Slime On Willard's Tail And Fins

Hey everyone! So I've let Willard settle into his new tank and everything has been great! That is.... Until this morning. No clamped fins, he has been patrolling his hood regularly, eating twice a day.... But this morning, I notice a white slimy film coming off of his tail and fins. Weird thing is he's acting completely normal. Then, I notice the film has disappeared into thin air!! Weird.... And I'm wondering if that's what has been making him, on occasion, swim super fast and almost flick his tail, then go back to normal swimming? I still don't have a test kit. Do you think this could be related to the API betta water conditioner, since it contains aloe? Should I go get some bettafix, for preventative measures? I'm doing a 50% water change now. Also, I have been feeding him tropical crisps and I read that he should only be eating betta pellets, frozen worms, that kinda thing. Help! How did this mysterious slime just disappear into thin air?!?! He's still acting totally normal..... I'm so confused.

Additionally, I have aquarium salt in his tank.....

 

If he's acting totally normal, then there's no harm in it, and if it comes back, just let your filter take care of it. Is your tank planted? If so it might be biofilm from one of them, otherwise idk.

 

The only plants are 3 marimo moss balls. Otherwise, just fake plastic plants. I rinsed his filter when I noticed it, and it just went away! I'm about to do a 50% water change...

 

Can you post a better pic of the slime issue?

Congrats on the upgrade! I think that corner tank is 2.5g? Also I have the same Walmart cave and it's a favorite with the fishies.

 

There are more reports of Aloë-containing waterconditioners that cause an excess of mucus (= slime).

 

Yes, it's the 2.5 gallon! I didn't happen to snap a pic. It happened so suddenly! I woke up, went to feed him, and that's when I noticed the slime. I took his filter to rinse it, let him eat, then noticed it was gone!

 

There are more reports of Aloë-containing waterconditioners that cause an excess of mucus (= slime).

Awesome, I was thinking that could be a cause....

 

salt will strip the mucus layer off fish. This is what you are seeing on fins and tail of your fish- mucus. Whyy are you using salt daily for a betta.

 

I'd go ahead and agree and say it's more than likely the water conditioner, not some type of illness. I wouldn't randomly dose the tank with medication, since he probably isn't sick, it'll do more harm than good at this point. Is there any reason you're using aquarium salt? It has its benefits, but isn't really something that should be added to a tank just because. As far as food goes I'm not familiar with tropical crisps, is it some sort of flake food? The food my betta receives in NLS, but there are many suitable pellets on the market.

 

I'd go ahead and agree and say it's more than likely the water conditioner, not some type of illness. I wouldn't randomly dose the tank with medication, since he probably isn't sick, it'll do more harm than good at this point. Is there any reason you're using aquarium salt? It has its benefits, but isn't really something that should be added to a tank just because. As far as food goes I'm not familiar with tropical crisps, is it some sort of flake food? The food my betta receives in NLS, but there are many suitable pellets on the market.

HI there! I put the aquarium salt in when I set up his new tank due to clamped fins. I have been slowly diluting it with water changes, and there really shouldn't be much left now. The tropical crisps food is by TetraPro, and the only reason I'm using that is because I couldn't find betta food when I bought the fish (they probably had it but I only saw tropical and goldfish food).

salt will strip the mucus layer off fish. This is what you are seeing on fins and tail of your fish- mucus. Whyy are you using salt daily for a betta.

Thanks for your response..... Like I mentioned to Tiffany, I put in a little aquarium salt (less than directed) when setting up his new tank because of clamped fins. I have been taking the salt out slowly with water changes. There shouldn't be very much left at all.

 

Also, I'm using (for the past 3-4 days) since his new tank setup.

You might reword this then, as it makes it sound like you have been adding salt for the last three to four days.

 

You might reword this then, as it makes it sound like you have been adding salt for the last three to four days.

Oops! Sorry for the confusion....I reworded it!

 

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Hmm I've never seen those before, new product maybe? When looking for a main staple flake or pellet it's important to ignore all the fancy claims and packaging and go straight to the ingredients list. Bettas are carnivores, they need meat to stay healthy. Avoid fish meal at all costs, this is essentially junky ground up fish, stay away from grains also. This can include wheat, flour, potato starch, barley, anything of that nature.

 

Hmm I've never seen those before, new product maybe? When looking for a main staple flake or pellet it's important to ignore all the fancy claims and packaging and go straight to the ingredients list. Bettas are carnivores, they need meat to stay healthy. Avoid fish meal at all costs, this is essentially junky ground up fish, stay away from grains also. This can include wheat, flour, potato starch, barley, anything of that nature.

Thank you! I'm on my way to the pet store to get betta pellets right now! Fish meal is the main ingredient in this .... Ugh! No more yucky stuff for Willard!

 

Did you cycle his tank before you put him in? How often do you add his water conditioner and how much do you add? Excessive slime coat production is often an indication that something is irritating his skin which could be anything from external parasites to toxins in the water to any other irritant. Salt for example is an irritant. Can you get your water tested at a pet shop until you get your own test kit?