My fish has damaged fins. Can they regrow? How do I help him?

Hi, and thanks for your question. This is a quite concerning presentation and it is likely to be related to water quality. Begin by submitting a water sample for quality testing. Most pet stores will do this for free or a nominal fee. Clinical examination should always include a water quality check, even if you have done so already. Water testing should be performed with a quality test kit, measuring NH4, NO2 and NO3. High ammonia levels, PH imbalances may be responsible for these signs. Oxygen concentration and quality of the filters should be determined as well. If water quality is good and there are no major imbalances, your fish should get examined to look for any sign of bacterial/fungal infection and eventually water should be treated. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Thanks for reaching out about Limon and including photos. This part of the missing dorsal fin appears more trauma than infections, due to lack of abraded edges or signs of infection. Fins do re-grow. Maintain pristine water quality. Good luck.

Begin by submitting a water sample for quality testing. Most pet stores will do this for free or a nominal fee. High ammonia levels, PH imbalances may be responsible for that. Oxygen concentration and quality of the filters should be determined as well. If water quality is good and there are no major imbalances, Cosmo should examined to look for any sign of bacterial/fungal infection and eventually water should be treated. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation (where you can post pictures ) if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Thanks for reaching out about your fish. Water quality or aggression by other fish should be considered. Testing water quality for pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, correcting any problems. The fins should re-grow is the problem is corrected. Good luck.

Thank you for reaching out about your molly. Unfortunately, the fins are not very good at regenerating themselves completely, so your fish may always have a bit of a scar/missing parts of the fin. I also see that there is a potential scar/white area on the side of the body? These two together may be from this fish getting caught on something within the tank, or from trying to wedge himself into small areas where he can get caught. It would be less likely to be an infectious agent, such as a bacteria or parasite, or an environmental/water issue as the other fish appear to look okay in the photos from what I can tell. I would suggest trying to look very closely at the tank furniture and the fish's behavior to try to identify where it may be getting injured. Alternatively, you can partition out a portion of the tank for this fish to reside in for a period of time to allow the injuries to heal. This would also allow you to be able to rule out whether it is trauma from one of the other fish as well. I hope this gives you a place to start, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

This could be a bacterial or fungal infection. If there are other fish in the tank, trauma cannot be ruled out. if there are other fish, ideally Tiny should be removed to a quarantine or hospital tank for treatment. If not, you can treat Tiny in the main tank. First, confirm adequate water quality. You can use a home test kit or submit a water sample for testing. The local Petco may offer water testing for free or for a small fee. Aim for an absence (0ppm) of ammonia and nitrites with nitrates at 20ppm or less. perform partial water changes, no more than 30% total volume at a time, using conditioned and temperature matched water. Goldfish are cold water fish that do best between 68 and 74 F. The filter should be rated for at least twice the volume of the tank. Plain aquarium salt (NOT table salt) can be used to reduce stress, treat minor infection and aid in recovery. Dissolve 1 tablespoon of salt per 5 gallons in a cup or two of two of tank water and gently pour it in. Treat for 10-14 days then perform water changes to reduce salinity. Only treat the amount of water being replaced. More often than not, pristine water quality will allow recovery of minor infections or trauma. If necessary, you can use a broad spectrum antibiotic or all in one product, such as LifeGuard (Tetra) or All In One Remedy (Marineland), to treat the tank. You can find these products in the Aquarium section of the local Petco or online. Follow label directions carefully and remove the carbon filter insert during treatment.

Thanks for reaching out about your aquarium and including photos. Did you test your water quality prior to the water change? Continue to test for pH, ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. Pristine water quality is needed for health. Are any of the fish new, that could have introduced parasites? Itching/flashing can be due to water quality, external parasites, bacterial or viral infections and other causes. The white lesions on the photo could be fungal infections. A skin scrape and examination under the microscope (at a veterinarian's office) is needed for an attempt to determine a cause. Fungal infections are often secondary problems, so check water quality first. Good luck.