What are the symptoms of Diseases of fish in Tropical Freshwater Fish Tanks - Fin and Tail Rot

Symptoms

Fin and Tail Rot is an infection of fish in tropical fish tanks caused by a group of bacteria called Cytophaga, which affect fish which have long, soft fins. The symptoms include:

• The tail and fins start looking ragged as if they are 'bitten’ or a 'shredded'. These lesions are discolored White/Grey with an edging of red. They can form into orange/yellow colored ulcers.
• The fish loses appetite.
• At an advanced stage, large milky patches appear on the fins and a good amount of tissue gets damaged.
• You will see rapid respiration with excessive amounts of mucous in the gills. The lips of the fish may become swollen. If the disease is not treated, it might rot the entire fin and start to grow on the fish's body.

Causes and Prevention

The diagnosis of the infection is highly necessary. Bacteria cannot be a cause of it because they exist in all tropical fish tanks. Therefore, chances are that stress or any other poor conditions might have started the infection and it is necessary to remove them first.

This disease is generally introduced into the tank by new fish which have harmful bacteria in them. So it is essential that you put the new fish in a separate tank to kill the harmful bacteria which they might expel through feces. You should also take special care when acclimatizing the fish because if it is not properly done, the fish might get stressed. It is important that you select the combination of fish which live peacefully with each other. If the fish are not friendly then they may bully each other and this can involve fin and tail nipping. These wounds provide breeding sites for the harmful bacteria. Do not add too many fish. Make sure that the tank is not overcrowded. This will make the fish comfortable in the tropical fish tank.

Whenever you clean the tank, check that your filter and other equipment is in working condition. Also, keep testing for the constant chemistry of water. Replace 15% of the water every week with fresh water. You should also remove and wash the filter regularly.

tropical fish tank