How Do I Know If Fin Rot Is Cured?

Hi, I recently had a thread on fin rot, and now I have another question .
Firstly, my Male Betta named Ruffles has fin rot. For about a week or two I did daily 25% water changes. A week ago I got him BettaFix. I've used it for 7 days and gave him the dosage it said for me to use, and did a full water change today and cleaned his decor (as instructed).
The only problem is that I cannot tell if the fin rot is gone. I know his fins will take a while to heal, but how do I know that the fin rot itself is gone?

 

Hi, I recently had a thread on fin rot, and now I have another question .
Firstly, my Male Betta named Ruffles has fin rot. For about a week or two I did daily 25% water changes. A week ago I got him BettaFix. I've used it for 7 days and gave him the dosage it said for me to use, and did a full water change today and cleaned his decor (as instructed).
The only problem is that I cannot tell if the fin rot is gone. I know his fins will take a while to heal, but how do I know that the fin rot itself is gone?

Usually just providing clean water, doing regular weekly water changes and making sure your tank is cycled (no ammonia or nitrites and nitrates kept at less than 20ppm) is enough to halt the progress of fin rot and allow healing to begin. Fins heal slowly so the only way you can really tell that the fin rot has stopped is by observing that the fins are not getting worse. Eventually you'll see new tissue growth-a thin translucent to whitish membrane forming along the edges of the damaged fins. Bettafix is an aromatic oil and although it's half the strength of Melafix, it's use in labyrinth fish is questionable. Among fish experts it's suspected to cause inflamation, irritation and possible damage to the labyrinth organ in these fish. I'd stop using it at this point and just keep his water clean and watch and see how his fins do over the next couple months. If the damage worsens you might think about using an antibiotic/antifungal.

 

Usually just providing clean water, doing regular weekly water changes and making sure your tank is cycled (no ammonia or nitrites and nitrates kept at less than 20ppm) is enough to halt the progress of fin rot and allow healing to begin. Fins heal slowly so the only way you can really tell that the fin rot has stopped is by observing that the fins are not getting worse. Eventually you'll see new tissue growth-a thin translucent to whitish membrane forming along the edges of the damaged fins. Bettafix is an aromatic oil and although it's half the strength of Melafix, it's use in labyrinth fish is questionable. Among fish experts it's suspected to cause inflamation, irritation and possible damage to the labyrinth organ in these fish. I'd stop using it at this point and just keep his water clean and watch and see how his fins do over the next couple months. If the damage worsens you might think about using an antibiotic/antifungal.

Thank you so much! So far I haven't seen anything too different over these past couple days..is it a problem that I have a snail in the tank with him now?

 

Thank you so much! So far I haven't seen anything too different over these past couple days..is it a problem that I have a snail in the tank with him now?

No, snail should be fine. Keep us posted on how he does!

 

What size tank is he in? Does it have a filter? A snail probably won't be a problem, but depending on tank size you need to keep an eye on water parameters. Water changes are also extremely important but the frequency depends on how big your tank is (smaller tanks need changing more often).

You tell if fin rot is gone when it stops getting worse and the fins start growing back. This will of course take time. Taking frequent photos or videos will give you a basis for comparison.