Cotton-y, White Fuzz on Betta Fin

Hello all! I had posted a thread recently regarding an algae problem in my tank but I have another issue regarding my fish itself. I’m not sure if its a direct cause from the algae thats currently in my tank but for about a week or so now my betta has developed a white, fuzzy almost cotton looking fuzz on the tip of its fin (his dorsal fin only). I dont know exactly if its a fungal infection because it doesn’t really affect any other part of his body. I was suggested in my previous thread about the algae in my tank to pluck it off but before I do so I wanted to make sure it was safe and what this might be. Thanks!

 

Has this fin always been so short? This looks like a typical secondary fungal infection that takes hold on top of long-term fin rot. Do you know your water parameters?

Methylene blue is a fantastic anti-fungal that you use as a bath. I would recommend you get your hands on some. Keep in mind that this will only help with the fungal infection and not necessarily any bacterial fin rot beneath it. Also, algae is not typically a disease-causing agent in fish, so I wouldn't be worried about that.

 

Has this fin always been so short? This looks like a typical secondary fungal infection that takes hold on top of long-term fin rot. Do you know your water parameters?

Methylene blue is a fantastic anti-fungal that you use as a bath. I would recommend you get your hands on some. Keep in mind that this will only help with the fungal infection and not necessarily any bacterial fin rot beneath it. Also, algae is not typically a disease-causing agent in fish, so I wouldn't be worried about that.

When I had originally gotten him the fin wasn’t very long to begin with but since the white fuzz started appearing it has been getting shorter. My water parameters as of right now are:
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 15 ppm
Ammonia: 0
Temperature of the tank is also always kept between 78-80 degrees.

I did have a slight ammonia spike of about 0.1-0.2 about a week and a half ago but I’ve taken care of it. I haven’t had this betta for that long, it’s been maybe about 3-4 months now that I’ve had him.

 

It's very possible that the ammonia spike was just enough to weaken his immune system and let an infection set in. My first step would be upping your water change schedule and getting a hold of some methylene blue. If you can't get that right away and you have aquarium salt on hand, you can try an aquarium salt bath in the meantime.

 

It's very possible that the ammonia spike was just enough to weaken his immune system and let an infection set in. My first step would be upping your water change schedule and getting a hold of some methylene blue. If you can't get that right away and you have aquarium salt on hand, you can try an aquarium salt bath in the meantime.

Update: Woke up this morning after having added a bit bettafix into the tank and fuzz is completely gone! It looks like it fell right off overnight.