Betta Fish Lower Fins Suddenly Shredded?

Hi! I’m new to this so I hope i’m in the right area. Last night my female beta’s fins were perfect! Gorgeous as usual but then today around 6pm is noticed her fins are like shredded? She’s in a 20 gal tank. On Sunday I added some new fish including a new female beta. I haven’t seen them fight or anything and all i’ve seen is them be peaceful. The other fish in the tank are, common plecos, cory catfish, guppies, platy and just put in an angelfish when I noticed the fins. She is acting fine, maybe just not swimming as strongly but like keeping it up? I have a picture of her fins last night compared to today. She’s my baby so please help me I don’t think it’s fin rot only because of how it happened not even in 24 hours. Is it possible her and the other female betta got into a brawl to assert dominance and she just got beat up a little? The other one looks fine. She also is a little more aggressive, just to the angelfish that just came in but she got over it pretty quickly.

 

Ok, you may not have seen it but I’m betting the angelfish attacked her.
Another factor is stress and decor, she could have developed fin rot from stress and it progressed very quickly. Or she tore her fin on decor.
But honestly she should be fine, the main issue here is the stocking , The common Plecos and angelfish get wayyyyy to big for a 20 gallon and it will be Impossible for them to live non-stunted lives in that tank.
If you can, I would remove the angel and Plecos and see if that helps...I wouldn’t be surprised if the angel stays your betta would get more and more ripped fins...common Plecos can get at least a foot long and need (I think) at least a 90 gallon tank.
I'm sorry if anything I said sounded rude. I’m just saying What I know and/or have heard

 

Hi! I’m new to this so I hope i’m in the right area. Last night my female betta’s fins were perfect! Gorgeous as usual but then today around 6pm is noticed her fins are like shredded? She’s in a 20 gal tank. On Sunday I added some new fish including a new female betta. I haven’t seen them fight or anything and all i’ve seen is them be peaceful. The other fish in the tank are, common plecos, cory catfish, guppies, platy and just put in an angelfish when I noticed the fins. She is acting fine, maybe just not swimming as strongly but like keeping it up? I have a picture of her fins last night compared to today. She’s my baby so please help me I don’t think it’s fin rot only because of how it happened not even in 24 hours. Is it possible her and the other female betta got into a brawl to assert dominance and she just got beat up a little? The other one looks fine. She also is a little more aggressive, just to the angelfish that just came in but she got over it pretty quickly.

First, the tank is overstocked, which will lead to serious water parameter issues which could be a reason for her finnage being fin rot. That betta also looks terribly bloated. The other reason is your stocking. Guppies, platys, and angelfish are all pretty aggressive fin nippers. My guess is the angelfish. I would NEVER put an angelfish in with a betta. Angelfish need tank mates that are either bottom dwelling or faster than them, being they are cichlids being moderately aggressive is how they socialize within their group. I would rehome a good number of the fish, or move the bettas to a different tank.

 

So I'm gonna be the bringer of bad news. Your tank is way overstocked. First things first though I'd put the shredding on the other female betta or the angelfish. Most likely the angelfish. Secondly you're going to need to rehome the plecos and angelfish. Common plecos get absolutely massive (about 2ft+). Those have to go back to your fish store. Same with the angelfish much too big for that tank it won't have any room. I know they look nice but it's for the best. Last how many of each of your other fish do you have in the tank?

 

First, the tank is overstocked, which will lead to serious water parameter issues which could be a reason for her finnage being fin rot. That betta also looks terribly bloated. The other reason is your stocking. Guppies, platys, and angelfish are all pretty aggressive fin nippers. My guess is the angelfish. I would NEVER put an angelfish in with a betta. Angelfish need tank mates that are either bottom dwelling or faster than them, being they are cichlids being moderately aggressive is how they socialize within their group. I would rehome a good number of the fish, or move the bettas to a different tank.

