Arowana Shredded Fin

[Herohero]

Hi All,

1st post and looking for help here. I moved my arowana into a new tank which has been cycling for nearly a month before I added the aro in.

After 2 weeks, I noticed his fins were shredded. For your info- the aro is alone in the tank.

water parameters read as follow from API test kit.
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0-5 (color is not yellow for 0 and not light orange for 5, somewhere in between)

tank size is approximately 200cm L x 60cm W x 50cm H


any idea on what is causing this and how to treat him?

Hope this is the right place for this thread.

Setup includes - 2 filters, 1 hooked to a sterilizer, 1 heater

 

[FJB]

Minimal shredding visible on photos. Could it be that it is just left over minor damage from capturing for transport to current tank?
Nice looking fish!

 

[Fallen_Leaves16]

Honestly looks more like fin rot to me; the fin rays are also blackening on the edges. Doesn't look to be too severe. Kanaplex or Maracyn 2 are my go-to meds for fin rot; aquarium salt also helps (although I'm not too sure about properly dosing arowanas). The nitrate levels seem very low to me; have you shaken the nitrate test bottles well? Oftentimes some of the ingredients will separate and coagulate on the bottom (especially with bottle #2), showing inaccurate nitrate results if unshaken. It could be that the tank is also still not properly established (although I highly doubt this, as you say you've been cycling for over a month). Then again, you might just have exceptional filtration.

 

[tlindsey]

The nitrate levels seem very low to me; have you shaken the nitrate test bottles well? Oftentimes some of the ingredients will separate and coagulate on the bottom (especially with bottle #2), showing inaccurate nitrate results if unshaken. It could be that the tank is also still not properly established (

Agree

 

[Fishman Dave]

I keep forgetting that you have to wait 5 minutes for the results of the nitrate test. Anything earlier gives you a great but inaccurate result!
Not convinced it looks like fin rot but happy to be proven wrong ( although for fish sake would prefer it’s not)

 

[dr exum]

this is curious to me, following -

my arow also has similar looking fins - i attributed it to its rough and tumble tank mates ?‍

 

[Herohero]

Minimal shredding visible on photos. Could it be that it is just left over minor damage from capturing for transport to current tank?
Nice looking fish!

thank you, but his fins were just fine after transportation. Just now they started shredding - 2 weeks after putting him in his new tank.

Honestly looks more like fin rot to me; the fin rays are also blackening on the edges. Doesn't look to be too severe. Kanaplex or Maracyn 2 are my go-to meds for fin rot; aquarium salt also helps (although I'm not too sure about properly dosing arowanas). The nitrate levels seem very low to me; have you shaken the nitrate test bottles well? Oftentimes some of the ingredients will separate and coagulate on the bottom (especially with bottle #2), showing inaccurate nitrate results if unshaken. It could be that the tank is also still not properly established (although I highly doubt this, as you say you've been cycling for over a month). Then again, you might just have exceptional filtration.

thank you, will test again after shaking the bottles and if the parameters are different then I’ll update accordingly. For filtration I have fluval fx6 and another fluval canister that is hooked to a sterilizer (not from fx series, can’t remember it’s name)

I keep forgetting that you have to wait 5 minutes for the results of the nitrate test. Anything earlier gives you a great but inaccurate result!
Not convinced it looks like fin rot but happy to be proven wrong ( although for fish sake would prefer it’s not)

thank you, I didn’t know we had to wait. Will retest again and update the parameters if they are different.