Need Help Cycling My Bettas New Tank

Thanks, I tied the fern to a rock with fishing line. How long until it holding on to the rock on its own before I should remove the line?

I’ll see how his fin is looking tomorrow before I add salt. If I do end up using salt is it safe for the plants?

 

Also has anyone used fishing weights to hold down plants. Like tie a piece of line onto the plant and clip a few weights on to sink it? My Anubias don’t want to stay down lol.

 

Ive done salt with anubias and its been ok. Idk about the others though. Leave the fern be, it will be a while before roots take over. Ive had some tied for months now.. I have a few plants weighted down with seashells. I'm from florida so, easy access, lol. I imagine fishing lures would work the same way. I use the clear string I think it looks nicer than colored thread, and ypu don't have to worry about it disintegrating

 

His fin doesn’t look to be getting any worse today so I’m holding off with the salt for now.

Any suggestions on driftwood that won’t tear his fins? All the Anubias except one keeps popping out of the gravel so I’d like to lie them to a piece of driftwood.

 

Any decor your worried you can do "the panty hose test" run some over it and if it runs or rips the hose, it will rip betta fins. If your worried, just get fake stuff. I had to weight a few of my anubias down with those beads they sell for betta bowls and stuff. I just planted it the best I could, stuck a few in between the stems and hoped for the best

 

Help! I just got home from work and his tail has almost completely dissolved away! It looked fine this morning before I left. How could this happen so fast? What do I do?

 

Theres always a chance that he has some underlying infection. If he has fin melt or fin rot it can be caused by bacteria. I believe it is gram negative bacteria so you would need a gram negative medication. Look it up. Do his fins look black or brown and bloody? Is there any white fuzz developing? A picture would help
And if it's really bad I would start with the aquarium salt. You can take out the plants and put them in a bucket with treated water.

 

I don’t see any black or brown or blood. No white fuzz. Top half of his tail is still showing signs of healing ( clear, new growth on the tip) it’s the bottom half that I’m worried about it looks stringy and receded towards his body.

I have aquarium salt I can start that today. Do I follow directions on the box or would you recommend using more or less? Box says 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons. Let me know if you think I should add salt today after looking at the picture.

I will look into medications. How would I know if he has an underlying infection? Is there anything I could do for that?

Best pics I can get he just doesn’t sit still lol.
Let me know if you need more or different angles. (Waters level looks low because I’m in the middle of a water change)

Thanks for your help again

 

From what I can see it doesn't look infected so I wouldnt start meds. They are good to have on hand just incase though..
I had a betta I brought home with pretty severe fin damage and after research I decided to go with 1tsp per gallon. Bettas do fine with slightly brackish water, they encounter it a lot in their natural environments. Theres really no set amount of salt to use, it just depends on who you ask. But mix the salt in a bottle or something with a bit of tank water and add it in slowly so you don't shock him. I do it over the course of an hour or so, by the filter so it mixes well. When doing a water change add back in only as much salt per gallon as you took out. So a 1 gallon change gets 1 tsp of salt mixed in. I would keep salt in for at least a week and see how the healing is going, and go from there.

 

Ok that’s good to hear, I will definetly be getting some meds to have just in case.

Sounds good, I’ll add the salt today. Dumb question but will adding salt interfere with me trying to get the tank cycled?

 

Ok that’s good to hear, I will definetly be getting some meds to have just in case.

Sounds good, I’ll add the salt today. Dumb question but will adding salt interfere with me trying to get the tank cycled?

Nope, salt won't interfere with the cycle. Keep up with the same water change schedule and just remember to add salt back in for what you took out.
Kanaplex and metroplex by seachem are both good meds to have on hand. Dont bother with anything with "fix" in the name. Its no good for the labyrinth organ.
As far as I know, fin rot doesn't actually hurt the betta (pain wise) as long as he's not having the bloody edges or white fuzz which is the start of an infection. Just keep doing what you have been and he should be just fine.

 

Ok great. I’ll look into those meds. Glad to hear he isn’t in pain. I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for any fuzz or blood. I’m reading mixed things about whether I should take my plants out or if they will be fine to leave in for a week with salt. I’d prefer to leave them in if it won’t harm them. What your opinion I currently only have Anubias and a java fern but also have a water sprite otw from aquarium coop.(arriving Friday)

 

Ordered some Kanaplex just in case it gets worse. Also I noticed a very small dark spot at the tip of a rotted part (about the size of the tip of a pen) can’t even get it on camera.

 

Ive done it with anubias and moss balls, and they did fine but idk about the java fern or water sprite because I didnt have them yet when I had to do it.

 

Ok thanks. I’ll remove the java fern just to be safe and leave the Anubias and moss balls so he has some places to rest/hide.

 

Hello, the salt is working great he already has new growth coming back. Just was wondering what I can do to prevent this from happening again? I read keeping up with water changes is the best thing I can do but I’m currently changing the water every other day so I don’t think dirt water was the issue here. Oh and btw his sponge filter came yesterday.

