# Case of fin rot of my new piranha's



## Xtremek43 (Dec 5, 2003)

Hey i just got 3 awesome cariba from ASH!

But from the stress of the trip i guess, the 3 have cases of fin rot

2 of their back fins have 2 chunks missing in 1, 1 chunk missing in the other
the others back fin is several small tears in it.

Then on 2 of their top fins (the thing that moves sides to side on the top of them) is missing a chunk or 2 and small tears

Also i saw one of them bite a chun out of a fin of the other.

Once i saw that i immediatly put 4 small feeders in the tank (i tried to feed them 3 hours earlier or so but they didnt eat, i put in monk fish, a white meat fish.)

SO i put in 11 tablespoons of aquarium salt (55 gallon tank) but i didnt know to dissolve it in water first so i just put it straight in the tank.

What else should i do, is this a severe case? i dont have a digi-camera so i cant get pictures, i tried to explain it as best as i can.

Thanks alot


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## Xtremek43 (Dec 5, 2003)

actually one back fin isnt just missing 2 chunks, one of them almost the top half is above half the size of the bottom half. Is this a severe case should i buy the meds? or will salt and time do the trick.


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## Noble (Nov 9, 2003)

Hey don't worry bout the fins being roughed up. Seriously.

First off. Don't put any more salt in the water.

Secondly, your fish do not need to eat right away. Give them a day or two. They will have to get comfortable with thier surroundings before they think about eating.

My Large reds didn't eat for 4 days then they ate like no tomorrow.

During shipping the Caribes may have gotten stressed so they might have bit at each other.

They will be fine.

Can you post pics of them (somehow even though you don't have camera, can you borrow one?) so we can see if it is just skirmishes from shipping or actual fin rot?

Also if it took a few days the fins may have a little fin rot from too much ammonia but nothing a cycled clean water tank at 82-84 degrees wont fix in a week.


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## Xtremek43 (Dec 5, 2003)

hmmm, maybe i can buy a throw away camera and scan the pictures at my dads office, i can do that tomorrow. But i think its fin rot, one of the piranhas back fin is about half the size it should be jusging from the bottom half. they couldnt have biten each other in shipping because they were in seperate containers, and shipping took about 24 hours.


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## garygny (Mar 16, 2003)

I would not have done anything different than what you did. Make sure the water quality is good and keep a close eye on them for any kind of bacterial infection, popeye, cloudy or protruding eyes. If they are eating you really have nothing to worry about and they should heal in no time. I would not use any medications unless a bacterial infection sets in. If they develop a bacterial infection I would use Maracyn. Good Luck.


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## Noble (Nov 9, 2003)

Oh yeh Ash puts them in tupperware right?

OK then it must be a little bit of an Ammonia burn then.

Nothing that will keep rotting if you keep the water clean.

As soon as the fish got in clean water the ammonia comes off. They will heal.

Salt helped just don't over do it.

Ammonia burn is not like fin rot (although can lead to it I think).

The temp at 82-84 helps heal it but it will also make the Caribes metabolism go up.

I bet by this time tommorrow with temp 80-82 in aquarium with low light you should be able to toss some shrimp in there and see em go at it.


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## Xtremek43 (Dec 5, 2003)

ok cool thanks for the help.

Yeah they already ate 2 feeders whole and left one with just a head.

They are pretty active i just didnt like the look of their fins =)

Thanks again noble


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## TheFishCatcher (Jun 26, 2003)

congrats on the fish, its not fin rot its just that i have about 60 or so fish in a 100g tank and if im late on feeding them they pick on each other, not to worry it will all grow back with in a week.

ASH


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