Please Help!! Bought A Betta At Wal-mart

About 2 months ago a bought a beautiful male betta fish from Wal-Mart. Not the best place I know but it was my only option other than having it shipped to me and I hate shipping live animals personally. Anyway, so I had him in a gold fish bowl for about 2 weeks with a small plant and hide that I had lying around from other tanks I owned years ago. He was fine. Until about the end of the second week and I noticed a very large tear in his anal (bottom) fin. So I moved him to a 10 gallon tank with a little aq salt. I started noticing more and more tears/rips in his fins so I moved him back to the bowl with betta fix, aq salt, and bi-daily water changes.

The big rips/tears have healed but now I'm seeing little spots on his pectoral fin that look thin and clear.


Please help! I've had many fish before but never a betta. I don't know what this is or how to fix it.

 

Is the plant plastic? If so he could have been brushing against it and ripping his fins. I put (what I thought) was a fairly soft plastic plant with one of my bettas not long ago and had to take it out less than 24 hours later because he already had a few tears.

 

Does he have a heater? Bettas cannot live well in bowls, the 10 gallon tank is a much better option. The issue could be fin rot, due to poor water quality...

 

Clear membrane is usually a sign of the fins growing back, so that's usually a good thing to see on previously-damaged fins.

As to how the betta got injured in the first place though, I'm betting it's the plant, but it could be a number of things. Does your 10 gallon have a filter and heater? How are you adding the aquarium salt? How much water are you changing and what is the water conditioner you use?

Also, just as a quick note, be careful not to overdose with the Bettafix. It's a diluted version of Melafix, which has been noted to negatively impact bettas: Update Regarding Labyrinth Fish and Melafixhttps://www.fishlore.com/aquariumfishforum/forums/betta-fish.40/

 

Is the plant plastic? If so he could have been brushing against it and ripping his fins. I put (what I thought) was a fairly soft plastic plant with one of my bettas not long ago and had to take it out less than 24 hours later because he already had a few tears.

It was plastic, yeah. That's probably what was tearing his fins. Could you look at the picture and tell me if it looks like fin rot or just tears? Thanks!

 

It looks more like fin rot to me. Can you post another picture?

 

Clear membrane is usually a sign of the fins growing back, so that's usually a good thing to see on previously-damaged fins.

As to how the betta got injured in the first place though, I'm betting it's the plant, but it could be a number of things. Does your 10 gallon have a filter and heater? How are you adding the aquarium salt? How much water are you changing and what is the water conditioner you use?

Also, just as a quick note, be careful not to overdose with the Bettafix. It's a diluted version of Melafix, which has been noted to negatively impact bettas: Update Regarding Labyrinth Fish and Melafix

I'm so glad that to hear that's probbly just repaired tissue!

My 10 gallon does have a filter. A sponge filter. It doesn't have a heater yet as I am waiting for it to arrive to me. Wal-Mart doesn't have many options lol. In the bowl I do 90% to complete water changes ever other day, adding the aq salt, a few drops of betta fix, and letting it sit for about 30 minutes before mixing it a bit, letting my betta acclimate to the water in the small pet store bowl for another 20 minutes before adding him in. I use bettasafe conditioner, as well.

When he was in the 10 gallon I did 50% water changes every week. Adding just a bit of the aq salt to the new water that I would let sit for a couple hours before adding to the tank so it wouldn't burn or shock him with the salt particles and so it would be about the same temperature as his tank.

 

First thing, figure out if it is fin rot or just simple fin tears from sharp plastic plants.

Here is what you need. Bettas NEED temperatures of 78-82 degrees. Silk plants are highly encouraged because if your plant is plastic, it can rip his fins which could have been the problem source. Betta fish need filters, so if you don't already have one in your 10 gallon you need to get one. Notice almost none of these requirements are met in the fish bow. Also, it is essential to cycle your 10 gallon before adding fish, if you do add fish, do not panic and pursue a fish in cycle. Also, make sure you put the exact amount of aq salt in the 10g.
Also, just a tip, remember to vary their diets. Betta fish are carnivores. So many diet options consist of frozen (I don't suggest freeze dried but I feed mine it on occasion) bloodworm, Daphnia, tubifex, brine shrimp, and pellets (obviously not frozen). I feed mine mainly pellets with the occasional shrimp and bloodworm. My betta declined frozen bloodworm but I have only tried that once, off his regular feeding time. H chowed freeze dried though.

Good luck with your tank!

 

It looks more like fin rot to me. Can you post another picture?

Here is a couple more pictures

 

It does look like fin rot.

 

Okay, if it's fin rot how do I fix it?


Thank you guys so much for all the help and tips. I've had many fish over the years but never a betta and I want to be a good betta parent. His heater is on the way to me but I might get a small cheap one for now so he can heal faster.

 

First thing, figure out if it is fin rot or just simple fin tears from sharp plastic plants.

Here is what you need. Bettas NEED temperatures of 78-82 degrees. Silk plants are highly encouraged because if your plant is plastic, it can rip his fins which could have been the problem source. Betta fish need filters, so if you don't already have one in your 10 gallon you need to get one. Notice almost none of these requirements are met in the fish bow. Also, it is essential to cycle your 10 gallon before adding fish, if you do add fish, do not panic and pursue a fish in cycle. Also, make sure you put the exact amount of aq salt in the 10g.
Also, just a tip, remember to vary their diets. Betta fish are carnivores. So many diet options consist of frozen (I don't suggest freeze dried but I feed mine it on occasion) bloodworm, Daphnia, tubifex, brine shrimp, and pellets (obviously not frozen). I feed mine mainly pellets with the occasional shrimp and bloodworm. My betta declined frozen bloodworm but I have only tried that once, off his regular feeding time. H chowed freeze dried though.

Good luck with your tank!

Thanks so much! I'm working on the heater situation now and getting live plants soon. I will try a better variety of food as well.