fins damaged, what's the cause?

[wildflora]

I recently adopted a Betta from PetSmart and I'm absolutely loving him - the experience of having one at the office really drew me in. He seems super healthy and happy, even building a bubble nest within two days of being in his new home.

I do have some concerns about his fins, though. The cup said he's a Half Moon Betta, but his top fin doesn't quite match the pictures I've seen. I'm wondering if this is because he's a mix or if it's due to fin damage. Any thoughts on whether it'll heal or if this is just his natural look? If it is damaged, is there anything I can do to help the healing process? He's currently in a 3.5 gallon tank with a heater and filter.

[Fablet]

I recently adopted a Betta from PetSmart and I'm absolutely loving him - the experience of having one at the office really drew me in. He seems super healthy and happy, even building a bubble nest within two days of being in his new home.

I do have some concerns about his fins, though. The cup said he's a Half Moon Betta, but his top fin doesn't quite match the pictures I've seen. I'm wondering if this is because he's a mix or if it's due to fin damage. Any thoughts on whether it'll heal or if this is just his natural look? If it is damaged, is there anything I can do to help the healing process? He's currently in a 3.5 gallon tank with a heater and filter.

Welcome to the forum, let's get started. I've taken a look at the picture, but I'd love a bit more info - is the darker edging along his fins dark brown or black in color? If that's the case, it's likely fin rot. I also noticed the spikey fake plants in the background, and I've got to advise you to replace those ASAP. Pointed or sharp-edged decor can be a real hazard for betta, especially with their long, trailing fins. I've had great luck with live plants like Anubias and hornwort, and adding some floating plants can help diffuse the lighting.

Could you tell me a bit more about your tank setup? How long has it been running, and what's your maintenance routine like? Specifically, I'd love to know your water change schedule and parameter readings - nitrates, nitrites, alkalinity, and ammonia.

[reelmaster]

Welcome to the forum. I'm thinking it might be fin rot, would you be able to get a better picture of his fins? If it is fin rot, it's probably from PetSmart - they don't always take the best care of their bettas. Your guy is a beautiful fish, though. The sharp-edged plants in his tank could also be the culprit - they can easily rip a betta's delicate fins. For bettas, I'd recommend using live plants and sand as a substrate. It's just easier on their fins, and it's more natural, which they seem to like. Plus, it's less risky than using plastic plants.

[wildflora]

Thanks for the replies. I've taken another look at my betta's fins, and I think the dark edging might just be part of his coloring - it seems to match the deep purple-blue of his body. The plants are actually silk, so they're soft-edged and shouldn't be causing any damage.

I did set him up in a new, uncycled tank a couple of weeks ago, but he seemed to be doing great. However, after a 50% water change and plant cleaning with conditioned water yesterday, he's been looking pretty stressed today. He's got that classic "stress face" and is lurking at the bottom of the tank, and he didn't even eat his breakfast. I'm a bit worried, to be honest. I still need to get a test kit, so I don't have any specific water values to share yet.

[goldminer]

I'm still figuring things out, so I haven't established a regular water change schedule yet. I did a 50% change recently, but I'm not sure what the ideal frequency is for my little guy. I'll definitely look into it and try to get a test kit to keep an eye on the water quality.

[reelmaster]

Could be an ammonia spike, possibly. Don't know for sure, but in a small tank like that, it should cycle pretty quickly.

[goldminer]

I'd disagree, small tanks can be notoriously tricky to cycle, especially if they're not properly set up or maintained.

[wildflora]

Just got the API test strips and here are the results:
GH is at 0, KH is 40, pH is 7.5, and both NO2 and NO3 are at 0.

I'm relieved to see that my little guy's colouring has improved, and he's back to his normal self, so maybe the stress of the water change was just getting to him.

Still, I'm curious about his fins - does anyone think his top fin will fill out, or is that just his natural shape?

[reelmaster]

I think it was probably just stress from the water change, that's my guess. For the fins though, I'm still thinking it could've been from the petstore, or maybe one of the decorations in his tank. Like I said before, I'd definitely recommend switching to live plants, they're way gentler on betta fins.

[oceanrider]

I agree that spiky plants can be a hazard, my sibling's Betta had them and I'm pretty sure it damaged its fins. I think it's a good idea to replace them with plants that have softer edges, like live plants or floating plants, to prevent any further damage to your Betta's fins.