Jennywren
- #1
HI guys, (see below for tank specs/water parameters)
Here's my original post about my gorgeous boy Shiro and his sudden onset of fin curl:
The fin curl continues to progress (I've given up on a cure), but now in addition he's battling little splits and raggedness in his tail. I feel like he has a new bit of tail damage every day. They seem to heal and re-occur. Today's are the worst so far, with pieces actually missing! His energy also seems a bit low, and while I was photographing him I also noticed a strange coloration, his body seems blue/purplish and his his head more opaque/ivory yellow (this might have been the light, but I thought I'd mention it in case it's significant... you can see best in the labeled photo). NOTE: I'm also seeing some smokey pigmentation in his fins/body, but I don't think that's pathological, just a color wash that hadn't yet manifested when I bought him (maybe I should have skipped the color-enhancing food).
The raggedness tail doesn't look infected/rotten to me, but if it's physical damage rather than bacterial, I can't think how he would be injuring himself in his tank (could he be scraping against the coarse sand?). Does this look like tail biting to you guys???
SYMPTOMS:

#2

#3

#4

DATA/INFO:
Housing
Tank size: 1 gal
Filter: custom sponge filter
Heater: yes
Temp: 77deg (varies by 1-2 degrees over the course of the day)
Aeration: yes
Tank mates: none
Water Parameters (last tested: 4/2/2016)
Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: <10ppm
pH: >7.2 but less than the next level
Hardness (GH): 7 degrees
Alkalinity: (KH): 5 degrees
Maintenance
Water change schedule: once a week
Percent of water changed: 50%
Vacuum the substrate?: yes
Additives: Prime 2dr/gal
Food
Brand: Betta BioGold
Other: froz blood worms, raw salmon/tuna, etc...
Schedule: 1/2 pellets morning, 1 bloodworm in the evening or similar
Symptoms and Treatment
When did you first notice the symptoms: about three days ago
How has your Betta’s appearance changed: ragged tail
How has your Betta’s behavior changed: lower energy
Is your Betta still eating: eagerly
Have you started treating your Betta: no
Does your Betta have any history of being ill: fin curl
How long have you owned your Betta? : brought him home on March 17
Note: I did a 50% water change this morning, and saw no change in his energy. I'm planning to do daily water changes and also pick up a bigger tank for him.
Apart from clean water (which he has), is there anything out there that's ideal treatment for torn fins that I could be using to help him? It doesn't necessarily sound as though StressGuard is the right product...and I hear Melafix isn't a good idea... any other antiseptic?
:'(
Here's my original post about my gorgeous boy Shiro and his sudden onset of fin curl:
The fin curl continues to progress (I've given up on a cure), but now in addition he's battling little splits and raggedness in his tail. I feel like he has a new bit of tail damage every day. They seem to heal and re-occur. Today's are the worst so far, with pieces actually missing! His energy also seems a bit low, and while I was photographing him I also noticed a strange coloration, his body seems blue/purplish and his his head more opaque/ivory yellow (this might have been the light, but I thought I'd mention it in case it's significant... you can see best in the labeled photo). NOTE: I'm also seeing some smokey pigmentation in his fins/body, but I don't think that's pathological, just a color wash that hadn't yet manifested when I bought him (maybe I should have skipped the color-enhancing food).
The raggedness tail doesn't look infected/rotten to me, but if it's physical damage rather than bacterial, I can't think how he would be injuring himself in his tank (could he be scraping against the coarse sand?). Does this look like tail biting to you guys???
SYMPTOMS:
- ragged tail
- strange coloration(?)
- lower energy

#2

#3

#4

DATA/INFO:
Housing
Tank size: 1 gal
Filter: custom sponge filter
Heater: yes
Temp: 77deg (varies by 1-2 degrees over the course of the day)
Aeration: yes
Tank mates: none
Water Parameters (last tested: 4/2/2016)
Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: <10ppm
pH: >7.2 but less than the next level
Hardness (GH): 7 degrees
Alkalinity: (KH): 5 degrees
Maintenance
Water change schedule: once a week
Percent of water changed: 50%
Vacuum the substrate?: yes
Additives: Prime 2dr/gal
Food
Brand: Betta BioGold
Other: froz blood worms, raw salmon/tuna, etc...
Schedule: 1/2 pellets morning, 1 bloodworm in the evening or similar
Symptoms and Treatment
When did you first notice the symptoms: about three days ago
How has your Betta’s appearance changed: ragged tail
How has your Betta’s behavior changed: lower energy
Is your Betta still eating: eagerly
Have you started treating your Betta: no
Does your Betta have any history of being ill: fin curl
How long have you owned your Betta? : brought him home on March 17
Note: I did a 50% water change this morning, and saw no change in his energy. I'm planning to do daily water changes and also pick up a bigger tank for him.
Apart from clean water (which he has), is there anything out there that's ideal treatment for torn fins that I could be using to help him? It doesn't necessarily sound as though StressGuard is the right product...and I hear Melafix isn't a good idea... any other antiseptic?
:'(