How to Treat Fin Rot

Fin rot is a fairly common ailment that affects fish due to bacteria in the fish tank. When fish have fin rot, their fins become discolored and brittle and pieces can flake or fall off. In the worst cases, the rot can move into the body of the fish and its life can be in danger. If you start to see any of your fish experiencing fin rot, begin treatment immediately.

Things You'll Need

  • Fin rot medication
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Instructions

    • 1

      Diagnose fin rot before adding any medicine to the tank. Fin rot is fairly easy to spot, though the early stages will take a keen eye to see. If you notice that chunks of your fish's fin are missing, fin rot is possibly to blame. Also, look for discoloration in the fin because missing pieces of a fin could simply be caused by other nippy fish in the tank.

    • 2

      Purchase fin rot medicine if the disease's presence has been confirmed. The medication usually come in liquid or tablet form that can be put directly into the tank and spread through the tank water. Certain types also include nutrients to treat other bacteria that might have made way for fin rot or that may enter through wounds caused by the rot.

    • 3

      Change the tank water and clean everything inside the tank. Fresh water will help the medication work faster and more effectively. Raise the temperature of the new water just a bit, if possible. Some tanks have a temperature control device that can be altered. If yours does not, then add warmer water when you refill the tank. This lowers the fin rot bacteria's defenses and makes it easier for the medication to do its job.

    • 4

      Read the instructions on the packaging of the medicine and add the needed amount directly into the water. The medicine will start to work within a few minutes and over the next week you should start to see your fish's fin grow back.