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I have a couple keyholes that after I blacked out my tank, had torn fins and a few missing scales. What to I do about this? Do I treat it or let it heal on its own? I dont think its fin rot because its not white around the edges. I think they got picked on since they are the smallest in the tank.

Thanks

i dont know if this treatment is only fot bettas or... but i use salt and a little mela fix, underdose it though

Blacking out a tank for any long period of time is an invitation to disrupt and stress fish...

I would suggest it not be done.

Torn fins are commonplace with tropicals. If water conditions are real good the fins will regenerate and become healthy once again without any intervention.

They may never look the same again but that's the way of nature.

--garyroland.

Thanks Gary for replying to my thread. Its good to know that I dont have to treat them with medicine. Hopefully for now anyway!

SO far the tank has remained crystal clear but when I was doing the black out, I was worried about something happening to the fish. The keyholes appear to be the only one effected by it.

I assume you were blacking out the tank to get rid of green water. That's one of the only methods of getting rid of it, besides not getting it in the first place, that is free. Total darkness for a few days isn't the least stressful thing, but swimming in a green fog not hardly being able to see your food can't be much less stressful.

I've had keyholes for awhile now, and given their predisposition to stress I would agree they should be left alone, but I would keep a look out for secondary bacterial or fungal infections.

As I've often said before...

My eight large adult black Angels are scrappers supreme.

Constantly tearing up each other, especially at spawning time, you can watch the scales flying and almost hear the fins ripping.

But, simply, the damage heals within a period of time, no meds, and the Angels are soon ready for more war games.

I should charge admission.

--garyroland.

If you want torn fins to heal up faster, you could always use melafix and it's "all natural" so I assume it would be ok for the tank, but I could be wrong.

Jake...your advice solved my green water problem...thanks!

I will just watch the keyholes for infection. Thanks again for the adivce you guys! I have learned so much from this board.

Total darkness is not a cure for algae...

It will be back.

--garyroland.

It didn't cure it but it killed it I havent seen my tank this clear in a couple of months.

[span class="edited"][Edited by songbird1963 2004-07-06 07:21][/span]

If you'll balance your tank bacterially by the use of a bio wheel type filter and The New Improved Cycle, algae will be eradicated within a month or two unless your nitrates are testing too high.

--garyroland.

Gary...I did and have that stuff. I have 2 Emporer 400's on a 55 Gallon tank which means 4 well seeded filter media and established bio wheels. I dont let the Nitrates go over 25 if even that. That is why I was puzzeled by the green water in the first place.

Im sure my problem was over feeding and too much light in the room. So I am resolving those problems. I dont think I could wait a couple months for the green water to go away. It stinks to high heaven and I couldnt see the fish.

By making beneficial bacteria dominant, other strains such as algae and many pathogens are denied their building blocks of life.

New tanks often suffer from algae breakouts until a bacterial balance is achieved.

For some reason your tank has not reached that balance. Normal lighting conditions would not contribute to algae blooms unless the tank is sitting in front of a window.

If you're overcleaning your tank, you can bet the bacteria balance would be affected. A couple of algae eaters would help also.

Dose the Cycle on a weekly basis, as directed on the bottle, to keep algae arrested.

--garyroland.

Thanks for all the info Gary! I guess you gotta try a bunch of different things to find out what it is. I could have been cleaning it too much...:%) who knows. Sooner or later Im gonna have to get to the bottom of things because there wont be anything else to try