Fish disease

Question
i have a 40 gallon tank(about 40) and I've got 1 paradise fish, 4 platys, 3 minos and a shrimp. My yellow platy ha got a piece of it's tail fin missing, i don't know if it's fin rot or fin nipping(it's most likely fin rot, if so can I put the cure in with rest of my fish?)

Answer
Hi Tom,

The Minnows may be nipping at the Platy's tail.  If you see any clouding on the tail bit that is missing (ie: it looks to have white film on it) then it could indeed be fin rot.

If it is fin rot, separate the Platy from the rest to prevent it from spreading.  Do a 25% water change in the main aquarium.

Put the Platy in a small tank with filtration, and heat.  Heat it to 80 degrees F and add 2 teaspoons of salt per gallon.  It will work great on fin rot.  Make sure the salt is marine salt or aquarium salt or rock salt.  Don't use any other kind of salt, please.

Leave her in there 3 to 5 days.  Soon as you see the cloudy tail clear up, no need to keep medicating.  Salt is a fanastic anti bacterial, anti fungal and an anti parasitic.  It works almost better than any chemical treatment on the market.

You should also grind up one clove of garlic and put it in your main aquarium.  Let the fish eat it if they like.  That will NOT harm them.  But, it will also kill any bacteria which is negative for the fish.  It will not kill the beneficial bacteria.

Happy fish-keeping.

Renee