Thank you for the advice , I know for a fact it’s not the angle fish cause she just got added about 2 hours ago, if that. I will be getting a tank upgrade which is why I was won’t worried about the amount of fish but I believe for now i’ll be putting my betas in a separate tank to keep the community happy. My fish stores near me have all been encouraging to have these fish together so I wish I had not listened to them and don’t further research rather that listening to what I thought were people that specialized in them. Thank you for the knowledge!

 

Ok, you may not have seen it but I’m betting the angelfish attacked her.
Another factor is stress and decor, she could have developed fin rot from stress and it progressed very quickly. Or she tore her fin on decor.
But honestly she should be fine, the main issue here is the stocking , The common Plecos and angelfish get wayyyyy to big for a 20 gallon and it will be Impossible for them to live non-stunted lives in that tank.
If you can, I would remove the angel and Plecos and see if that helps...I wouldn’t be surprised if the angel stays your betta would get more and more ripped fins...common Plecos can get at least a foot long and need (I think) at least a 90 gallon tank.
I'm sorry if anything I said sounded rude. I’m just saying What I know and/or have heard

Thank you! The angelfish I know is not the one because she has only been in for 2 hours and I found this right when I was putting her in the tank, so I feel like it could be the other betta and her asserting dominance? I do plan on upgrading much larger in the next month hopefully, my plecos are still babies so I figured they would be okay in the 20 to just get use to being around everyone? Currently they seem very happy doing there little thing haha. The decor I currently have I haven’t found anything sharp on? I’m about to take everything and get a really close look though just into be safe. Thank you so much for your advice

 

How big will the new tank be? Unless is smaller than 90 gallons you still will have to rehome the Plecos
Edit: do you have two bettas? If so, one will become dominant and possibly bully the other to death...
2 hours actually is enough time for the angel to do something like this, actually that’s right about when I would have guessed it would have happened since that’s when the angel most likely started finding his territory. oh and, with the Plecos it’s not about aggression but more so the fact that they will get stunted and have a shortened and eventually very stressed life.

 

How big will the new tank be? Unless is smaller than 90 gallons you still will have to rehome the Plecos

I was gonna go for two separate 50 gal tanks to split everyone up, along with my 20 and 10 tank, do you think while they are still growing(one is about 2 inches while the other is 4 inches) that those homes will be okay for them? as my fish get bigger I will be investing to get them bigger homes and if I can’t than i’ll be finding someone else

 

I was gonna go for two separate 50 gal tanks to split everyone up, along with my 20 and 10 tank, do you think while they are still growing(one is about 2 inches while the other is 4 inches) that those homes will be okay for them? as my fish get bigger I will be investing to get them bigger homes and if I can’t than i’ll be finding someone else

Oh then yes that should be fine until you can invest in a bigger home or if you can’t do that once they reach maybe 7-9 (probably around 8) then rehoming like you said would be the best option .
once you split everything up you probably could add some more stuff to the tanks

 

So I'm gonna be the bringer of bad news. Your tank is way overstocked. First things first though I'd put the shredding on the other female betta or the angelfish. Most likely the angelfish. Secondly you're going to need to rehome the plecos and angelfish. Common plecos get absolutely massive (about 2ft+). Those have to go back to your fish store. Same with the angelfish much too big for that tank it won't have any room. I know they look nice but it's for the best. Last how many of each of your other fish do you have in the tank?

Thank you for letting me know, I’m more than embarrassed right now because the tank looks so empty still with all these fish. I have 5 guppies that are not even an inch yet, 2 betas that are females, 2 baby plecos (I will be upgrading my tank so I hope to be able to keep them but when I feel they are taking up too much and are unhappy i’ll be re homing then right away) 2 baby cory catfish, one of them prob the size of a dime? and a platy that is actually getting moved over to my other tank. I may move the guppies over to the other tank as well. The angelfish also is super small, so do you think while i’m in the process to be getting a new tank she will be okay to sustain in here or should I not take the chance? I do want the best for my fish, anyone who knows me personally knows that they are my babies, but I do want the best for everyone. please don’t be too harsh on me, because I really am just trying my best and I watch my fish a lot and have not noticed anyone seeming unhappy, nothing has changed behavior wise drastically

 

Oh then yes that should be fine until you can invest in a bigger home or if you can’t do that once they reach maybe 7-9 (probably around 8) then rehoming like you said would be the best option .
once you split everything up you probably could add some more stuff to the tanks

awesome! thank you so much for your kind advice, I feel awful hearing like the over stocked news because it’s just, it looks empty? but then again I care more about there little feelings than having a packed tank. thank you again so much!