 

Yay! I'm so glad hes doing better. Honestly your probabally doing everything you can to prevent fin damage from coming back. Once the tank is cycled (0 ammonia, 0 nitrIte, and nitrAtes are showing up) you can go down to water changes every 5-7 days or so. He's got the proper filter, live plants, no scratchy ornaments. As long as you keep it that way, he should be just fine.
He would probabally enjoy some frozen foods every so often. If you invest in some bloodworms he would like some once or twice a week. If he starts to look bored, rearrange his tank, or get him a ping pong ball to float on his water. I like to play with mine once a week or so with a mirror. It makes them flare, which excersizes those muscles, and its something exciting for him. It can also help if he looks bloated, sometimes the flaring action makes them poop. He would probabally be intersted in a nerite or mystery snail as well, once the tank is cycled and your brown algae (diatomes) shows up. I would go wirh a nerite, personally.

I think your biggest issue now is going to be able to avoid the temptation to buy more fish, lol. MTS (multiple tank syndrom) is a real danger.

 

Sounds good. I’m just waiting for the test kit to get here should be by the end of this week.
He loves frozen bloodworms I already have those. He flares at me whenever I first approach the tank lol. Such an interesting little fish. I’ll try the mirror, I have a ton of extra bird toys because I rotate them out so I’ll steal a mirror from them. A snail would look nice I’ll look into that once it’s cycled. Have you ever had a snail with your bettas? I don’t want it to get eaten, I heard bettas can only live by themselves.

Can’t wait to post a picture once the java fern and water sprite are back in. It’s looking so much better than it did originally IMO. And I think he likes the live plants much better as well.

Thanks again for all your help me and Lunar greatly appreciate it

 

Sounds good. I’m just waiting for the test kit to get here should be by the end of this week.
He loves frozen bloodworms I already have those. He flares at me whenever I first approach the tank lol. Such an interesting little fish. I’ll try the mirror, I have a ton of extra bird toys because I rotate them out so I’ll steal a mirror from them. A snail would look nice I’ll look into that once it’s cycled. Have you ever had a snail with your bettas? I don’t want it to get eaten, I heard bettas can only live by themselves.

Can’t wait to post a picture once the java fern and water sprite are back in. It’s looking so much better than it did originally IMO. And I think he likes the live plants much better as well.

Thanks again for all your help me and Lunar greatly appreciate it

No problem
Snails are fine. I recommend a nerite, because they're smaller, eat diatomes like crazy, and they don't have antennas that the bettas might miatake for food. Mysteries are a gamble, they're bigger, and they have long antennas and a tube to breathe air that the bettas might bite off. They also need foods other than algae. My female betta has killed a mystery snail but she does fine with both nerites and assassin snails.
Just make sure that whatever snail you pick out is attached to something. Never get one that's closed up or laying upside down. And when you put them in the tank don't just drop them. Place them on the ground shell up. If nerites turn over they can't right themselves and will die if you don't help em out.

 

Hello, he has finrot again. The tips are red and shredded. I have Kanaplex now and want to try that. Is it safe for plants?

 

Hello, he has finrot again. The tips are red and shredded. I have Kanaplex now and want to try that. Is it safe for plants?

It should be, as far ad I know. Dose it with your water changes. The directions are to do a dose every other day, 3 doses. So I do a water change and immediately dose, leave it alone the next day, water change then dose again till all 3 are done. Good luck!

 

Thank you!

 

Thank you!

Your very welcome

I hope he starts doing better. And look up fin biting in bettas. If the rot won't go away, and he's alone in clean water, with nothing to scratch his fins, he may possibly be biting. Just something to consider.

Is the original filter still in the tank? I know you had said you blocked the intake but check it again just in case.

 

Hello, everything seems to be going good now. His fins are growing back and he seems to really enjoy all the live plants. I purchased a zoo med floating betta log for him but it seems very rough and I’m hesitate to put it in his tank. Does anybody have any experience with a floating betta log tearing their bettas fins?

 

Hello, everything seems to be going good now. His fins are growing back and he seems to really enjoy all the live plants. I purchased a zoo med floating betta log for him but it seems very rough and I’m hesitate to put it in his tank. Does anybody have any experience with a floating betta log tearing their bettas fins?

I'm so glad he's doing better! I have a betta log in with my female.. The male had it for a while but he wasn't interested. I never noticed that it gave him any fin damage while he had it. Mine is bumpy, but they're soft bumps, if that makes any sense. If your really worried go buy a cheap pair of panty hose (or steal a pair from an older lady in your life, lol) run it over the log, and if it rips the log is no good. If it won't rip the hose, it won't rip fins.

 

Thanks, it kept snagging the panty hose so I will be bringing it back just to be safe, he doesn’t need anymore fin damage.