Betta fin rot

[Iggypuffer]

So my betta has been fighting fin rot for the past 2-3 weeks and I think it's mostly gone, but there is a little bit that won't go away. I've been doing every other day water changes and treating with 1tbls. aquarium for every 5gs of water like the instructions on the box say. My question is since the fin rot is not going away completely, should I up the does of aquarium salt or just wait it out. Here are some pictures.

 

[emilymg]

So my betta has been fighting fin rot for the past 2-3 weeks and I think it's mostly gone, but there is a little bit that won't go away. I've been doing every other day water changes and treating with 1tbls. aquarium for every 5gs of water like the instructions on the box say. My question is since the fin rot is not going away completely, should I up the does of aquarium salt or just wait it out. Here are some pictures.
View attachment 712646View attachment 712647

Have you looked into medication that treats fin rot? There is a medication called API Furan 2 that works against fin rot. However fin rot is usually caused by underlying issues such as the water quality. Have you tested your water? I would test it and come back here with the results. If you end up having to treat your fish set up a quarantine tank.

 

[Poseidontheaxolotl]

It could be tail biting from stress, or if there are any other fish in the tank with the betta they may be fin nippers and cause this. What size is your tank, and does the betta have any tank mates? It would be useful to know what your parameters are. What is the ph level? It is better to have a stable ph than to have a fluctuating one because bettas can adjust to different ph levels. For example my sisters betta's ph is 8.2 and he seems to be fine. If you want more specific betta care, I would recommend the website betta fish.com which is a forum specifically for bettas and also has an emergency care sheet so more people could give you advice. More pics of the whole tank could give people a better idea of the size and if there are any sharp decoration piece that could be ripping its fins.

I don't have a betta personally but my sister does and she highly recommends the betta fish forum, and if you fill out the care sheet it is very helpful.

If it is fin rot, one medication I recommend is KanaPlex which helps cure it. I used it on my guppy who had it. It does work and instructions are simple to follow. When adding the medication make sure to remove carbon filter cartridge and then put back in once treatment is done.

Hope this helps! I am happy to give more info if needed.

 

[emilymg]

It could be tail biting from stress, or if there are any other fish in the tank with the betta they may be fin nippers and cause this. It would be useful to know what your parameters are. What is the ph level? It is better to have a stable ph than to have a fluctuating one because bettas can adjust to different ph levels. For example my sisters betta's ph is 8.2 and he seems to be fine. If you want more specific betta care, I would recommend the website betta fish.com which is a forum specifically for bettas and also has an emergency care sheet so more people could give you advice. More pics of the whole tank could give people a better idea of the size and if there are any sharp decoration piece that could be ripping its fins.

I don't have a betta personally but my sister does and she highly recommends the betta fish forum, and if you fill out the care sheet it is very helpful.

If it is fin rot, one medication I recommend is KanaPlex which helps cure it. I used it on my guppy who had it. It does work and instructions are simple to follow. When adding the medication make sure to remove carbon filter cartridge and then put back in once treatment is done.

Hope this helps! I am happy to give more info if needed.

I agree, you should check your water. I always think treating for a disease is the last resort and a lot of the time it’s something else. Once you get the results please come back to this thread...I hope we can help your fish.

 

[Iggypuffer]

The reason he got it in the first place was because he tore his fin and then I had to go on a week long trip. So, no one was there to notice that he got an infection and do water changes. I removed what I think he ripped his fin on and sanded down all my other ornaments just to be on the safe side. As I have already told you I have been doing every other day water changes and gravel vaccing, so the parameters are fine as far as I know (can't test right now not home) last time I tested they were.
Ph 6.8
Ammonia 0
Nitrates 20
Nitrites 0
(Or is it the other way around I can never remember which is which)
My tank is a ten gallon with four ghost shrimp. It has a heater about 80 degrees and a filter. He does not bite his fins although I did see him get a hole in his fin once from stretching it when he saw his reflection, but I make sure he doesn't see his reflection any more.

 

[emilymg]

The reason he got it in the first place was because he tore his fin and then I had to go on a week long trip. So, no one was there to notice that he got an infection and do water changes. I removed what I think he ripped his fin on and sanded down all my other ornaments just to be on the safe side. As I have already told you I have been doing every other day water changes and gravel vaccing, so the parameters are fine as far as I know (can't test right now not home) last time I tested they were.
Ph 6.8
Ammonia 0
Nitrates 20
Nitrites 0
(Or is it the other way around I can never remember which is which)
My tank is a ten gallon with four ghost shrimp. It has a heater about 80 degrees and a filter. He does not bite his fins although I did see him get a hole in his fin once from stretching it when he saw his reflection, but I make sure he doesn't see his reflection any more.

