10 Gallon Tank Beta Fin Rot

Hi everyone!!! I noticed a slight fin rot happening (I think its mild , help me out guys) and I'm at a loss on how to cure it. So far, I did a 30% water change, cleaned the filter and siphoned the gravel. I purchased API aquarium salt and followed the instructions so I added 2 tablespoons of aquarium salt. It has been one day since I put the salt in and I think his fins are looking slightly worse. I am in Canada as well so I think some medications aren't available here. I am feeding him freeze dried blood worms twice a day, 12 hours apart and I feed him 2-3 small pieces each time. His behaviour is still the same, I noticed he swims at the glass quite a bit but keeping the lights off has helped with that [ unfortunate for my plants though]. Water temp is around 77.2-77.4.

What do I do now? I've read elsewhere to wait 4-5 days and then up the dosage if he stays the same. I'm a really worried fish mom right now and am anxious to see him looking better again. I've only had him for almost a month now.

Just a side note: this website Aquarium Salt: When and How to Use It Properly says minimum 1 tablespoon of salt / 3 gallons and a few other websites say 1 tablespoon/gallon. So I'm confused on what dosage is correct.

 

Beautiful betta! I am not too sure about rot fin but there are plenty of great people to hopefully help you out!

 

Beautiful betta! I am not too sure about rot fin but there are plenty of great people to hopefully help you out!

thank you He is very stressed right now, I hope he's gonna be okay.

Hi everyone, I noticed my beta's tail was looking a little strange on Sunday but on Monday found it that he has fin rot.I did to water changes (another one coming today) and added 2 tablespoons of aquarium salt to the tank as per instructions on the API aquarium salt box. Since adding the salt on Monday, he is only looking worse.

Should I up the salt concentration with my water change today? At first his behaviour was normal but he seems very stressed now so I'm trying to leave him alone as. much as possible. Online sources keep saying different things so I'm confused on how to proceed and just want my beta boy to be better.

Also I'm in Canada so I don't have access to the same medications. I added a picture from yesterday.

 

I would do a 50% water change and add in some Indian almond leaves. Unless the fin rot is really bad (which for your betta it isn’t) just water changes along with Indian almond leaves should help clear it up.

 

I would do a 50% water change and add in some Indian almond leaves. Unless the fin rot is really bad (which for your betta it isn’t) just water changes along with Indian almond leaves should help clear it up.

Any other suggestions if I can't access one of those leaves? How long does it usually take to clear up fin rot?

actually I may be able to get a leaf tomorrow. when I do my water change today though, should I add more salt to up the concentration, add salt to maintain what I have (which doesn't seem to be helping) or don't add any more salt at all?

 

Any other suggestions if I can't access one of those leaves? How long does it usually take to clear up fin rot?

actually I may be able to get a leaf tomorrow. when I do my water change today though, should I add more salt to up the concentration, add salt to maintain what I have (which doesn't seem to be helping) or don't add any more salt at all?

My guess is you’ll be able to access the leaves. They aren’t very hard to get. Otherwise you could get some mopani wood (leaches tannins like crazy) to get some tannins in your tank. If you can access the leaves or mopani wood to get tannins It should clear up within 2-3 weeks if you do 30% water changes every 2-3 days . No need to add more salt.

 

You say in the aquarium details you don’t know about the nitrogen cycle. Is this a new tank that hasn’t cycled or have you had it for a while? If it isn’t cycled then ammonia in your tank could be the reason for your problems. Right now I would be doing frequent water changes to keep your water super clean and test the water. So long as you have crystal clear water fin rot that’s this mild will probably clear up on its own. No more salt if it seems to be stressing him out.

 

You say in the aquarium details you don’t know about the nitrogen cycle. Is this a new tank that hasn’t cycled or have you had it for a while? If it isn’t cycled then ammonia in your tank could be the reason for your problems. Right now I would be doing frequent water changes to keep your water super clean and test the water. So long as you have crystal clear water fin rot that’s this mild will probably clear up on its own. No more salt if it seems to be stressing him out.

okay yeah I won't add anymore salt because he's acting really stressed. I've had my tank for maybe 2 months now but I've had my beta for almost a month. a testing kit should be arriving soon so I can make sure my water is okay. Before I got him, my bf tested my water and ammonia was low but the last step in the cycle was quite high. since then, I've removed plastic decorations and gotten plants. I also do a water change every 3-4 days. Right now I'm doing a water change every 2-3 days.

My guess is you’ll be able to access the leaves. They aren’t very hard to get. Otherwise you could get some mopani wood (leaches tannins like crazy) to get some tannins in your tank. If you can access the leaves or mopani wood to get tannins It should clear up within 2-3 weeks if you do 30% water changes every 2-3 days . No need to add more salt.

thanks so much ! I'll be getting the leaves tomorrow. Really hoping the water change will help calm him down, I've never seen him this stressed before

 

You say in the aquarium details you don’t know about the nitrogen cycle. Is this a new tank that hasn’t cycled or have you had it for a while? If it isn’t cycled then ammonia in your tank could be the reason for your problems. Right now I would be doing frequent water changes to keep your water super clean and test the water. So long as you have crystal clear water fin rot that’s this mild will probably clear up on its own. No more salt if it seems to be stressing him out.

I just googled it and apparently aquarium salt is suppose to lower stress but he seems way more stressed. any idea why?

 

Some kinds of fish tolerate salt better than others. I’ve never used salt with a betta personally but I’ve read that they can tolerate it pretty well, however I wouldn’t be using it as a way to lower stress, only as a kind of medication. For stress I would keep the lighting low and the water pristine, do a water change to take out the salt as I do not believe it is necessary to treat the fin rot and if it’s stressing him out it will only make the infection worse. Glad to see you are getting a test kit.

 

You say in the aquarium details you don’t know about the nitrogen cycle. Is this a new tank that hasn’t cycled or have you had it for a while? If it isn’t cycled then ammonia in your tank could be the reason for your problems. Right now I would be doing frequent water changes to keep your water super clean and test the water. So long as you have crystal clear water fin rot that’s this mild will probably clear up on its own. No more salt if it seems to be stressing him out.

is this still considered mild? I think his fins are looking worse.

 

is this still considered mild? I think his fins are looking worse.

Still seems mild to me. Water changes and tannins should clear it up

 

Still seems mild to me. Water changes and tannins should clear it up

Hey there so, i put the leaf in yesterday and have been doing water changes everyday. I fed him this morning and he looked fine. I’m going to do a water change right now when i notice a big white spot by his eye i don’t know what’s going on

 

Does it look fuzzy? My guess is he scraped himself. It might clear up within 1-2 weeks but it could also require meds, depending on if it starts spreading.

 

Does it look fuzzy? My guess is he scraped himself. It might clear up within 1-2 weeks but it could also require meds, depending on if it starts spreading.

It looks shiny. I’m worried it’s columnaris

 

It looks shiny. I’m worried it’s columnaris
It’s really weird because he looked fine 6 hours ago

 

Hi! To me, it looks like your fish has just bumped his head on something. No worries, with clean water he will heal on his own.

as for the fin rot, the main cause is from poor water quality. What are your parameters? This is key to getting him healthy again.

I suggest doing ~50% water changes every other day, unless the parameters are so bad that they need more. And instead of leaving the leaf in the water, boil it until the water is a tea color and then add the water to your tank once it cools. It should turn your tank a nice golden color.

I do also have some concerns about your fish’s diet, which can affect his immune system. Feeding only freeze dried blood worms is not a good enough diet to keep your fish healthy. He needs either a variety of frozen foods or a high quality staple pellet, such as New Life Specteum. Pellets plus frozen foods would be ideal. What your fish is eating is similar to a human only eating potato chips and nothing else. A poor diet can result in a compromised immune system, thus making him susceptible to getting sick.

 

Hi! To me, it looks like your fish has just bumped his head on something. No worries, with clean water he will heal on his own.

as for the fin rot, the main cause is from poor water quality. What are your parameters? This is key to getting him healthy again.

I suggest doing ~50% water changes every other day, unless the parameters are so bad that they need more. And instead of leaving the leaf in the water, boil it until the water is a tea color and then add the water to your tank once it cools. It should turn your tank a nice golden color.

I do also have some concerns about your fish’s diet, which can affect his immune system. Feeding only freeze dried blood worms is not a good enough diet to keep your fish healthy. He needs either a variety of frozen foods or a high quality staple pellet, such as New Life Specteum. Pellets plus frozen foods would be ideal. What your fish is eating is similar to a human only eating potato chips and nothing else. A poor diet can result in a compromised immune system, thus making him susceptible to getting sick.

So, I have no clue what my water parameters are as I never got a testing kit as I got this fish spur of the moment. Looking back on this, it was a really bad idea. My water was tested before I got him , and since getting him I do water changes every 3 days. While I was doing frequent water changes, I forgot to clean my filter since I got him(3 weeks to a month) which I suspect is one of the reasons he is now sick. I've ordered a testing kit but it has yet to come in the mail. If I knew it would take this long I would've tried to find one at the store by me [they were all out of stock] but its too late to cancel the order now.

I have been doing 30% water changes everyday and bought 5 almond leaves, one which is in the tank. So with that being said, should I remove it and boil it? Do I need to remove the chlorine from this water or does boiling to remove that? If I'm doing water changes everyday I don't think the almond leaves will last very long. Should I stop using the aquarium salt? I've been using it since Monday and no improvements.

Thats disappointing to hear I haven't been feeding him well when the person at the store recommended that food Would you recommend the Aqueon Beta Pellets or the Fluval Bug Bites Beta Pelets?

This whole process has showed me that I was really unprepared to get this fish and now I feel terrible that he's not doing well. I realize that maybe this hobby isn't for me right now as its a financial & emotional strain as a student. Regardless , I really want my beta boy to get better and am willing to try whatever I can.

 

Don’t feel bad!! It happens to the best of us.

So, I have no clue what my water parameters are as I never got a testing kit as I got this fish spur of the moment. Looking back on this, it was a really bad idea. My water was tested before I got him , and since getting him I do water changes every 3 days. While I was doing frequent water changes, I forgot to clean my filter since I got him(3 weeks to a month) which I suspect is one of the reasons he is now sick. I've ordered a testing kit but it has yet to come in the mail. If I knew it would take this long I would've tried to find one at the store by me [they were all out of stock] but its too late to cancel the order now.

I have been doing 30% water changes everyday and bought 5 almond leaves, one which is in the tank. So with that being said, should I remove it and boil it? Do I need to remove the chlorine from this water or does boiling to remove that? If I'm doing water changes everyday I don't think the almond leaves will last very long. Should I stop using the aquarium salt? I've been using it since Monday and no improvements.

Thats disappointing to hear I haven't been feeding him well when the person at the store recommended that food Would you recommend the Aqueon Beta Pellets or the Fluval Bug Bites Beta Pelets?

This whole process has showed me that I was really unprepared to get this fish and now I feel terrible that he's not doing well. I realize that maybe this hobby isn't for me right now as its a financial & emotional strain as a student. Regardless , I really want my beta boy to get better and am willing to try whatever I can.

Have no worries!! I started off with a spur-of-the-moment betta, and I still have him 3 years later! So, another question that you might have already answered but I can’t remember, is what is the size of your tank, as in how many gallons?


i would say your water change schedule did right now is good depending on the size of the tank. Especially since you don’t know how bad the water is. Another question: what are you using to dechlorinate your water? I also see you don’t knowwhat the nitrogen cycle is, so I’ll try to explain it real quick:

when your fish eats, breathes, poops, or has leftover food, he releases ammonia. This is extremely toxic to fish and can kill, even in small amounts. However, over time (or you can add them), bacteria will settle on the surfaces of your tank (it really likes things that have a lot of surface area, such as gravel, filter media, etc) that will transform this ammonia into nitrites (with an i). The problem is, nitrites are also toxic, even in small amounts. Luckily for us, a different type of bacteria will come along and settle in your tank too, except it turns these nitrites (with an i) into nitrates (with an a). Nitrates are safe for your fish in small amounts (I’d say up to 40 ppm, ppm = parts per million). However, if the nitrites get too high, they also can become toxic to your fish. The only way to remove these nitrates (with the exception of denitrifying bacteria, which likely won’t settle on its own) is through plants and water changes. Plants will also suck up some ammonia and nitrites to an extent. A cycled tank has constant test results of 0ammonia, 0ppm nitrites, and 0-40ppm nitrates.

The majority of beneficial bacteria lives inside the filter media, so please, whatever you do, do not replace your filter media or rinse it in tap water (chlorine kills the bacteria). That Will crash whatever cycle you have, and you’ll have to start the cycle over.

as for your almond leaves, I would personally put all of them into a jar of boiling water and let sit until the water in the jar is almost black, then add small amounts of the tannin water into the tank after every water change until the tank water is golden, then add some more hot water to the jar and let it sit until the next water change and repeat. That way you have a constant supply of tannins. The leaves themselves don’t do much unless they are releasing tannins (what makes the water dark). Tannins are anti microbial and antibacterial, and some breeders say they help get strong rays on bettas. Leaves release tannins faster in heat, because heat speeds up decomposition, and decomposition is what produces tannins. I think boiling will remove the chlorine, but if you feel worried add a few drops of dechlorinator into the tannin jar after you add more hot water every time.

As for food, definitely the fluVal betta bug bites. It would also be good to invest in some frozen bloodworms and brine shrimp if possible, but pellets will provide enough nutrition until you can get them a lot of the more popular brands like aqueon tend to add too many “fillers” into their food that fish can’t even digest.

definitely don’t worry about it!! You’re doing the absolute best you can! It’s kind of a tough lesson to learn the hard way, but most store employees have no clue what they’re talking about. They’re not hobbyists, just people who are trying to earn money

 

Don’t feel bad!! It happens to the best of us.

Have no worries!! I started off with a spur-of-the-moment betta, and I still have him 3 years later! So, another question that you might have already answered but I can’t remember, is what is the size of your tank, as in how many gallons?


i would say your water change schedule did right now is good depending on the size of the tank. Especially since you don’t know how bad the water is. Another question: what are you using to dechlorinate your water? I also see you don’t knowwhat the nitrogen cycle is, so I’ll try to explain it real quick:

when your fish eats, breathes, poops, or has leftover food, he releases ammonia. This is extremely toxic to fish and can kill, even in small amounts. However, over time (or you can add them), bacteria will settle on the surfaces of your tank (it really likes things that have a lot of surface area, such as gravel, filter media, etc) that will transform this ammonia into nitrites (with an i). The problem is, nitrites are also toxic, even in small amounts. Luckily for us, a different type of bacteria will come along and settle in your tank too, except it turns these nitrites (with an i) into nitrates (with an a). Nitrates are safe for your fish in small amounts (I’d say up to 40 ppm, ppm = parts per million). However, if the nitrites get too high, they also can become toxic to your fish. The only way to remove these nitrates (with the exception of denitrifying bacteria, which likely won’t settle on its own) is through plants and water changes. Plants will also suck up some ammonia and nitrites to an extent. A cycled tank has constant test results of 0ammonia, 0ppm nitrites, and 0-40ppm nitrates.

The majority of beneficial bacteria lives inside the filter media, so please, whatever you do, do not replace your filter media or rinse it in tap water (chlorine kills the bacteria). That Will crash whatever cycle you have, and you’ll have to start the cycle over.

as for your almond leaves, I would personally put all of them into a jar of boiling water and let sit until the water in the jar is almost black, then add small amounts of the tannin water into the tank after every water change until the tank water is golden, then add some more hot water to the jar and let it sit until the next water change and repeat. That way you have a constant supply of tannins. The leaves themselves don’t do much unless they are releasing tannins (what makes the water dark). Tannins are anti microbial and antibacterial, and some breeders say they help get strong rays on bettas. Leaves release tannins faster in heat, because heat speeds up decomposition, and decomposition is what produces tannins. I think boiling will remove the chlorine, but if you feel worried add a few drops of dechlorinator into the tannin jar after you add more hot water every time.

As for food, definitely the fluVal betta bug bites. It would also be good to invest in some frozen bloodworms and brine shrimp if possible, but pellets will provide enough nutrition until you can get them a lot of the more popular brands like aqueon tend to add too many “fillers” into their food that fish can’t even digest.

definitely don’t worry about it!! You’re doing the absolute best you can! It’s kind of a tough lesson to learn the hard way, but most store employees have no clue what they’re talking about. They’re not hobbyists, just people who are trying to earn money

So my tank is 10 gallons and I'm using Seachem prime to dechlorinate my water.I got the fluvial bug bites yesterday and he seems to like them so far.

As for the leaves, I put two in a jar of boiling water last night and let it sit. This morning the water was still not black. I put the entire jar of water in my tank during my water change today and my tank water color looks the same. Does it take long for the water to get dark ?I'm going to refill the jar with boiling water again but do I need to use more leaves or was I just too impatient with it?

Thanks for your words of encouragement!!! I was feeling really bad about this