Is it the dreaded finrot or no?

Bo's tail is never the same length or shape two days in a row. His analfin is longer than his tail! If any part of his fins was going to drag on the gravel substrate, it would be the analfin, not the tail.
There are no dark edges, but some of the edges are clear where the tail fin is regrowing (or dying? I can't tell.) The edges of his analfin are whitish, but when you look closely they're really a pale, pale blue.
He seems happy and healthy, eats well, swims around a lot. None of this is brand new, though. I've had him four months, he's in a 5 gallon Eclipse, heated, cycled tank.

Does this sound like fin rot? I've read all the posts on what meds have worked for some of yours, but I hate to medicate for something he doesn't have! I also want to stop it now, if that's what it is. Are there other reasons his tail would be constantly eroding and regrowing?

 

Fin rot is brought on by poor water quality. It is a deterioration of the fin that looks like splits, and is hard to recover from (with regard to restoring a perfect fin). If it were fin rot, it is likely the fish would be dead by now (once fin rot reaches the body, it's all over). From your post, it sounds like the fish is just abusing his fins or something is snagging them.

 

it does sound like his fins are in the regrowth process. do you have a picture that you could post? If you can get some vita-chem and/or fish protector, both of those help fins regrow.

 

I'd love to get photos, but he's photo-phobic! I think the only way would be to move him to a small enclosure for the pic session, but I'd rather not do that.

His fins are ALWAYS in the regrowth process! At least his tail is. I'm using Atison's Betta Spa, VitaChem, and just got some Fish Protector (the pond variety by accident) and will keep adding those when I do pwcs.

Is there another reason this could happen? I've never seen him do it, but do they chew their own tails?

 

It is my understanding that they are very sensitive to snagging/tearing on things like ornaments.

 

With the male bettas, I have had problems with snags on plants, plastic ones especially. However, even the silk ones have caused a problem before. Could this be contributing to Bo's tail problems?

 

It certainly could be. But I watch him as he swims, and that long pelvic fin is what drags against the gravel, the ornament, the plants (real, plastic, and silk). Wouldn't that be ragged also? Of course, if it's fin rot, that fin should also be rotten!

 

Fin rot is brought on by poor water quality. It is a deterioration of the fin that looks like splits, and is hard to recover from (with regard to restoring a perfect fin). If it were fin rot, it is likely the fish would be dead by now (once fin rot reaches the body, it's all over). From your post, it sounds like the fish is just abusing his fins or something is snagging them.

if u catch it early enough it is okay, but if you are like me and put the wrong type of meds in for two weeks, and it doesn't get cured and by the time I notice, she has half her tail gone, than its pretty hard to restore. Luckily, my victI'm of it, a female red sword, did survive, unfortunately, she is nearing the end of her life without it getting to its original size.

But how yours sounds, it doesn't sound like u caught it early enough. It is especially hard to tell with bettas if they have it due to such long and lacy fins.
Good Luck, though

 

I hope poor water quality isn't a part of this. When he was in his 1.5g bowl I did pwcs 3x a week. Now in his new digs (or new "swims" as my hubby says) in the 5 gallon Eclipse, I do them once a week, adding Atison's Betta Spa, Fish Protector, and VitaChem. Everyone here at work says he's spoiled. I hope so!!!

 

Poor water quality can be an issue, but doesn't sound like it in this case. Sounds like you are taking very good care of Bo, but fin rot can just "happen" for whatever reason. When he drags on the bottom, it's easy for a fin to tear a little, and unfortunately it's easy for that little tear to get infected.

On your plants, are they smooth on the edges? If not, you might want to take them out to trim them up a bit.

 

Another possibility, it could be that Bo is thriving in his new home with all his vitamins and such The white you see could be growing fins. Does his tail look ragged at all?

 

The plastic plants attached to the ornament are soft, but kind of spiky, maybe I'll cut them off anyway.

His tail always looks a bit ragged, but it never looks "angry" ragged, if that makes any sense. The notches and bumps along the edge his tail always look soft and flowy like they're in process of growing, healing, or just changing. The tips are colorless, but the red of his coloration flows right into them. They just don't look rotten. Nothing looks like it's about to tear away.

Their personalities are all different, maybe they're all different physically too! Right now he's enjoying the otos' algae wafer. They aren't supposed to like those!

 

Two of my boys have had tattered fins and tails and on the one that was fin nipped in the store community tank has curly regrowth and the other that is just a 'thug' that wrecked his fins zipping around has pale regrowth.

 

Curly regrowth? That's interesting! They're all amazingly different for being the same species, aren't they? I guess I'll keep watching but stop worrying.

 

hehe curly! I'll try to get pics to post!!

 

I could be wrong, but I think that's called 'fancy fin' or some such term - it's something that some bettas have that gives them curls like that.

Two of my boys have had tattered fins and tails and on the one that was fin nipped in the store community tank has curly regrowth and the other that is just a 'thug' that wrecked his fins zipping around has pale regrowth.