Fin rot not healing

[gm72]

Have gone through two rounds of Melafix for fancy wancy's fin rot and it has not gotten appreciably better. Advice on what other types of meds to try next? Going to Petco this weekend so I should have a good selection from which to choose.

[SkarloeysMom]

I used Maracyn-2 on my betta and his fins started growing back after a couple of weeks. They grew back pretty long but they've never looked the same as before he had rot. They aren't as flowy as they were.

[gm72]

Speaking of Maracyn Two, do you know if it is safe for a large pleco?

[SkarloeysMom]

Don't know for sure but why would it not be safe for them? Are they extra sensitive? Maybe you could move them out while you treat the 55 gallon if you think they might not tolerate the meds.

[gm72]

Scaleless fish like plecos and corys can be sensitive to meds, just trying to make sure they will be okay. Other sites think the meds are okay for plecos, but I really only trust the people here.

[SkarloeysMom]

I really don't know for sure. I have Panda corys so I guess it would be good to know just in case I should ever have to medicate my community.

[cocoa_pleco]

its fine. Ive treated a pleco with maracyn and he was okay with it.


If its severe fin rot on your betta, you can do a harsh stressful try.

Get a clean foam plate, and place the betta on it. Then, cover all but its tail with a damp paper towel and gently hod him down. Take a paintbrush, and wipe his tail with hydrogen peroxide. let it sit on his tail for 1 minute, and make sure NONE touches his eyes or gills. Then, put him in a net and rinse him under tap water for 30 seconds and put him back in the tank.

This is a harsh method, but ive used it and it worked

[gm72]

Jesus, sounds like a torture room! Makes sense, though, seriously. Might have to try that, because although its not getting worse, it is certainly not clearing. What about trimming the fins?

[cocoa_pleco]

i JUST was about to try trimming before i did the peroxide thing. I was going to get my friend to go to the hospital he works at and get me a scalpel, but i thought it might not work

[gm72]

I have easy access to sterilized scalpel blades, I wonder if that would be safer given the risk of accidentally spilling the peroxide on fancy's body?

[SkarloeysMom]

Jesus, sounds like a torture room! Makes sense, though, seriously. Might have to try that, because although its not getting worse, it is certainly not clearing. What about trimming the fins?


Yikes! Give the Maracyn-2 a chance to work. I swear it will. Look for white tips on the end of the fins. That means they're starting to grow back.

[cocoa_pleco]

heres a tip.


The bacteria that cause the disease cant live in clean water, they die. If you keep the water MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR sparkling, guaranteed the bacteria die since they have no food source

[Lady Hobbs]

I used Metafix twice for fungus and it never did anything.

[cocoa_pleco]

lol, melafix is anti-bacterial, and pimafix is fungal

[gm72]

Okay, change in strategy. Frequent water changes. Period. We'll see what happens.

Great opinions and advice, everyone. Thanks a lot. :grin34: