Best fin rot treatment (betta)

I've got a 15 gallon (60 litre) tank with 1 female betta, 2 corydora and some snails. My betta's fins have been deteriorating over the last few weeks, even though water quality is good and i added in some catappa leaves.
Are there any good treatments, for what I'd call fairly bad fin rot. Preferably one that I can put in the tank with the Cory's and snails as I think it would be added stress to move her, although I do have a 5 gallon I can use as a hospital tank if absolutely necessary.
Thank you in advance!

 

Bettas are tough. So much to go wrong. I’d put it in 5g with all water from 15g and start with a tbs of salt. Change water daily. Salt and clean water should clear it up. I had an angel that fin rot spread very quickly. Like 2 days and nothing left. I did what I wrote and it mode a full recovery.

 

I usually do that without salt on my bettas and it works pretty well, too. Also sometimes using stress coat instead of salt can help as well.

 

One more thing that you can do is feed gel food with calcium and high protien. You could buy repashy or even better, make gel food yourself.
get a glass pan, or a silicone mold with many slots.
grind up some tums, a boiled egg, a small piece of broccoli with florets and stem, a little bit of carrot, a small peice of crushed garlic, a peice af grocery store fish, and a grocery store shrimp, You want 20 percent veg and 80 percent meat. I added cricket flower and spirulina powder, you can also get insect larvae, dandelion flower, etc.
Mix your lovely-looking milk shake with very hot gelatine, "use half the water as the package calls for. and keep it in the fridge or freezer until use.

 

Thank you all for your replies! Would it be worth putting stress coat in the original 15 gallon and doing daily water changes + gel food, to see if it improves, before the quarantine tank. Or would you advise the salt ASAP.
In the quarantine tank could I do 50% water changes every day.

I've got one absolutely tiny sponge filter that I can use in the 5 gallon (it's in the 15 atm). I've also got some of the same mini filters but not used/no beneficial bacteria.
Edit: I've done some research and also found waterlife myxazin. Would this be better than aquarium salt? Sorry for so many questions but I just really want to do the best thing.

 

I've ordered the aquarium salt and myxazin.
My plan is to fully clean out the hospital tank today. Then (if the aquarium salt arrives in time) I'll fill up the tank with water and put salt in it tomorrow, before putting my betta in.
How do I acclimatize my betta to the new tank? Do I put her in when it's just the original water and then add the salt in when she's already in it?
Basically do I add the salt in before or after she's in the tank? And if before how do I acclimatize her to it?
If the salt doesn't work after the recommended time, I will try with the myxazin.

Today she seems to be less active. I'm hoping it's just because of her fins and not because of an underlying issue. I'll try and get some more photos. I may also do another small water change on the 15 gallon today, if I have time, although I did do a reasonable water change yesterday.

 

Hi,

I thought that I would jump in and give some recommendations, which I hope will help.

I usually dissolve the aquarium salt in a glass using some tank water, and then add it to the tank. You can simply move her to the new tank since the water is the same as what you keep her in, and only the aquarium salt is new. Just make sure that the temp in the new tank is matched to the temp in the original tank. Every betta that I have ever owned has been able to withstand aquarium salt, so it should not shock her, as long as you are using the prescribed dose, usually found on the package. (I think what I use says one tablespoon per 5 gallons of water, or a half of a teaspoon for every gallon, whichever one works best).

When you do your small, frequent water changes, make sure that you only add back the amount of aquarium salt that might have been removed from the water changes. Aquarium salt is only removed through water changes, and you wouldn't want to accidentally over dose with aquarium salt.

I would use aquarium salt for about two weeks, and then see if she is starting to heal. I usually don't recommend using aquarium salt for more than 2 weeks at a time. If it is over used, it becomes ineffective.

I had to research to see what the active ingredients were in Myxazin, and it has malachite green and acriflavin, both used to treat funal and bacterial and in some cases, parasitic, problems. If you end up having to use it, it looks like it should help.

The med I like to use for fin and body issues is methylene blue, in case the aquarium salt, water changes, or Maxazin end up not helping. But for the most part, I have had great success with water changes and aquarium salt when it comes to fin issues.

I hope this helps! Keep us updated!

 

Thank you so much, that really helps!
I've given the hospital tank a good clean out so it's ready to use whenever the salt arrives (hopefully tomorrow).
I'll make sure to keep you updated.

 

Any type of salt works. Cheapest is pool salt. Easiest to find is common un iodized salt from your grocery store. Aquarium salt is really a rip off.

 

Help! I put my betta in a hospital tank with aquarium salt on Monday, doing at least a 50% waterchange every day. She had began to be more lethargic, but I hoped that that was just because of her fins. Her fins didn't seem to be getting any better, but not too much worse either. Now her scales have started pineconing! Im not sure what to do. Here are the medications I've got on hand:
. Aquarium salt
. Methylene blue
. Octozin (hole in the head and bloat)
. Swim bladder treatment (interpet)
. Myxazin (fin rot, ulcer anc bacterial infections)
Please help, I'm not sure what to do, I might create a new thread too. I don't know whether to keep using the salt, or to do a 100% waterchange to get it out, or to use salt alongside another medication. I'm really not sure, but I want to do whatever I can to try and save bean.

I've attached some photos, as I'm pretty sure it's pineconing but would be great for some other opinions. Also so you can see the severity.

Edit: she is also still eating as usual.

 

Hi,

I am so sorry that Bean is not doing better!!!!

I am seeing some slight pineconing on her body in the pics. And that is an indication of dropsy. Unfortunately, I personally have never been able to bring back a betta once the pineconing starts. It's an indication of organ failure, and once that happens, I have found that the damage can't be reversed.

The most common and recommended treatments involve an antibiotic that treats gram negative bacteria, like kanamycin (Kanaplex by Seachem), or maybe Maracyn 2 (minocycline), as both of those treat internal bacterial infections. Aquarium salt and methylene blue are also recommended in addition to the antibiotics. I am not certain what meds you have available to you in the way of anitbiotics, but if you can find one that treats internal gram negative bacteria, that is what you should use.

Epsom salt baths are also recommended to treat some of the swelling, but I don't know how effective that is. It is said that it will help pull out some of the fluid build up, but again, it never had much of an effect on my sick bettas, and it did cause more stress. But if you want to try it, use only pure, unscented epsom salt. Dissolve one tablespoon of epsom salt into one gallon of treated, heated tank water in a separate container. If the fish poops right away, take her out. That is an extreme stress response. If she settles down well in the bath, leave her for 15 minutes.

If she is still eating, then feeding her really high quality foods might help her immune system a little. Frozen daphnia comes to mind, or frozen brine shrimp. If you can't get either of those, soak her pellets in garlic juice for an immune boost. You can cut up some garlic, soak the pieces in water for a bit, and then use the water to soak her food.

Keep her warm, and as stress free as possible. And if she gets to the point where she can't breathe, then it is more humane to euthanize at that point.

 

Would either of these medications treat gram negative bacteria:
. Water life myxazin - ingredients: malachite green, acriflavine hydrochloride, formaldehyde (stabilizer)
. Water life octozin - ingredients: dimetridazole
Those are the 2 I have that sound closest. As far as I can see I can't get either of the medications you mentioned in the UK ):

My current plan is:
Keep bean in the tank with aquarium salt + chosen antibiotic. 50% water changes every 2 days. Should I put the methylene blue in the tank with these or do dips/baths with it?

Thank you so much for your help. I'll keep looking for medications that treat gram negative bacteria.

Edit: Ok so I can't seem to find any medications that treat gram negative bacteria in the Uk. Most of the treatments for dropsy (kanaplex etc.) aren't available here with is really annoying.
Do you think I'd have the best shot with the myxazin or the octozin?

 

I'm so sorry that it is hard to get antibiotics in the UK. I know that there are a few countries that are the same.

If I had to pick one of those two, I would pick the myxazin because of the acriflavin. It is used to help fight against some fungal and bacterial infections. I would not dose the tank with methylene blue and the myxazin. I would keep using the methylene blue in a bath, and use the myxazin in the hospital tank with some aquarium salt.

If she is having trouble swimming, you might want to lower the water level for her so she won't have to strain so much to get to the top for air.

I do hope that she bounces back!!! Sending you good thoughts!!!

 

I've added in the first does of myxazin. It says to dose once a day for 5 days, which is a bit inconvenient as then I can't do water changes.
I'm also soaking garlic in some water for her food.
I haven't done any Methelyn blue dips yet as I'm worried about stressing her out too much.

 

I totally understand. I am sure the entire situation is stressful!!!

Is she an older betta?

 

No actually, I only got her at the start of January/late December, which makes it even sadder that she's Ill ):

Thank you so much for all your help and advice, it's really helpful!

 

I dont have any advice to offer, but good luck to you and your betta!! Hopefully she recovers!!!

 

I'm afraid bean passed away a few day ago, she will be missed a lot

Thank you all so much for your advice, especially Rose of Sharon , it was much appreciated as I would have had no idea what to do otherwise.
I think I just realised it too late for her to recover unfortunately.

 

I am so sorry for your loss!!!!

SIP, little Bean!!!!