Betta Fish Keeps Getting Fin Rot!

Hi everyone,

Still pretty new to this forum and fishkeeping. I currently have a veiltail betta fish and 2 adfs in a 5.5 gallon. I've been having the adfs for about half a year now and the betta for a little over a month. I've been keeping up with water changes, and all the water temperature and pH requirements are met, and I fed my frogs everyday to every other day to keep them full and not have ideas about nipping the betta.
My betta had fin rot when I got him, and I've used the usual treatment with the 1 tbsp aquarium salt per 3 gallons rule for about 1 1/2 weeks. The betta's rips were all healed over. I kept an eye on him for the following week, and he was fine. The week after that, though, he started developing mild fin rot again on his dorsal and analfins. Strangely, there was a hole (1mm) on his caudal fin.
So I did the aquarium salt treatment again, but this time only for a week, because by then, the hole had healed over and almost all the fin rot was gone. But after that though, I kept changing 40% of the water everyday, but without the salt, to make sure everything is clean his fins keep their healthy shape. Everything was fine for another week. The betta was eating well, and nothing seemed amiss.
But, as the title says, my betta got it AGAIN. Still very mild, but I could see that his fins were kind of getting a little bit shredded (maybe 2-3mm deep). I don't know what to do. Should I keep on using the salt, and risk having organ damage to the betta? Sorry for the long thread, but I'm really out of ideas.

 

Fin rot is very common and very tricky with bettas. What are your exact water parameters? Could you provide a picture as well to ensure if its fin rot or fin nipping? I also want to note that having 2 energetic frogs with a betta in a small 5gal is also a problem. There should be no tank mates with a betta besides snails , sometimes shrimp, unless the tank is 20gal or larger.
Do you have indian almond leaves for him? IAL release tannin and it very beneficial for bettas fish as it help promote fin growth and release antibacterial properties. I would steep some IAL or Rooibos Tea for a very tinted tea, make sure you condition before adding. Botanicals are found in bettas natural habitats, so its very recommended when housing bettas.

 

Thanks for the quick reply! No I don’t have Indian almond leaves in his tank yet, and I will get them ASAP but how do you use them?

Here’s pictures of my betta fish, sorry if theyre really blurry. He has a lot of energy and won’t stop swimming Now that I look at it, his fins don't seem to be too bad. I think I'll just use the IAL

 

Indian Almond leaves are amazing. I order all my botanicals from TanninAquatics. For straight tannin tea, you want to boil a leaf or 2 for a couple hours , get as much tannin leeched out . You can also use Rooibos Teabag from the grocery store, 100% Rooibos tea only with no additives. Ingredients should say Redbush leaves or Rooibos leaves, thats all. You can steep the rooibos bag like you would make regular tea, just make sure you always condition the tea before adding to his tank. I really like Rooibos tea because it leeches more tannin and tints the water heavier. I like to use the IALs as his hideouts.

Your betta does seem to have to mild fin nipping it seems. Some tannin and more frequent water changes should help, dont expect an instant result. You want to help prevent anymore fin rot/nipping. It will take a good month or 2 to see some results. Another thing, bettas with longer fins have an easier chance of their fins getting sucked through filter intakes. Have you noticed him laying directly on the intake or getting sucked in? Your intake in the background can be an issue as well. You could try cover it up with a sponge, but actual sponge filters are recommended when housing bettas.

 

Alright! I've been watching the frogs, but the filter seems like a valid reason. I haven't seen the betta laying on the intake or getting sucked in, but I'll cover it up with something just in case. The next time I visit the store, I'll get some almond leaves and maybe some more plants (maybe more decoration will help keep more distance between frogs and betta, though i've never really seen the frogs have an interest at nipping the betta). Hopefully, he'll heal up for good this time. Thanks!