Since you have said that, I’m not gonna 100% say it’s fin rot. If he tore it on something, or hurts himself on accident, it can take a little while to heal. If he does this regularly it can seem like it will never go away. What kinds of decor do you have in the tank? Any live plants? If the plants are artificial they are really recommended to be silk plants because fish can tear themselves up on plastic.

 

[Iggypuffer]

Ok I have confirmed that it is fin rot. There were little pieces of fin rotting and falling off. You can't really see it in the picture because it is mostly gone now. My decor is not sharp. I have sanded everything down and run my hands over everything to make sure that it is not sharp and all my plants are real. I just want some advice on the dosage of aquarium salt, because I have seen recommendations for different amounts and I was just wondering if the amount I have been using is sufficient and it just needs more time or if I should add more. Thank you for all your advice.

 

[emilymg]

Ok I have confirmed that it is fin rot. There were little pieces of fin rotting and falling off. You can't really see it in the picture because it is mostly gone now. My decor is not sharp. I have sanded everything down and run my hands over everything to make sure that it is not sharp. I just want some advice on the dosage of aquarium salt, because I have seen recommendations for different amounts and I was just wondering if the amount I have been using is sufficient and it just needs more time or if I should add more. Thank you for all your advice.

If you have tried the salt and it wasn’t working, you could always use a medication that is for fin rot.

 

[Iggypuffer]

I have thought about that, but I don't want to use medication unless it is absolutely necessary and I don't think it is at this point.

 

[emilymg]

I have thought about that, but I don't want to use medication unless it is absolutely necessary and I don't think it is at this point.

I agree, I think medication is truly a last resort. What salt have you treated with in the past?

 

[Iggypuffer]

I think it's from top fin, but I'm not sure right now.

 

[emilymg]

I think it's from top fin, but I'm not sure right now.

If it is freshwater aquarium salt (what I recommend) you can quarantine your fish in a separate tank and dose 1-2 tsp of the salt per gallon of water. If the Betta is the only fish in the tank, you can just dose your tank with it. Make sure the temperature is around 77-78 degrees fahrenheit, because anything higher will just progress the fin rot. Having the temperature up in your tank could be what is keeping the fin rot from stopping.

 

[Iggypuffer]

Ok, so, the aquarium salt is actually from API. It says that it is for fresh water fish. My heater is not adjustable, it keeps the aquarium aprox. 80 degrees.

 

[Poseidontheaxolotl]

Ok I have confirmed that it is fin rot. There were little pieces of fin rotting and falling off. You can't really see it in the picture because it is mostly gone now. My decor is not sharp. I have sanded everything down and run my hands over everything to make sure that it is not sharp and all my plants are real. I just want some advice on the dosage of aquarium salt, because I have seen recommendations for different amounts and I was just wondering if the amount I have been using is sufficient and it just needs more time or if I should add more. Thank you for all your advice.

You said that you would use a mediation as a last resort, but one medication I recommend is Kanaplex. You should be able to get it from your LFS.

 

[Iggypuffer]

You said that you would use a mediation as a last resort, but one medication I recommend is Kanaplex. You should be able to get it from your LFS.

Ok thanks

 

[emilymg]

Ok, so, the aquarium salt is actually from API. It says that it is for fresh water fish. My heater is not adjustable, it keeps the aquarium aprox. 80 degrees.

That salt is perfect. I think you should try to get a cheap adjustable heater so that you could keep the temps a little lower (around 77 degrees fahrenheit) during the treatment. The cheapest ones I’ve seen are on Amazon. I hope keeping the temp down during all this can help . If it still isn’t helping I would have to recommend some sort of medication, but let’s hope that’s not the case.

 

[Poseidontheaxolotl]

That salt is perfect. I think you should try to get a cheap adjustable heater so that you could keep the temps a little lower (around 77 degrees fahrenheit) during the treatment. The cheapest ones I’ve seen are on Amazon. I hope keeping the temp down during all this can help . If it still isn’t helping I would have to recommend some sort of medication, but let’s hope that’s not the case.

I use a fan on my axolotl tank to keep it cold, it helps and brings it down about 4 degrees. You might want to consider it during the treatment if you want.

 

[Iggypuffer]

Ok, thanks I'll see what I can do. Thanks so much

 

[emilymg]

I use a fan on my axolotl tank to keep it cold, it helps and brings it down about 4 degrees. You might want to consider it during the treatment if you want.

Oh yes I didn’t even think of that! Seems like a perfect option.