I'm getting a bit worried about Harry - just this week, I've noticed his fins are looking a bit rough around the edges. They're all jagged and shredded, but aside from that, he seems completely normal.
I'm not sure what's going on since this is my first experience with a fish - I've had him in a cycled and heated/filtered 10g tank, all by himself, and I've been trying to give him a nice environment with live plants like swords, floating plants, and java fern.
There's nothing in the tank that seems sharp enough to cause any damage, so I'm stumped. If anyone has any advice or words of wisdom, I'd really appreciate it - I've attached some photos from today, and one from September 26th for comparison.
Betta fin rot: causes and treatment
Re: Betta fin rot: causes and treatment
I've taken a closer look at the photos you've attached, and while it's a bit tough to see, I think it's possible that Harry might be dealing with fin rot. I'd recommend giving aquarium salts a shot to see if that helps clear things up.
Since you mentioned Harry is the only fish in the tank, I'm guessing it's not fin nipping from a tankmate. However, I did notice what appears to be a spiky plant in the background of one of the photos - is that a real plant or a fake one? If it's real and attached to the decoration, I'd consider removing it to prevent any further damage to Harry's fins. You might also want to try covering any sharp edges on the decorations with some moss to give him a safer environment.
Since you mentioned Harry is the only fish in the tank, I'm guessing it's not fin nipping from a tankmate. However, I did notice what appears to be a spiky plant in the background of one of the photos - is that a real plant or a fake one? If it's real and attached to the decoration, I'd consider removing it to prevent any further damage to Harry's fins. You might also want to try covering any sharp edges on the decorations with some moss to give him a safer environment.
Re: Betta fin rot: causes and treatment
Yeah, fin rot's a possibility too. Lovely betta you've got there. Hope it gets sorted out either way.
Re: Betta fin rot: causes and treatment
To help Harry recover, I'd recommend a thorough cleaning of his tank. Start by wiping down the inside of the glass with a clean fish sponge. Then, perform a 75% water change and clean the gravel every day for the next week. This will help reduce disease organisms in the water and give Harry a better environment to heal in. Make sure to dechlorinate any new water before adding it to the tank.
If you haven't cleaned the filter in the past two weeks, now's the time to do it - but if it's less than six weeks old, leave it alone. Clean the filter media in a bucket of tank water and reuse it. Get rid of the dirty water by pouring it on your garden or lawn. This will help keep the water cleaner and reduce the number of pathogens.
Adding some salt to the tank might also be beneficial. You can use rock salt or swimming pool salt at a dose rate of one heaped tablespoon per 20 litres of water. If you don't see any improvement after 48 hours, you can double the dose. Just be sure to keep the salt level consistent for at least two weeks, but no longer than four weeks, to avoid any potential kidney damage - especially since Harry's a betta.
The good news is that the salt won't harm the beneficial filter bacteria, plants, or any other tank inhabitants. Once Harry's recovered, you can start diluting the salt out of the tank by doing 10% water changes each day for a week, followed by 20% changes the next week. Just remember to add salt to the new water before adding it to the tank to keep the levels stable and minimize stress on Harry.
If you haven't cleaned the filter in the past two weeks, now's the time to do it - but if it's less than six weeks old, leave it alone. Clean the filter media in a bucket of tank water and reuse it. Get rid of the dirty water by pouring it on your garden or lawn. This will help keep the water cleaner and reduce the number of pathogens.
Adding some salt to the tank might also be beneficial. You can use rock salt or swimming pool salt at a dose rate of one heaped tablespoon per 20 litres of water. If you don't see any improvement after 48 hours, you can double the dose. Just be sure to keep the salt level consistent for at least two weeks, but no longer than four weeks, to avoid any potential kidney damage - especially since Harry's a betta.
The good news is that the salt won't harm the beneficial filter bacteria, plants, or any other tank inhabitants. Once Harry's recovered, you can start diluting the salt out of the tank by doing 10% water changes each day for a week, followed by 20% changes the next week. Just remember to add salt to the new water before adding it to the tank to keep the levels stable and minimize stress on Harry.
Re: Betta fin rot: causes and treatment
My betta's on the mend, I did a big water change and it's like a new fish. Yesterday he was swimming sideways, getting pecked, today he's back to his feisty self, picking fights with his reflection. I'm just glad to see him active again, and I'm celebrating with a drink - not for him though.
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oceanlover - Posts: 14
- Joined: Tue Jan 18, 2022 8:15 pm
Re: Betta fin rot: causes and treatment
I think a combination of treatments could be the way to go here. Firstly, I'd recommend doing three 50% water changes to really get the tank clean and reduce any disease organisms that might be present.
After that, you could try adding some aquarium salts to the tank - make sure it's the actual aquarium salt, not table salt. The general rule of thumb is to use one rounded tablespoon of aquarium salt per five gallons of water.
From there, it's just a matter of waiting and seeing how things go - let time tell, as they say.
After that, you could try adding some aquarium salts to the tank - make sure it's the actual aquarium salt, not table salt. The general rule of thumb is to use one rounded tablespoon of aquarium salt per five gallons of water.
From there, it's just a matter of waiting and seeing how things go - let time tell, as they say.
Re: Betta fin rot: causes and treatment
My betta's still doing alright, just a few nips on his fins. I've ditched the table salt for the fish 'n' chips, it's aquarium salt all the way now.
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oceanlover - Posts: 14
- Joined: Tue Jan 18, 2022 8:15 pm
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