Is there a relationship between pH and fin rot?

Question

I have african rift cichlids. Someone told me that the pH can affect the ends of tails and fins. Any truth to that?

Answer 1

pH can affect the fins, but only in extremes of pH that would otherwise kill the fish or at the very least damage the fish badly. There is no known direct correlation between fin rot and pH. Temperature and dissolved organic solids in the water yes, but not pH.

MM

Answer 2

The pH of the Rift Lakes in Africa is about the same as sea water(8.3) if your cichlids are in water anywhere near this then certainly no relationship between pH and fin rot exists. If the pH is significantly lower than this,but still above 7.0 then there is also probably not a problem if you are not trying to breed the fish. If the pH is much lower than 7.0 then there could be problems such as fin rot,not directly related to pH, but related to the fish living in water that is so different from that in which they evolved. Fin rot usually is started by ammonia burns or physical injuries,and is secondary to such a trauma. Bottom line, keep the water clean,and don't crowd the fish and fin rot won't be a problem. If your friend had a outbreak of fin rot after a pH plunge it was caused by dirty water.(ammonia)--------Hope this helps.----PeeTee

Answer 3

African cichlids can handle pH from 7-9. I don't believe it has any effect on fin rot. The problem is that in a high pH, the ammonia in the water becomes more problematic.

Answer 4

Treatment :
Correct root cause

Water change

Treat with antibiotics

Addition of aquarium salt

Fin rot is caused by one of several gram negative bacteria. Several anitiboitics are effective, however the root cause must be addressed as well.

Fin rot occurs when the fish is stressed for some reason. The most common cause is poor water quality. Overcrowding the tank, feeding outdated food or overfeeding, and moving or handling the fish can also cause stress leading to fin rot.
Treatment should include a water change, and careful examination of the aquarium conditions. If there is food debris, vaccumm the gravel and take care to avoid overfeeding. Start dating your fish food, as it loses the vitamin content fairly quickly after it is opened. Feeding fish fresh, high quality food, in smaller quantities is far better than frequent large feedings of stale foods.
Check the pH and water temperature of the water, and make sure it is appropriate for your fish. Incorrect pH is very stressful for fish, and can lead to disease. Low water temperatures, particularly in fish with long flowing fins, can trigger fin rot.


good luck to you.

Answer 5

Directly, no. Incorrect ph does not directly cause fin rot, but, it could be a symptom of poor water quality. If you find that your ph is out of balance, this should cause you to wonder what else may be out of balance. You should want to test your water quality when you see things falling out of balance. Chances are, there will be something in your water quality that is less than ideal. If your other water quality parameters are out of order, i.e., ammonia, nitrites and/or nitrates, then these can cause fin rot most definitely.

Answer 6

Yes and No,

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