My betta's fins are degraded and bitten.. Why!

I'm not a good fish owner. Let me make this clear. But I do care!

I've had this betta for nearly a year, and the problem started about a month after he came home. He had a minor case of finrot, which was easily treated and cleared up. But about a month after THAT....







Believe be it or not...this used to be a very beautiful, halfmoon rosetail, male betta fish. He was adorable, and frankly, extremely pretty when we got him. His tank is very small, but is always kept clean. I use betta fix when it gets worse, and that usually stops it, and believe it or not this is a vast improvement from what he used to look like..

Subject name: Kain
Species: Betta; Halfmoon, rosetail
Tank size: 1/2 Gallon
Water changes/ every 1-2 weeks
Decorations: Soft, Fake plant, River rocks (both cleaned when we got them)
Gender: Male
Age : ???




What he looked like the day we got him:




I test the water consistently..


When ens I change his water, I add a bit of 'jacks complete water conditioner' and 'jacks Bio-Boost'. I change the water every 1-2 weeks.

 

Welcome to Fishlore!

This looks like a classic case of finrot. Judging from the pictures, I would guess that it is bacterial and not fungal (no fuzzy white growths). There could also be some stressful fin nipping that certainly can't help the situation, if there are any tank mates.

 

Okay, to start with, the test strips you are using are inaccurate, and the tank that the betta is in is much, much too small. Bettas need at least a 2.5 gallon heated, filtered tank.

The fin rot may be returning because of the waste building up so quickly in such a small amount of water, as water conditions will definitely affect fin rot. Keep the water super clean, as you are not changing it enough for such a small tank. I would be changing it at least every other day, imo, until you can get him a better tank. The fin rot won't go away for good until the water is kept clean for good.

Now, if it's tail biting, it could be because if he's a rosetail, then he will have a harder time swimming because of his excessive finnage. So rosetail bettas have often been known to resort to tail biting to relieve themselves of the excess finnage and tail.

What I would do is:
Buy a liquid test kit. The API Freshwater Master Test Kit is a good one, but since you said you are tight on money, try to see if you can find a pet store that uses a liquid test kit to test your water for you.

Change the water very frequently, hopefully, this will help with the fin rot.

Save up for a bigger tank, at least 2.5 gallons and don't forget the heater and filter. As well as Craigslist and eBay, you might also try yard sales.

I hope I was able to help some.

 

1/2 gallon is way too small for any betta. The smallest tank should be at minimum a 2.5 gallon. Do you know the nitrogen cycle?

 

Apparently I do everything fish related, incorrectly. I know nothing of the nitrogen cycle...

He has no tank mates, though he's next to a goldfish tank. I once tried to move him, but he stopped eating and just became catatonic. I honestly thought he was dead, until I reached in and poked him and he nipped at me. But after I moved him back next to the goldfish tank he started acting normal again.

 

Apparently I do everything fish related, incorrectly. I know nothing of the nitrogen cycle...

Aw, darling, I kept fish for nearly a year and hardly knew a thing about the nitrogen cycle! I learned all about it after I joined this site. Just click on the nitrogen cycle words highlighted in blue and it'll take you to a page where you can learn all about the nitrogen cycle! It's not that complicated, once you get the hang of what it means.

https://www.fishlore.com/NitrogenCycle.htm Here's the link.

 

I'm tempted to just give all my fish to the new store (I know for a fact they flush all the returns they get) and give up. I'm clearly incompetent, judging from the fact that my betta has apparently had finrot for months, my fancy goldfish are going to be deformed because I'm broke and out of space for a bigger tank, and I'm an overall failure as a fish owner I've already gotten one betta killed when they gave me the wrong medicine when he had some sort of infection (fuzz all over the poor thing) and he died the day I got medicine for him. I used to have a 20 gal tank with guppies, a sucker fish and a huge goldfish named bubbles. But the guppies died, sucked fish died, and bubbles went to my mom who flushed him and only told me she did it a year later. so close to throwing in the towel!

 

Don't be too hard on yourself. If you knew the number of fish I've failed to keep well (and how I failed to keep them) you'd wonder why I never gave up. Instead I kept believing pet store employees and all of the advice I was given turns out to have been wrong. Now of course we can share information easily via the internet, something I didn't have when I was younger! Then I found this site. The nitrogen cycle mystified me for a long while but I just kept reading about it and eventually something clicked and it made sense. My tanks now are a joy, my fish are healthy, and I don't have horrible problems with algae. It is possible to keep fish well and without a huge investment of money...though that helps

 

See, my biggest issue, is my grandparents are stingy, I'm broke, and I have five fish. Just five. But for said five fish, I have a five gallon tank holding two butterfly tail goldfish,a less then half gallon tank holding two tiny, carnival goldfish inside, and a half gallon tank (I think, Atleast) with-apparently- a disease riddled betta fish. And my grandparents would rather see all of them flushed, rather than let me upgrade tanks. I would if I could, mind you. But I can't.

 

Then if you care about them you need to either move out to your own place where you won't be restricted or rehome the fish. Maybe talk to an animal rescue near you and see if they have extra supplies. I know ones here take in donations to give to people who need them.

