Do my silver Dollars have Fin Rot?

[ScottC]

I have a 150 gallon tank tank that houses a community of fish including: severums, Uarus, Killifish, Common Pleco, Geophagus, Corydoras, Silver Dollars etc. I have had the tank and fish for a little over a year now. I do weekly water changes and gravel vac. Once a month (first Sunday of the month) I clean the canister (Fluval FX4). Water parameters are good: ammonia 0, Nitrites 0, Nitrates (a little high for my liking) 40, PH 6.2.

A couple days ago I moved my tank into my garage as I’m painting the inside of my house and redoing the floors. Obviously this stressed out the fish. I also did not clean the canister this month as I didn’t want to mess up the cycle anymore than I already was by moving the tank (found out later this didn’t really matter).

Yesterday while cleaning out my canister I noticed black tips on a lot of my silver dollars. I’m wondering if this is what Fin Rot looks like on these fish. I have only dealt with Fin Rot once and that was on a Beta, obviously it looked different. I’m thinking that maybe the stress of the move did this?

I added aquarium salt and today I will do about a 25% water change. I think I’m going to start treating the whole tank with API Melafix (or whatever it’s called).

I was also hoping that maybe this forum could give me some information on what it is, if I should be worried, and how to treat it.

Thanks.

 

[tlindsey]

I have a 150 gallon tank tank that houses a community of fish including: severums, Uarus, Killifish, Common Pleco, Geophagus, Corydoras, Silver Dollars etc. I have had the tank and fish for a little over a year now. I do weekly water changes and gravel vac. Once a month (first Sunday of the month) I clean the canister (Fluval FX4). Water parameters are good: ammonia 0, Nitrites 0, Nitrates (a little high for my liking) 40, PH 6.2.

A couple days ago I moved my tank into my garage as I’m painting the inside of my house and redoing the floors. Obviously this stressed out the fish. I also did not clean the canister this month as I didn’t want to mess up the cycle anymore than I already was by moving the tank (found out later this didn’t really matter).

Yesterday while cleaning out my canister I noticed black tips on a lot of my silver dollars. I’m wondering if this is what Fin Rot looks like on these fish. I have only dealt with Fin Rot once and that was on a Beta, obviously it looked different. I’m thinking that maybe the stress of the move did this?

I added aquarium salt and today I will do about a 25% water change. I think I’m going to start treating the whole tank with API Melafix (or whatever it’s called).

I was also hoping that maybe this forum could give me some information on what it is, if I should be worried, and how to treat it.

Thanks. View attachment 1369515View attachment 1369516View attachment 1369517View attachment 1369518

Welcome aboard

No need to worry the Silver Dollar's fin will turn dark on the edge depending on mood or spawning dress or for dominance.

 

[Tobiassorensen]

Welcome aboard

No need to worry the Silver Dollar's fin will turn dark on the edge depending on mood or spawning dress or for dominance.

This^
I got a group of thinbars for free because the guy who had then thought they got sick when they turned mature and the males got darkblotched. I told him not to worry but he didnt believe me so i said okey ill take them from you if you wanna put them to sleep anyway

 

[ScottC]

Thank you for the info. That’s good news to hear. I was so stressed about moving my tanks and disrupting the fish. I’m glad to hear it’s normal.

I just woke up and went to check on them and the Black tips on their tail fins don’t seem to be as bad as it was yesterday, however I have a new issue.

Looks like one of my roseline Sharks (Denison barbs) and a Silver Dollar has a little fungus. Sometimes some salt and water changes helps them but usually I have to treat with API furuan 2. Oh well, if it’s not one thing it’s another, right lol. Again I’m guessing it’s the move that caused all this. Ug, and not looking forward to moving everyone back in the house in a few weeks either.

And on a side note, thanks for the welcome too

 

[LBDave]

Thank you for the info. That’s good news to hear. I was so stressed about moving my tanks and disrupting the fish. I’m glad to hear it’s normal.

I just woke up and went to check on them and the Black tips on their tail fins don’t seem to be as bad as it was yesterday, however I have a new issue.

Looks like one of my roseline Sharks (Denison barbs) and a Silver Dollar has a little fungus. Sometimes some salt and water changes helps them but usually I have to treat with API furuan 2. Oh well, if it’s not one thing it’s another, right lol. Again I’m guessing it’s the move that caused all this. Ug, and not looking forward to moving everyone back in the house in a few weeks either.

And on a side note, thanks for the welcome too

View attachment 1369538

View attachment 1369539

Tlin is absolutely correct. I have SD's that breed all the time. They like new water!
You will notice that they develop black dots behind the gills as well as the black fin edges.
I stay away from salt as it impacts my plants. So I am using stress guard which I seem to be mentioning a lot. I also swear by VitaChem in the water and food. Helps fins grow back.

 

[duanes]

Although your once per week water change routine may have been adequate a year ago, when (I assume) the fish were much smaller, that 40 ppm nitrate reading suggests to me it is no longer enough to keep the water from becoming consentrated urine soup, leading to the poor health symptoms you are now seeing..
If it were me, with that kind of heavy stocking I'd be doing 3 x 30%-40% water changes per week, (minimum 2 x 50%)

 

[LBDave]

Although your once per week water change routine may have been adequate a year ago, when (I assume) the fish were much smaller, that 40 ppm nitrate reading suggests to me it is no longer enough to keep the water from becoming consentrated urine soup, leading to the poor health symptoms you are now seeing..
If it were me, with that kind of heavy stocking I'd be doing 3 x 30%-40% water changes per week, (minimum 2 x 50%)

Yes. Last night I mentioned to my wife that you called our tank a culvert pipe! Anyway, totally agree. My Oscars and pbass no longer seem to care about frequent changes. Oscars almost seem to understand what I am doing. I guess I know what I will be doing when I retire.
Anyway, GOOD ADVICE.

 

[duanes]

I consider my 180, little bigger than some of the ruts in the road I see here, and some of them probably contain more water than my tank during the rainy season. That's why I try to keep the size fish it contains to a minimum, do daily water changes, and am heavy on the aquatic and terrestrial plants.
As of now, no fish over 6", most 4" or under.
If something else becomes available that I can't resist, I intend to reduce numbers some of the current residents.
I am probably more conservative than most, because my nitrate goal is 5ppm before a water change, and so far with the stock in the tank now, that has been achievable.

 

[ScottC]

Although your once per week water change routine may have been adequate a year ago, when (I assume) the fish were much smaller, that 40 ppm nitrate reading suggests to me it is no longer enough to keep the water from becoming consentrated urine soup, leading to the poor health symptoms you are now seeing..
If it were me, with that kind of heavy stocking I'd be doing 3 x 30%-40% water changes per week, (minimum 2 x 50%)

Thanks. I have been thinking about increasing my water changes on that tank. I think I will give it a shot and see how it works. I’m not a fan of that 40 nitrate reading.

 

[ScottC]

Tlin is absolutely correct. I have SD's that breed all the time. They like new water!
You will notice that they develop black dots behind the gills as well as the black fin edges.
I stay away from salt as it impacts my plants. So I am using stress guard which I seem to be mentioning a lot. I also swear by VitaChem in the water and food. Helps fins grow back.

We don’t have plants so salt and the effect on plants wasn’t to much of a concern, however I never heard of Vitachem. I will check that out. Thanks for the info.