Peppermint Pleco Fin Rot?

Question
Hi Jaymie,

I recently bought some 3-4cm Peppermint plecos and placed them in a tank with some baby Kribensis Cichlids.
I had noticed one of my female, mature Kribensis had a case of fin rot, and after a few days the fish died. Also, one of my Peppermint Plecos died with symptoms of - eaten away fins, webbed fins dissapearance (like fin rot symptoms).
I decided that I would treat the fish for Finrot with MYXAZIN DOUBLE STRENGTH. I only put half dosage into the tank, as I know that Peppermint Plecos get irritated with high levels of such medicine.

Could you please tell me if I have done the right thing to counter the symptoms of this apparent Fin rot?
Should I dose the tank with half dose for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 6th days as written on the bottle? (on the bottle it just says 1 dose of 2.5ml, however I am applying half of this dose).
Should I stop Medicating the Pep's after the 6 day period, or should I repeat this doing again for another 6 days?
And lastly, Is fin rot and related diseases common in Peppermint catfish?

Thankyou very much, and I hope to hear from you soon.
Jeremy

Answer
Jeremy,

Sorry to hear about the problem you are having. Since you are giving him/her half the dose then yes I would do a back to back 6 day treatment. Also, keep a close eye on the catfish while doing treatments so that if a problem arises you can take care right away. I would also like to suggest that when you bring a new fish home, quarantine him for at least 2 weeks. That way if the new fish are sick, you won't contaminate the community tank. Also, do not add the water that your fish came in to the water in the tank he is going in. That way, if there is a problem, you are not adding it to your tank.

Fin rot occurs when the fish is stressed. The most common cause is poor water quality. Overfeeding, overcrowded tanks, and handling of your fish can also cause fin rot. To help prevent fin rot, make sure you do water changes every week, and test the water to make sure all is ok. Try not to over feed. It is better to have a few smaller feedings during the day than a large feeding once a day. I hope this helps.