 

Thank you for letting me know, I’m more than embarrassed right now because the tank looks so empty still with all these fish. I have 5 guppies that are not even an inch yet, 2 betas that are females, 2 baby plecos (I will be upgrading my tank so I hope to be able to keep them but when I feel they are taking up too much and are unhappy i’ll be re homing then right away) 2 baby cory catfish, one of them prob the size of a dime? and a platy that is actually getting moved over to my other tank. I may move the guppies over to the other tank as well. The angelfish also is super small, so do you think while i’m in the process to be getting a new tank she will be okay to sustain in here or should I not take the chance? I do want the best for my fish, anyone who knows me personally knows that they are my babies, but I do want the best for everyone. please don’t be too harsh on me, because I really am just trying my best and I watch my fish a lot and have not noticed anyone seeming unhappy, nothing has changed behavior wise drastically

I don't wanna tell you to get more fish, but maybe in the future when you split your fish up into more tanks, you could add some friends for your cories. They are much happier in groups of at least 4-6! As for the angelfish, what size is its body now? (Dime....quarter....golfball?)

 

I don't wanna tell you to get more fish, but maybe in the future when you split your fish up into more tanks, you could add some friends for your cories. They are much happier in groups of at least 4-6! As for the angelfish, what size is its body now? (Dime....quarter....golfball?)

She’s probably about the size of a quarter? she was the smallest one they had and I didn’t want to make a bigger one uncomfortable. the corys also I agree 100%, I currently have 2 and definitely want to make these buddies happy

 

She’s probably about the size of a quarter? she was the smallest one they had and I didn’t want to make a bigger one uncomfortable. the corys also I agree 100%, I currently have 2 and definitely want to make these buddies happy

Short term, the angel will be alright. Dont keep it with any slow moving fish that you would be upset about getting killed (non bottom dwelling...cories will be safe) guppies and platys will be safe, with those you actually have to worry about your Angel's fins getting nipped. A 20 gallon with just her as the only top swimmer would be fine for a month or two. With your current stock now, I wouldn't push it more than 2-3 weeks without worrying about growth stunting and such.

 

Short term, the angel will be alright. Dont keep it with any slow moving fish that you would be upset about getting killed (non bottom dwelling...cories will be safe) guppies and platys will be safe, with those you actually have to worry about your Angel's fins getting nipped. A 20 gallon with just her as the only top swimmer would be fine for a month or two. With your current stock now, I wouldn't push it more than 2-3 weeks without worrying about growth stunting and such.

Great to hear thank you so much. with my two betas do you believe that because it happened overnight they could have had a brawl and it will be okay now? Thank you so much again for everything, I was really nervous to ask for help here but i’m really glad I did now

 

I would still rehome the plecos even with a pair of 50g. I believe 90g+ is recommended for them. But! There are a ton of awesome plecos out there that you can absolutely keep in a 50 gallon tank! Lots of cool patterns that make the common pleco look a bit dull. Personally I absolutely love plecos though I have yet to keep one yet because I only have 2 nano tanks for the time being. I think you'll be able to find a suitable replacement with ease once you get a new tank up. As others have said earlier your angel will be fine for a bit just get your bigger tank cycling as soon as you can so it won't be stunted. It is likely the bettas fought in the night. Even the females are quite aggressive. Doing a betta sorority is difficult and won't always work. Be prepared to move one of them if they can't get along. I believe there's some threads on establishing a betta sorority on this forum somewhere.

