4-5 inch black aro fins...

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GinBlack

Candiru
MFK Member
May 15, 2009
745
4
48
New York
I have 3 4-5 inch baby black aros, who's fins look frayed. I also have a 8-9 inch silver in a different tank. I got the black aros at around 3 inches, they had a little fin damage but no big deal. As they started getting bigger they started fighting, so I divided the three of them. I thought the frayed fins were due to fighting, but they have been seperated for more than two months and the fins still look frayed, even more frayed than before.

Checked water params (I dont remember exactly what they were as I am at work typing this! But I know there was no ammonia or nitrate) which seemed fine, the same water params are in the tank I keep my silver whom seems to look gorgeous! I use to do one water change a week, now I am doing 2 a week.

I went to a local LFS store with a sample of the water and said the water params were perfect for discus, but was useless when I told him I had 3 black arowanas! I had a similar problem with a larger black arowana previously where the fins look frayed and thought it might have been due to lack of room in the tank (didnt get a bigger set up till much later so had to sell her)

Now these three babies have a lot of room, although there is one filter in the tank I put a small filter for each section they are divided in, added air stones as well. They eat and are active and growing. Just their fins look schredded. No sign of fin rot though, but just in case I medicated the tank with melafix and pimafix and raised the temp to 84 from 82.

Has anyone else ever gone through this? I love these guys and would like for their fins to get better. It seems as if I only have bad luck with black aros! I will try to take pics tonight and upload them. :nilly:
 
Are we talking about fin rot, or tail-drop syndrom? Because my water was perfect, but my baby black had a bit of tail-drop syndrom. The fins weren't frayed in any way, just a perfectly square piece of the tail fell off. While the other section of the anal tail was perfect. If it's fin rot, which means poor water. If it's tail-drop syndrom, the aro is just stress. Either ways melafix and raise temp.
 
Yeah thats what I am doing, the three b.aros have their tails so it isnt tail drop. I hope the meds will work cause the water is good.
 
Would like to see pics, all the blacks I had at that size would heal spit fins rather quickly. I am wondering if yours have fin rot.
 
Bderick67;4428549;4428549 said:
Would like to see pics, all the blacks I had at that size would heal spit fins rather quickly. I am wondering if yours have fin rot.
I will try to get pics up asap of the aros, I had gone to another LFS store and they mentioned to raise the PH of the tank. The Ph now is like 6.3 maybe 6.5. but again I think it will really help if I had pics! I will get them up tonight hopefully.

Bderick67, I know u have much experience with aros in your case do you find it that the black aros are a bit more sensitive than the silvers? Should the water params be slightly adjusted for black aros as oppose to silvers?
 
I definitely wouldnt change the Ph, if theyre used to 6.3, stay at 6.3- between temperature, 2 different medications, and water changes, youre adding, removing, changing enough of their parameters as it is- they still are baby blacks in their fragile stage- youre right thinking that theyre more sensitive than silvers- alot more- but the silvers and blacks should have the same water parameters-
in my own opinion, Id keep the Ph the same as its been up til now, the temp change to 84 is good, twice a week water change is good(instead of 50%, do a 30% change each time, until theyre not as delicate) stop the meds, use salt instead- I also wouldnt have any decor, its just something for them to rip their fins with when startled or hungry- and finally, if you have substrate, remove it until theyre bigger, its just another place for bacteria to collect
 
thanks badreverend.
The tank they are in doesn't have any substrate on the bottom, just a few rocks for the L114 pleco whom also is a baby. I removed some plants 3 weeks ago so there is nothing in the tank but them and the dividers!

Here are some pics of them (sorry for the bad pics they don't stay still!!!) :


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That would be fin rot. Myself I've never had to do anything more then keep pristine water (nitrate under 10 and pH was 6.6-6.8) to cure up any fin rot. Maybe some with experience with meds will chime in.
 
i think watter changes and the addition of salt and higher heat will cure this
i always try that before meds
also is there any plecos in there
i have had plecos rip up fins aswell when they become to large and are supose to be fed algae pellets
your water might be perfect but there is still something making the fish sick...so changing 20% over a three day period and then again the next week might help
if you have already thought of this ...disregard this message
have a good day
 
thanks for the info, the pleco I have in the tank with the babies is extremely small and very shy, and never goes that high up where the aros are. Going to do a water change in a few minutes and not medicate the tank and see.
 
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