Betta with fin rot/sick??

[marina23]

Tank
What is the water volume of the tank? 6 gal
How long has the tank been running? 3 years
Does it have a filter? yes
Does it have a heater? yes
What is the water temperature? 80
What is the entire stocking of this tank? 1 betta (Please list all fish and inverts.)

Maintenance
How often do you change the water? once a week
How much of the water do you change? about 50%
What do you use to treat your water? seachem prime
Do you vacuum the substrate or just the water? substrate

*Parameters - Very Important
Did you cycle your tank before adding fish? yes
What do you use to test the water? API kit
What are your parameters? We need to know the exact numbers, not just “fine” or “safe”.
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 20
pH: 7.2

Feeding
How often do you feed your fish? every day
How much do you feed your fish? 3 pellets
What brand of food do you feed your fish? top fin
Do you feed frozen? no
Do you feed freeze-dried foods? no

Illness & Symptoms
How long have you had this fish? 1.5 ish years
How long ago did you first notice these symptoms? late november/early december
In a few words, can you explain the symptoms? fin rot and lethargy
Have you started any treatment for the illness? yes
Was your fish physically ill or injured upon purchase? no
How has its behavior and appearance changed, if at all? stays at the bottom

Explain your emergency situation in detail.
I noticed my betta’s fins were getting short so I tested the water and the only thing wrong was the pH is a little high. I started with frequent water changes to see if that would help him but it hasn’t done anything so earlier this week I started using API fin and body cure but he seems to be getting worse. I just don’t know what else to do at this point.

 

[OutsideFoodBlob]

I’m sorry this is happening to your betta. Can you think of anything you might have added to the tank prior to noticing the fin rot start? Decorations or a switch in brand of leaves? Something that might be leaching into the water and otherwise undetectable. The only other thing that sticks out is that the nitrates might be too high for him. Unless they normally run around 20ppm and did not have issues before.

 

[FoldedCheese]

Would you be able to get a picture from the top? He looks a little thin. 3 pellets a day isn't much food and top fin isn't the best quality food either. Malnutrition could be a contributing factor.

 

[Prevail]

He might be nipping his tail. The only problem I can see is his diet, I would do a different pellet, and feed more. and feed frozen too, at least once a week. If you see him nipping his own tail, try to change things up, he's probably bored. Rescape your tank or interact with him using your fingers or hold a mirror up to his tank for a couple minutes a day

 

[marina23]

I’m sorry this is happening to your betta. Can you think of anything you might have added to the tank prior to noticing the fin rot start? Decorations or a switch in brand of leaves? Something that might be leaching into the water and otherwise undetectable. The only other thing that sticks out is that the nitrates might be too high for him. Unless they normally run around 20ppm and did not have issues before.

No, I’ve been using the same decorations that he’s always had. The leaves I just put in there when I first noticed it to see if they would help and I just left them in there since he likes lying in them. The nitrates are always 10-20 (I can’t see the difference in color on the chart lol) and it’s always been fine.

Would you be able to get a picture from the top? He looks a little thin. 3 pellets a day isn't much food and top fin isn't the best quality food either. Malnutrition could be a contributing factor.

Yeah I’ve been trying to buy omega one pellets but every pet store I go to is always out of them. I can try to get more pics tomorrow.

 

[OutsideFoodBlob]

At this point I would continue with the fin and body cure and frequentwater changes.
Keep the leaves in. As others suggested offer him more food if he has an appetite. You could also consider using aquarium salt but after you have finished with the fin and body cure. Check for recommended dosing for bettas/small tank setups. I wouldn’t throw more medication at him.
Also check your aquarium decorations. See if there is any signs of paint chipping/fading. I have had to ditch decorations myself in the past.

Hopefully you will start to see improvements soon.

 

[marina23]

At this point I would continue with the fin and body cure and frequentwater changes.
Keep the leaves in. As others suggested offer him more food if he has an appetite. You could also consider using aquarium salt but after you have finished with the fin and body cure. Check for recommended dosing for bettas/small tank setups. I wouldn’t throw more medication at him.
Also check your aquarium decorations. See if there is any signs of paint chipping/fading. I have had to ditch decorations myself in the past.

Hopefully you will start to see improvements soon.

I don’t think he’s eating at all. I still feed him everyday but the food just winds up sinking to the bottom uneaten. I’ll check the decorations when I get home.

 

[OutsideFoodBlob]

If not eating that does make it harder. I’d offer food at least once a day to see if there is any interest and try to remove uneaten as best as possible.