Betta Tail started ripping!

Hey all,

I have a Betta in this fluval spec tank, I tested the water 2 days ago and things seemed fine, water change last weekend, tank cycled, he's in there with just a mystery snail and some ramshorns - I got him a few months ago and he was happy as can be until 2 weeks ago when his tail started ripping! It seems to get bigger every day! I took out some driftwood that I thought might have been hurting him, and I read an online guide that suggested some stainless steel mesh by the filter compartment that I think might have sucked his fin in a bit... I've made that for now but concerned it will get worse and he is in pain.

What can I do to help this little guy? He's not as active as he was before and his tail keeps looking worse and worse
Any help much appreciated!

 

I’d try increasing water changes first and perhaps add some Indian almond leaves.

He looks pretty thin and stressed. Does the flow from the filter push him around real easy? How much and how often do you feed him? How is his appetite?

 

HI there, thank you so much for your reply!
I feed him every other day with these betta-specific flakes until he seems to lose interest in them at the top or sinking. He is keen to eat but won't touch bloodworm, he likes flakes and little pellets?

I'll do another water change asap! The flow is on the lowest setting, and I cut two holes in the filter tubing to decrease the speed further, he doesn't seem hugely pushed around although I do sometimes find him just at the top where the flow goes into the filter, which made me think his fins were getting caught in there (hopefully the mesh will help now)

 

With my beta, I put in a pre-sponge filter (I used the Fluval one that is 1.99 at Petco). The filter intake was tearing his tail as he was prone to resting on it and then ripping himself off of it!

I also bought one of those fish tank ornaments that are on a suction cup and put it directly under the water return (which is also on lowest setting). So the water falls on the mushroom decoration thing and is slowed down further. It's only been about a week so hopefully his tattered tail will heal better. Best of luck!

 

If you don't have a sponge on the filter outflow, you need to get one.

 

I think part of the problem is him being underfed. You can pretty much see his spine. My sister was feeding like 2 tiny flakes to her betta once a day and he got so skinny, the strong filter flow didn’t help him. Told her to feed him more and put an ornament to block the flow and started perking up nicely.

I’d try upping his feeding to at least once a day, maybe even twice. He just looks very thin to me. I use small pellets (bug bites) and forzen brine shrimp. A rounded belly and thick back is what you want, like this.



Might even help to place a tall plant or piece of wood in front of the outflow to stiffle it further.