Fin rot treatment and apple snails?

[GallumDrawnAndQuartered]

Anyone know if I can treat my fish without killing my snails?

[EauRouge]

You should be able to but don't treat for finrot unless you know that is the problem. Even if your fish do have fin rot then it could just be a secondary infection related to water quality. Get the water checked out first before you treat for anything. Can you see any fungus on their fins?

Melafix and Pimafix are good natural treatments for minor illnesses but if you need something with a bit more kick then the Waterlife treatments are best. The Interpet ones are crap.

[GallumDrawnAndQuartered]

hmmmmmm. now fish is dead (and partially eaten by said snails). There wasn't any obvious fungus, no white patches or anything but her tal went all ragged and battered. very quick - during one day.

The other 2 fish look fine. have been in there a few weeks and the tank was going a few weeks before that. Dead fish and snails were recent additions.

I've put some water to stand for a half change - do you think that will be enough?

[EauRouge]

That's a shame :(

A 50% change should do for now but you need to get a test kit to be sure. Did you add anything to the tank before it was empty? A cycle needs a source of ammonia to kick start it, most people either use fish food or household ammonia. If you didn't add anything then the cycle would have started once you added the fish.

What sort of fish are they and how big is the tank?

[GallumDrawnAndQuartered]

I did a few weeks of feeding before adding the fish. they are small fancy goldfish. tank is 40l ish.

Will get test kit tomorrow.

[EauRouge]

That's good then, it should have been at least partly cycled by the time you added them. Have you been warned about how big they get? 2 fancy goldfish will need a tank of 40 gallons (180 litres) and some pretty serious filtration. They don't all grow up to be Bruce but you never know! Tennis-ball size is pretty normal for fancy goldfish.

[GallumDrawnAndQuartered]

I shall get bigger tanks as they grow. DH needed breaking in to the idea slowly. He won't notice small inceases in size until it's too late and I have a massive huge tank

[EauRouge]

I wouldn't recommend that, it's near enough impossible to tell when they are becoming stunted, by the time you notice then the damage is already done. Fancy goldfish are especially at risk because of their shape, their organs are already all squashed up.

I do sympathise with having to talk a DH around though, I once set up a bigger tank while my DH was away on a business trip not that I want to give you any ideas!