 

I would still rehome the plecos even with a pair of 50 gallon. I believe 90 gallon+ is recommended for them.

I'm pretty sure kaleehill said that she would eventually upgrade the 50 or rehome them (Plecos) once they get bigger

 

I'm pretty sure kaleehill said that she would eventually upgrade the 50 or rehome them (Plecos) once they get bigger

Yeah. Just easier to rehome them when they're smaller. Rehoming a 12" common pleco is difficult. Someone brought in a 10" vampire pleco to my LFS over a month ago and it's still there. Meanwhile they got some juvenile vampire plecos in a shipment a couple weeks ago and they're all gone already.

 

Yeah. Just easier to rehome them when they're smaller. Rehoming a 12" common pleco is difficult. Someone brought in a 10" vampire pleco to my LFS over a month ago and it's still there. Meanwhile they got some juvenile vampire plecos in a shipment a couple weeks ago and they're all gone already.

Oh yeah, I forgot about that....Oops. The Op could maybe either upgrade or rehome at 7-8inch to make it easier?? Still to big do you think?

 

Oh yeah, I forgot about that....Oops. The Op could maybe either upgrade or rehome at 7-8inch to make it easier?? Still to big do you think?

At max 6" probably best. They're gonna grow fast. Once they get into that Large to Extra Large size range it's harder to find a buyer. Never understood that the price goes up on fish for size and age either. It's the exact opposite for dogs and cats and other pets. People go oh yeah here's a fry for $2 but the adult is gonna cost you $8. So counter intuitive.

 

Great to hear thank you so much. with my two betas do you believe that because it happened overnight they could have had a brawl and it will be okay now? Thank you so much again for everything, I was really nervous to ask for help here but i’m really glad I did now

No in my first response to this post I noted that I think it's the angelfish doubled with lack of space in the aquarium. You have quite a few fish in there, which means more "traffic jams" and close encounters with the other fish, opening you up for aggression issues. It COULD have been the betta, but I really doubt it. IF you chose to leave the tank how it is, unfortunately you'll lose fish whether it be from health issues from bad water or from them picking on each other all day and night.

 

Great to hear thank you so much. with my two betas do you believe that because it happened overnight they could have had a brawl and it will be okay now? Thank you so much again for everything, I was really nervous to ask for help here but i’m really glad I did now

No, they will keep fighting with each other, and with the angelfish.....since Your tank is so crowded they will most likely do it more often (two females CAN be ok together but it’s rare) and sadly due to the tank being so crowded you can probably expect some death if They remain in that tank for much longer.

 

No, they will keep fighting with each other, and with the angelfish.....since Your tank is so crowded they will most likely do it more often (two females CAN be ok together but it’s rare) and sadly due to the tank being so crowded you can probably expect some death if They remain in that tank for much longer.

Actually female betta sororities are quite popular, but they are like having cichlids together. You have to get the tank volume and stock levels right, doubled with enough plants to provide hiding spaces, and then getting it right with the fishes personalities. It's the same as trying to get a pair of angelfish. Some fish will get along, and some simply won't no matter how perfect you have the tank set up. If the OP were to put the 2 females in their own tank, given its planted and large enough for 2 they could POSSIBLY work out, but generally there will always be some type of hierarchy established where one is more dominant than the others.

 

Actually female betta sororities are quite popular, but they are like having cichlids together. You have to get the tank volume and stock levels right, doubled with enough plants to provide hiding spaces, and then getting it right with the fishes personalities. It's the same as trying to get a pair of angelfish. Some fish will get along, and some simply won't no matter how perfect you have the tank set up. If the OP were to put the 2 females in their own tank, given its planted and large enough for 2 they could POSSIBLY work out, but generally there will always be some type of hierarchy established where one is more dominant than the others.

Oh you don’t need to tell me that, I’ve actually owned many sororities, but I believe the OP said they have two and in the tank they have right now along with all the other fish it probably won’t work out....unless they were very lucky and managed to get peaceful bettas. If not then IME one will stop eating and be Bullied a lot by the other dominant betta.