Fungal or Bacterial fin rot?

[Yuuki]

I need a bit of help determining if I'm dealing with fungal or bacterial fin rot here.


About 10 days ago, I noticed that the edges of a couple of Sushi's spikes (crowntail) were looking odd; they were bent over a bit, and looking "dead". I immediately started giving him three daily salt baths, but it wasn't improving, so I added Jungle Fungus Clear on Thursday. Guess it didn't help, as things started looking a bit worse yesterday. He's also had a small hole in another fin recently.

Today, he's still only got four spikes infected with this. All of them are on the same fin and close together. It's odd... because I thought fin rot moved much faster than this?

I happen to have Maracyn-2 on hand. Should I try this or maybe continue with the second dose of JFC?



Attached picture shows what I'm talking about. Note that his fins are naturally black-tipped, and the ventral fins are naturally white-tipped, so that's not a problem.

[Rain Drop]

I wouldn't say that's fin rot.
My CT's fins are like that too. Nothing is perfect.
Could just be water quality.

But just in case so that you can tell the difference, bacterial fin rot eats randomly and in chunks, and fungal fin rot is more even and often has white fuzzy stuff at the edges of the rotting. I hear using maracyn 1 and 2 together can get rid of fin rot if you don`t know which one it is. JFC & JFE are used more for fungal (I think?). I find salt baths and bettafix or melafix work best for bacterial rot.

[Yuuki]

Looking more like fin rot this morning. I put the carbon back in the filter last night to remove the JFC... and apparently I shouldn't have. He's got a few more fins now that have thin white lines attached to them. Fungal?

Every test I've run on my water has been fine. Nitrates, Nitrites, Ammonia, PH is constant, and temp is constant (79-80). How he got this in the first place is beyond me, because his water is as clean as possible.


I guess I'm off to find out where I can buy JFE.

Edit: So I have to buy JFE online. How do I keep this from getting worse until I can get it delivered? Salt baths are obviously not helping, neither are daily 50% water changes and 'every other day' 100% changes.

[Rain Drop]

Just continue keeping his water as clean as possible while you wait for your order. Tetracycline works for fin rot too as well as ampicillin but both are better for bacterial rot...

[Yuuki]

More white strings coming from even more of his fins this morning...

I'm going to see if I can get to the pet store tomorrow and pick up a couple of things. I guess I'll try with the Tetracycline, plus pick up something better for fungus.

However, I got a tad annoyed and added the Maracyn-2 to his water last night after my water change. So now I have to go through with that treatment course.


I just don't understand how more fungus could attack his tail in a just cleaned, 82 degree tank overnight.