Ripped Betta Fins?

Ripped

• Ultra Despair Girl
• Sep 4, 2017

Ripped

• Ultra Despair Girl
• Sep 4, 2017

I have a male betta fish in a 5.5 gallon tank with a filter, a heater, and lights. I have had him for about a month and a half.

Just today, I noticed his fins looked ripped. One side looked like it had been cut in half and the rest are jagged at the tips and a little black.

Here's how he looked before:

Betta

• Ultra Despair Girl
• Sep 4, 2017

Betta

• Ultra Despair Girl
• Sep 4, 2017

Here's how he looks now:

Ripped

• Ultra Despair Girl
• Sep 4, 2017

Ripped

• Ultra Despair Girl
• Sep 4, 2017

Ripped

• Ultra Despair Girl
• Sep 4, 2017

Ripped

• Ultra Despair Girl
• Sep 4, 2017

Ripped

• Ultra Despair Girl
• Sep 4, 2017

Also, a few days ago. I saw a white vertical mark on her face that eventually turned dark red in about an hour. I didn't think much of it but maybe it's important?

Other facts:
- I feed him everyday. Monday - Wednesday: 2 pellets once a day. Thursday & Sunday: a small chunk of brine shrimp once a day. Friday & Saturday: 2 and a half Blood worms once a day. I make sure there's no food left in the tank after she's done eating.
-There are plastic plants in my tank. However, they are not sharp and have not had any effect on my fishes ever since I got them.
-I did a water check yesterday and there was a little bit of ammonia. I am going to change some of the water tomorrow. It has been two and a half weeks since I last changed some of the water.
-The filter is a submersive one that does not have a strong current. This is because he isn't a good swimmer.
-I have the lights on in the tank from 3 P.M. to 10 P.M. so that he can differentiate between day and night time. I know this rises the ammonia level but I don't want him to be stressed.

He isn't lethargic at all. He's been swimming a lot all over the tank and is very active!

So I'm asking, do you think it is fin rot or have the plastic plants caused tears?

If it is fin rot what can I do to help him? I'm not an experienced at caring for fish. I've only stared taking care of betta three months ago.

I am going to the fish store tomorrow to ask around more too but I thought I'd ask the betta community. Please help, I don't want him to die!

 

That's definitely fin rot.

Can you tell us your exact parameters?

 

Fin rot for sure, probably caused by that ammonia spike and lack of a water change. I would recommend that you do a 90% water change and continue doing 50% water changes daily until the fin rot goes away. Ideally, even after your betta gets better, you should do weekly 30% water changes.

If you continue doing proper water changes but the fin rot still doesn't go away after a week or so, I would get some Paraguard to cure it.

 

Fin rot for sure, probably caused by that ammonia spike and lack of a water change. I would recommend that you do a 90% water change and continue doing 50% water changes daily until the fin rot goes away. Ideally, even after your betta gets better, you should do weekly 30% water changes.

If you continue doing proper water changes but the fin rot still doesn't go away after a week or so, I would get some Paraguard to cure it.

Okay! Thank you so much for the advice! I'll change most of the water right away and hope for the recovery. Hopefully they will have Paraguard at the fish store otherwise I will immediately order it just to be safe.

 

That's definitely fin rot.

Can you tell us your exact parameters?

Thank you for your input! I'm sorry that I can't tell you the exact parameters. I don't have a kit to test the water but I do go to a local fish store to test it there on a weekly basis.

What was evident was the ammonia; there was an array of colors that defined it and my water was in about the third color from the top. This was a day ago so it may have changed a bit since then.

 

Okay! Thank you so much for the advice! I'll change most of the water right away and hope for the recovery. Hopefully they will have Paraguard at the fish store otherwise I will immediately order it just to be safe.

No problem! Good luck, keep us updated.

 

That's okay! If that test is standard, then the reading should be ammonia 1.

What you need right now is Aquarium salt for a week, while doing daily water changes.

 

That's okay! If that test is standard, then the reading should be ammonia 1.

What you need right now is Aquarium salt for a week, while doing daily water changes.

Okay, thank you! I've done a water change and dissolved Aquarium Salt in!

By the way, they mentioned at the fish store that it's bad to feed your betta every day because it causes ammonia levels to rise and that you should only feed him every other day. So even if there's no food left behind, it could still cause ammonia? Should I lower my feeding to once every other day from now on? I would hate to do that, but if it's to keep the parameters good.

 

No, that's wrong.
You should feed the betta every day, with pallets, about 4 pallets each day. There should be no food left over within 20 seconds of feeding.
With flakes, I think it's 1-2 flakes.
You can skip 1 day every week.

It's a betta. Tropical fish produce little ammonia, and if you do WC at least once a week like you're supposed to, you will have no ammonia.

 

No, that's wrong.
You should feed the betta every day, with pallets, about 4 pallets each day. There should be no food left over within 20 seconds of feeding.
With flakes, I think it's 1-2 flakes.
You can skip 1 day every week.

It's a betta. Tropical fish produce little ammonia, and if you do WC at least once a week like you're supposed to, you will have no ammonia.

Okay, thank you, I'm glad to hear that!

Sorry for asking so many questions, but I'm worried because there is a hurricane coming my way this weekend. I am going to a relative's house for about one or two days where I won't get hit as hard, but should I bring my betta with me?

He is in a 5.5 gallon tank at home but I'm sure that the lights will go out overnight for at least a day and the filter and heater will stop working. Would it be bad to leave him in the tank if the heater stops and the temperature declines while he is in there, as well as turning back on again when the hurricane passes and him being in there while the temperature rises? I know it is bad for the temperature to change too much while they are in the tank.

It is a category 3 hurricane so I'm sure the house he is in will be fine. Another alternative is putting him in a temporary 1/2 gallon tank and taking him with me to the relative's house for about a day until the hurricane passes, but I don't want to do that because I know that using a fish net will stress him out a lot and he doesn't need that right now since he has fin rot.

Any suggestions? I'm torn on what to do.

 

If you have a clear glass, you can lure him into it with food then cup him out. You're right to never use a net on bettas unless in an emergency.

If there is no chance of his tank being broken and you're sure his temp will stay around 80*, you can leave him.

Otherwise, just take him. He is a hardy fish and getting jarred for a few days will probably be fine, fin rot or not. If anything, fin rot should be treated in a 1 gallon empty tank with daily water-changes anyway.

 

If you have a clear glass, you can lure him into it with food then cup him out. You're right to never use a net on bettas unless in an emergency.

If there is no chance of his tank being broken and you're sure his temp will stay around 80*, you can leave him.

Otherwise, just take him. He is a hardy fish and getting jarred for a few days will probably be fine, fin rot or not. If anything, fin rot should be treated in a 1 gallon empty tank with daily water-changes anyway.

I've decided to take him because the temperature will definitely drop if I leave him. Can you elaborate on how to transfer him to the 1/2 gallon tank without using a net? Both his tank and the transferring one have clear glass so he can see. What do you mean by luring him into it with food? Do you mean to lure him into a cup with food in his tank and then putting him into the 1/2 gallon from the cup?