whats wrong...

[Nick660]

I'm considering raising the salinity level to around 1.008-1.010 for a while. Will the aro be able to handle the salinity? How long do you think i would need to keep the salinity up to kill off all of the bacteria? 2-3 weeks?

My aro was ok for 2 weeks with salt and high temp treatment being used for Ich. I dosed 1g/litre.
Having said that, IMO using salt to reduce bacteria in your tank is of little use. Firstly, your UV sterilizer is doing that for you anyway. Secondly, the level of salt required would need to be extremely high to have any significant effect on bacteria, in fact probably high enough to kill your beneficial bacteria and your fish aswell! If you feel the need to treat the tank then a specific med developed for the job is the best option IMO.
I've done a fair bit of reading recently, regarding the use of salt in freshwater aquariums, and am convinced that it should be avoided in most situations.

 

[Fishyfan]

which med should i use and how long should i treat? The bottles from drsfostersandsmith.com have enough tablets to treat for 5 days.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+4615+4629+12101&pcatid=12101

 

[Nick660]

which med should i use and how long should i treat? The bottles from drsfostersandsmith.com have enough tablets to treat for 5 days.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+4615+4629+12101&pcatid=12101

Wow, that's an interesting choice! I don't think we can buy any of that over the counter in the UK

Personally, out of those I would suggest Tetracycline which I believe is broad spectrum for use against both gram positive and gram negative bacteria.

Best to do a bit of www research to help with your decision though.

This site http://www.fishyfarmacy.com suggests Trimethoprim based meds for fin rot. It also gives advice on how to treat with antibiotics.

Maracyn (erythromycin) and Maracyn 2 (minocycline) combo is also popular for fin rot from what I've read.
e.g. http://www.virbacpets.com/mardel/catalog.php

I must say I've never had the need to use any of these antibiotics in my aquariums (touch wood, fingers crossed) so i can't offer any first hand advice I'm afraid. Personally i would only use antibiotics as a last resort.

Good luck with whatever you decide

 

[brianjh]

I am having the same issue...but i have never had fin rot in any of my tanks what so ever..
check this out...lots of usefull info.
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=111453
a friend suggested this

Do a 50% water change add, kosher salt, melafix, and try to get Praziquantel. If you cant, look for "Tank Buddies Parasite", it has pazi, metronidazole,diflubenzuron,acrifavine. This should do the trick

I used prazipro, melafix, along with kosher salt (around 1 measured cup per 50 gallons, make sure your mix with water before you put in the tank) and raised temp to 84degrees. This showed moderate improvement over a 4 day treatment, however I tested my water and ammo spiked so I did a water change and stopped treatment. Now I have an issue with high nitrites that I need to work out. He still has some issues with his fins but still seems to be healing, just much slower then when medicated.

I feel your pain, its very frustrating. I myself thought like you, that in fact it was much more severe than it actually is. when in fact it seems that in my case it was a bacterial infection.

 

[Nick660]

I am having the same issue...but i have never had fin rot in any of my tanks what so ever..
check this out...lots of usefull info.
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=111453
a friend suggested this

Do a 50% water change add, kosher salt, melafix, and try to get Praziquantel. If you cant, look for "Tank Buddies Parasite", it has pazi, metronidazole,diflubenzuron,acrifavine. This should do the trick

I used prazipro, melafix, along with kosher salt (around 1 measured cup per 50 gallons, make sure your mix with water before you put in the tank) and raised temp to 84degrees. This showed moderate improvement over a 4 day treatment, however I tested my water and ammo spiked so I did a water change and stopped treatment. Now I have an issue with high nitrites that I need to work out. He still has some issues with his fins but still seems to be healing, just much slower then when medicated.

IMO the best way to deal with the nitrIte is daily water changes, preferably using Seachem Prime (or Safe) which will help detoxify the nitrite.
Also, if you are still adding salt to the tank I believe that it will actually help to protect the fish from the effects of nitrite toxicity.

 

[brianjh]

IMO the best way to deal with the nitrIte is daily water changes, preferably using Seachem Prime (or Safe) which will help detoxify the nitrite.
Also, if you are still adding salt to the tank I believe that it will actually help to protect the fish from the effects of nitrite toxicity.

Thanks, I know a lot of people discourage the use of salt on a regular basis for freshwater tanks, but I use it for reasons like this.

 

[Nick660]

Thanks, I know a lot of people discourage the use of salt on a regular basis for freshwater tanks, but I use it for reasons like this.

Yes definately, I would also agree that using salt regularly is not a good idea. From what I have read, the only common situations where it may be justified is in the treatment of ich and in a situation where nitrite toxicity is an issue. Even then, it depends on the species of fish involved, so in many cases a specific anti-ich med or something like Prime for detoxing nitrite may still be a better option.

 

[Fishyfan]

After fighting it for 2.5 years in my 180 gallon, it's finally spread to a few of my other tanks. Im considering getting rid of fish altogether after this

Im afraid to touch any of my tanks in fear of it spreading to the unaffected fish. The arowana looks much better so i think the UV is working....

 

[vfc]

I just lost two African Cichlids to a similar looking disease. Only thing different is one fish had white lips and the fin rot. They both died in two days of me noticing the symptoms. I tried API Fungus Cure because I thought the white area around the lips was a fungus. I switched over to Melafix last night to treat for bactertia infections. I have one more fish that has the edge of the top fin (like yours) turning greyish.

Don't wait; treat fast!

 

[Nick660]

After fighting it for 2.5 years in my 180 gallon, it's finally spread to a few of my other tanks. Im considering getting rid of fish altogether after this

Im afraid to touch any of my tanks in fear of it spreading to the unaffected fish. The arowana looks much better so i think the UV is working....

As a last resort, are you absolutely sure it's not a water quality issue?
Is your tap water supply stable and consistently good?
Do you test all your tanks on a regular basis to ensure parameters are remaining stable?
Are you doing more water changes on the aro tank than the others which may account for an improvement in the aro while the others deteriorate?

I'm not suggesting neglect on your part but IME it is very easy for water quality to deteriorate even when you believe your water change regime must be adequate. I have found the benefits of large, frequent water changes are significant in regard to fishes health and their ability to fight disease and to heal. Maybe you could test this theory by doing 50% daily water changes on the worst affected tank for a couple of weeks, to see if it makes a difference in your situation.

I'm afraid I can't come up with any other suggestions