself. The salt just reduces any risk of infection. Constant temp, perfectly clean conditioned water, good food and peace and quiet will do the rest. It's easier in an empty tank to change the water daily, i had my 4 boys in empty tanks for a week. It may take him a day or 2 to eat but he will be fine and not starve... take it a day at a time...

[invisibleunicornz]

Originally Posted by SarahandOscar

Clean water is actually the only thing he needs to heal himself. The salt just reduces any risk of infection. Constant temp, perfectly clean conditioned water, good food and peace and quiet will do the rest. It's easier in an empty tank to change the water daily, i had my 4 boys in empty tanks for a week. It may take him a day or 2 to eat but he will be fine and not starve... take it a day at a time...

Empty tank, meaning take out his pebbles and leaf hammock and the plants. I already took out his cave. But should I really take everything out? Will that stress him out? I don't want him to feel stressed or depressed and sick :/ But if it is best for him then I suppose it is alright.

[SarahandOscar]

I'm not an expert but that's what i did and my 4 boys are great now, literally he had his heater and the hammock (i removed the rusting metal from it too).

BUT

you have to find what works for you... He's already not well and the added stress could be bad, i don't know, at the same time if it's something in his tank making him unwell leaving it there won't help.

I preferred to remove all the variables and start from scratch. i SLOWLY climatised him to the fresh water which you do by gently moving him to a cup and adding 15% of the cups volume with fresh treated water then wait 10-15 mins, then empty a bit out and add another 15% of the cups volume of fresh water and so on till he's pretty much in fresh water, making sure its all the same temperature too. It can be a bit overwhelming with your first unwell fish i know.... read alot of what is on this site and decide on an action you are comfortable with, no matter what opinion you read on this site one that everyone will agree to is fresh water changes so you can't go wrong with that...

[Aus]

Prolonged salt/med use can also cause fin melt, is something I've recently learned.. he might not even have had rot to begin with.

Fresh, warm, conditioned water is best. If there's an underlying issue messing with his immune system, that'll become apparent in time. But yeah, try a few weeks just on the clean water, changes twice a week. If he's just got rot, then he ought to pick up soon and show signs of healing.

A bare-bottom tank won't stress him. My boy with chronic fin issues is in a bare-bottom tank with a ball of java moss and some floating wisteria to help him feel secure - he's pretty happy in there. No substrate = much easier cleaning, plus you can keep an eye on what he excretes, in case it's an underlying problem.