HELP! Still learning...fin rot??

[MoonPinky]

Until finding this website, we listened to advice from pet store employees...no heater, plastic plants, no filter, no light, feed once or twice a week, change water monthly. Now that our fish is obviously not doing well we're looking for advice anywhere and everywhere and wish we would have found this site before bringing the poor guy home. He is in a 2.5 gallon tank, no heater, no filter, no light. Since finding this site, we have started doing 100% daily water changes (5 days ago), adding 1 tsp. of salt in addition to the water conditioner, feeding flakes twice daily (which he's eating) and have changed out our plastic plants for silk plants. The water temp is 76 now but has been as low as 72 before I found out where it should be. Before we started doing the water changes, he had been laying on the bottom of the tank on his side for 3 days.

I hope the picture posts so his fins are visible. His fins were very flowy when we got him a year ago and now he has nothing left. ANY HELP WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!! Thank you!

[Sarada]

The picture is really small but I would guess fin rot. I would suggest you continue the 100% water changes for 5 more days.
Get some better non flake food. Floating pellets with real fish as a first ingredient. Feed 3 pellets twice a day. You can even soak his pellets in garlic juice, it works as a natural antibiotic and sometimes helps their appetite.
I would also increase his heat a little more.

[MoonPinky]

Thank you so much. We are going to get a heater tomorrow to keep the temp up so we'll get some better food too. Do their fins really grow back?? Poor guy.

[Sarada]

Yup they grow back, they don't always grow back as pretty as they once were but they will grow back.

[Sarada]

If water changes don't make for improvement you might need to try meds. Jungle fungus eliminator is supposed to work well.

[MoonPinky]

Thank you, thank you!!

[bubbaface]

My first and eldest did something to his tail fin (huge chunk missing) which resulted a tumor like growth and finally fin rot. I bought some animal antibiotics (tetracycline) off of amazon. I bought a gallon of spring water from the store and would mix the meds and water in a tank/bowl. Refilled the gallon jug with filtered water (if you don't have a filter treat the water) and let sit to come to room temperature so I could do a 100% water change with new medicine every other day. Its taken 2 weeks to clear up. You want to note that its not spreading. That's a sign its working and it will finally recede, fall off, and clear up. Good luck and make sure to pay attention to the dosing if you get the medicine! I think one pill treats like 40 gallons!

[bubbaface]

...also I used a small bowl to transfer him between water changes. He's slow and using a net is extra stress.

[JKfish]

Along with frequent water changes, try keeping his tank near a window, but out of direct sunlight. Sun and longer hours of light also seem to improve fin growth.

Also, if you think he's up for it, a minute or two of letting him see his own relfection each day will make him flare and excercise, and might relieve any boredom. Just remember anything more than 3-5 minutes is going overboard and will stress him too much

[MoonPinky]

JKfish and bubbaface - thank you so much for your help. I'm like a sponge right now trying to take in everything I can. A week ago I thought these fish could live in a bowl being fed twice a week and I can't believe how much more I can do for them. I'm determined to get our little guy healthy again. He just has nothing left as far as fins go so it'll be a long road for us. Thanks again, everyone out here is so incredibly helpful!