How to Cure Fin Rot on a Fantail

Fantail goldfish can develop fin rot when their immune system is under pressure from an injury, poor water conditions, stress from a new environment or anti-social tank mates. Aeromonas and pseudomonas bacteria occur naturally in most fish tanks and cause no problems when dormant, but they can trigger fin rot in a fish with lowered immunity. If your fantail shows symptoms of fin rot, partially change the tank water to rapidly improve water quality, then treat the water with commercial fin-rot medication.

Things You'll Need

  • Bucket
  • Water dechlorinator
  • Commercial fin-rot treatment solution
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Instructions

    • 1

      Diagnose your fantail's condition accurately before starting treatment. Fin-rot symptoms include fraying and white-edged splits along the fins. There may also be bloody streaks in the soft tissue at the base of the fantail's fins. Fighting-related injuries and lesions can develop into fin rot if your fish tank water is unhealthy from lack of proper maintenance.

    • 2

      Remove about half the fish tank's water. Prepare fresh water in a bucket and include a dose of dechlorinator to neutralize chlorine and chloramine deposits from tap water. Many commercial dechlorinators also contain an anti-stress ingredient and a solution to enhance your fish's natural slime-coat layer to help protect against disease.

    • 3

      Read the manufacturer's guidelines on the fin-rot solution and add the required amount of medication to the new water. Pour the treated water into your fish tank.

    • 4

      Complete the course of fin-rot medication following the dosage instructions on the bottle. Change 30 to 50 percent of your tank water approximately twice a week until your fantail shows signs of improvement.