 

Don't be too hard on yourself. Think of it this way, at least you made an account on Fishlore and are searching for answers rather than turning a blind eye to the fish. Kudos to you! Asking for help is a brave thing

What I would suggest is rehoming all the goldfish and putting the betta in their 5 gallon. He will love it! (Also, a Petco will take your fish without flushing them ). Also, as BTWB mentioned, rose tail bettas are notorious fin nippers, but if it is an infection, it will be easier to treat him in a larger tank.

Please, don't give up or beat yourself up. Everyone has lost fish due to a lack of information. You just have to pick up and more forward

 

I'm 15. I think moving out is out of the question. Rehoming my fancies is...not on option. It sounds weird, but I'm attached to those guys. Ollie and Molly, though it sounds strange, kinda helped me though some pretty hard times, as I've recently been basically disowned by my father. Around that time I got these two, and they made me laugh when they'd chase each-other, run into the plastic when I got close to the tank (cause they associate me with food) and when they swim circles in and out of the arch decoration I have. They're part of the family, and I don't think I can give them up. We aren't near any rescue centers, but I (think) there's a petco about...two or so hours from here..maybe. I'm really banking on Christmas, though. I've been on honor roll for two years, and since Christmas is coming up, I MIGHT be able to convince my grandparents to get me a 20 gal at most.then I can move the betta to the five gal...maybe.

 

Then if you care about them you need to either move out to your own place where you won't be restricted or rehome the fish. Maybe talk to an animal rescue near you and see if they have extra supplies. I know ones here take in donations to give to people who need them.

This is kind of rude. Not everyone has the means to just pick up and move and that really has nothing to do with OP's question.

 

As for the betta, do you have a larger bowl that hasn't come in contact with any soaps or chemicals? Does your current tank have a filter and/or heater?

 

Wasn't trying to be rude, but it did sound as though the OP is in a rough place. What grandparent would tell a grandchild to destroy their pet? That does not sound like a very good environment to be in.
Rosie211, I understand that you want to keep your fish but I did not realize that you were as young as that. I hope you can hold onto your fish and find an inexpensive way to upgrade them. Any chance of getting an after school job that could help you to pay for the upgrades on your own?

 

Oh yes, a job is an excellent idea! Even if it's just odd jobs, like babysitting or mowing the neighbors' lawns. Also, why not ask your grandparents if there's anything you can do around the house to earn some extra cash?

 

Er, what's an OP?

all our bowls have been washed with soap Atleast like, ninety times. We're in a bit of a financial hole, so we don't replace anything if we don't have to. The only tank I have with a filer has the two fancy goldfish in it, and no the betta 'tank' has no heater.. Like I said, bad pet owner.
Lately they've been itching to get rid of the fancies as we go through filter pads like crazy. I have to change them Atleast once a week, sometimes more. We can't clean them, and after about a week the water just goes straight over the overflow- only a drop or two actually getting through the filter.

My 'friend' stole the only babysitting job to be found around here. And I would have to get a permit from my school to get a job, and I tried. I was denied.

 

You shouldn't change the filter pads so often, as that's where your beneficial bacteria lives, which keeps the cycle alive. Basically, it's where the good stuff lives. Just swish it around in old tank water when you have to.

"OP" means "other person" or "original post".

 

We try to clean them off Atleast so they'll continue to filter, but it just completely stops. The water just goes straight over the pad and back into the tank, and within a day of this starting the whole thing literally turns green!

 

Oh, I thought it stood for "Open Poster"

For the filter pads, what are they like? You might be able to make your own for a lot cheaper. And clean the old ones as BTWB suggested by swishing them in tank water.

 

Umm, my grandpa says they have charcoal in them or something? They have fabric-feeling stuff on top and bottom. That's..really all I can say about them. I'll get some pictures of the one I have in now, that's hardly filtering.

 

You don't really need the charcoal filter pads. They help, but with enough beneficial bacteria you don't necessarily need it. You could also just buy a container of activated carbon and put it in a nylon stocking to accomplish the same thing.

 

Lit just goes straight over the pad after a week, and out the overflow, as shown..

 

I am not sure how it is in the states (but last time I was there all was very cheap for me) but here you can sometimes get a 5-8 gallon pretty cheap and its with heater and light as well. So if its possible for you to save up some money either by getting a job or simply cutting back other needs (I know it sucks) then you would have a great home for the betta.

 

What's activated carbon?...

 

What's activated carbon?...

https://www.fishlore.com/activated-carbon-aquarium.htm

Should tell you all you need to know about it

 

Yeah, that's pretty basic stuff. You could just use any ordinary filter material cut to size but if you want carbon in it you could try this:

 

This thread has quickly escalated from a simple case of finrot, to bursts about finances, beneficial bacteria, and overall despair.

Take one thing at a time. and do your research. It can be scary and disorienting when your not well informed. And you can never get ahead in this hobby if you try and wrap your head around everything at once. Take care of your filtration problem (it will aid in the finrot cure) and medicate you sick fish. When he's healthy and happy take care of the more long term problems.

Don't give up and best of luck!

 

Ok, agreed with above poster, take a step back, relax, and realize your fish have survived like this so far, they won't die within 2 hours just because you realized something was wrong. Only 2 months ago, when I FIRST got into the fish hobby, I killed (not on purpose obviously) all 7 of my guppies in my 10 gallon tank. I'm pretty sure plenty of us have been in your situation, but luckily your fish didn't all drop dead within a week of purchase . I'd say if you can take all of the advice given to you so far, in both of your threads, you should be ok. Good luck, and may your betta's fins grow back as glorious as ever