How to manage sores / rot

• When you see a rotten fin, don't just treat the rotten fin
  
• Disease is a synergy of the Pond, the Bug, and the Host.
  
• Most people just treat the bug. And fail.

Injections will be the only way to save the bacterially infected fish that will not eat.

I strenuously recommend that you obtain the necessary injectable antibiotics and the syringes and needles, and commence injections immediately.

Consider the following when undertaking this.

Soaking him in a bath of antibiotics is a last resort, but will not save valuable fish lives. antibacterial bath or topical treatment, however, is different.

antibacterial bath or topical treatment is a dip which kills bacteria on contact and I think you could be effective with antibacterial bath or topical treatment and medicated food.

One recommendation that certainly would not hurt, and can be easily followed-through on: You could go to Pondrx.com, and get a medicated food by Aquameds. It is called Medikoi Medicated. Now, I do not necessarily think the fish has a parasite, but the active ingredient in that food Trimethoprim Sulfa, Kanamycin and a Quinolone. That's the best combination for fish infections. I'd feed this for 14 days.

Improving the overall health of the pond is CRITICAL to your success. If you neglect conditions which influence bacterial infections, your fish will die no MATTER how many medications you use. Here's a list of the conditions which must be corrected before ANY success will be had:

• Crowding
  
• Poor water
  
• Extreme chilling
  
• Overfeeding
  
• Accumulation of organics
  
• High Nitrites and nitrates
  
• Parasitism
  

There is little doubt that the average hobbyist would be best served to combine MediKoi medicated food and antibacterial bath or topical treatment together to recover their fish. Not only are the treatments effective, they are also cost effective.

Tailrot is just one form of bacterial
infection common in Koi and Goldfish