Torn or V shape on fins

[NickKhoo]

Hi everyone,

Okie, this problem has been bothering me everytime when I get a batch of juveniles. I have attached the sample of how the fins looked like. Sometimes, it looked even worst....there's a huge V shape on the fins. I cut them off, soak them in medication and a few of them did turned out nice. But there's too much hassle involved. Anyway if I could rectify the problem? Some breeders told me that its due to lack of minerals or high ph.
Thanks in advance.

[Jeff]

1st nice ring leopard!

2nd High Ph will not cause this. Lack of minerals possibly. I could see how that could affect the development of fins.

By the way are you running any kind of carbon filteration to pretreat the water?

[NickKhoo]

Hi Jeff,

That was an instant reply!!! Thanks a bunch! Nope, that's not my fish, but I stole part of the pic to show you guys exactly how it looked like..lol..lol...
Yes, my water goes through a rocket filter wif activated carbon in it. Could it be due to the carbon? There's only carbon and sand in the rocket filter.

[Jeff]

Dump the rocket filter and the problems go away

[NickKhoo]

Dump?? Jeff, I just bought that thing like a few months back only. Okie, can I add in some minerals into the water to rectify the problem? Or any vitamins and mineral tablets (for human consumption) for my beefheart?
Thanks a bunch, jeff...appreciate your advice, mate!

[April]

i think if you add the minerals..the carbon will remove them again.
Discus dont do well with carbon. carbon has even been suspected of causing hole in the head.
just daily water changes and sponge filters are good enough for discus.

[tlum]

Please tell me more about the carbon filter and discus. Particular, the relation between carbon filter and HITH. I do not use any carbon in my filter, but all my water go througt a wholehouse filter (sentiment and carbon) to remove chlorine before it gets into my tanks. I just discovered yesterday that some of my juvs have HITH problems and is not under metro treatment. Please give me more information.

Terry

[Jeff]

Well the cat is out now. LOL

I do the same. I run all my water through a sediment filter and then carbon blocks to remove chlorine. I have to. It's far to expensive to use a liquid dechlorinater to remove chlorine. It does cause slight what looks like HTIH in some discus after prolonged exposure (usually several months). Treating it does not work. It will not fix it. If you take them off of the carbon they come back to normal no problem. I find my blue discus do the worst with the carbon than any other color. They do not get holes if you look closely, they just lose small patches of color in the head area. It has no effect on the discus that I can see. Some I have had that way now for over 2 years. It's just a trade off. I need the carbon to do as much water changes as I do, so this is something I live with.

But for sure running carbon on a discus thank all the time is a no no.

[babyjess210]

Hey Nick
Here is a snakeskin (lower right) that was a cull that a breeder gave me when I ordered some juvies.

[babyjess210]

Here is the same fish a month later with calcium added to BH and lots of WC. I don't know if the calcium help.

Kenny