I'm really quite frustrated with my tank right now....

[DarkSoul]

Mostly just very confused with my bettas health, more specifically, his fins.

As I've mentioned in many other posts his fins are in bad shape and I'm really confused as to why.

First let me explain my cycle. We should all know by now, that I'm pretty new to the hobby, So things are pretty darn confusing for me sometimes, and I'm a pretty smart person.

Well, since I started my cycle, on the 11th of aug, I only really added a bit of flake food, and didn't see any big change in ammonia.
Later on I purchased a fish, and plants, and then a week or so after that, more plants.

Even with the fish, and regular testing, I never seen any change in ammonia, nitrites or nitrates.

It wasn't until a couple of weeks ago that my nitrate test deviated only slightly from its yellow 0ppm reading, but it wasn't quite the same colour as 5ppm.

about 2 weeks ago, I did a massive cleaning of the tank (probably the third huge cleaning job since adding the fish) stirring the gravel and generally being very thorough. I removed my betta, and (over)dosed my tank with ammonium chloride, in order to verify my cycle. After many water changes the following day, I got the ammonia down to around 0.25-0.50.

It stayed at 0.50 for 2 or 3 days, and then Upon testing on the fourth day, ammonia was 0ppm, nitrites were 0.50, and nitrates were roughly 5ppm. a 50% PWC was performed, followed by a 25% PWC.

Oct 1st shows nitrites at less than 0.25, but not quite 0. Nitrates are 5ppm or less, but this never seems to change. Any time I have noticed nitrates, the reading never goes up no matter how long I let it go without water changes.

So, I'm freakin lost about where my cycle stands. But back on track, my betta.

Everyday I see him, and give him a good examining, and I see his fins healed up, or partially healed, and then I'll check again the next day, and they will have giant rips in them, Along the rays of the fin. Either that or there will be holes in the fins. the ends are frayed and clumped, and wont seem to heal, but the clumps have also ripped along the rays, and arent grown together anymore. They are basically little curly frayed ends.

I can't figure out whats going, Because the water should pretty much be clean, It isn't visibly dirty, except for a very very very mild fog/cloud.
I've gotten rid of my hornwort, which was shedding needles like crazy and basically dying. I'm hoping now that with the hornwort gone, the water quality should improve even more, not having thousands of leaves rotting in the tank.

Yet I still new rips and tears in his fins, even after they heal up, they heal up and are ripped again...... It doesn't look like "rot" at all, its like something his ripping his fins, but I can't figure out what.

I'm not really able to do water changes everyday, since I'm rather busy during the week, but during the tanks first month, I was doing water changes almost everyday. I figured my cycle was done and started doing weekly changes a couple of weeks ago.

Melafix/pimafix hasn't helped, and neither has aquarium salt, though I only tried a half dose of the salt, once.

What should I do to help my fish?
I'm disgruntled :(

Also, I use Prime, and an API master test kit.

[msjinkzd]

do you have any artificial decorations in his tank that he could be getting "ripped" on?

[pinkertd]

DS.....are you sure your daughter is not getting at the tank and fish ever? Earlier today I read some of your old posts. I'm trying to get a clue how you got so many bugs in that tank when you keep insisting you fed the betta lightly......and just maybe.....your daughter was feeding the tank when you weren't watching her. You had to have had tremendous leftover food to have an infestation of not just planaria but copepods too.

[silentskream]

have you continued to add ammonia throughout the cycle?
you have to attempt to maintain the 4ppm of ammonia (as long as your fish are not in it)


as far as the betta goes, the cleanliness of the water is not a visible thing. the water tests are what matter. are there any fake plants in the tank? any other creatures with the betta? is it possible that he's fighting himself?

[Star_Rider]

you could be seeing residual fall out of ammonia.
when exposed to ammonia fins will get damaged..this will vary in degree related to doseage species etc.

typically you will see damage occur in the 'webbing' the material between the rays..this is the fist thing that usually results in 'thinning' in severe cases the rays themselves will deteriorate donw to the bone.
your best bet it t okeep the water very clean

[ct-death]

A bit disconnected, and sorry for entering this topic late as I am missing some history here, but where was the Betta when he wasn't in the tank? Many of his issues could be related to this move and 'other' environment just as well as it could be what Star suggests...

As you know, with the betta present ammonia/nitrItes must be kept at 0.25ppm ata a mimimum, not recommened for a stressed/sick fish. I would try and maintain the water as clean as you are able to and ensure the readings don't approach 0.25

Ammonia is nasty on soft tissues, and with a fish already under stress from a soft-tissue ailment I wouldn't fool around. Also, I would double check your kit b/c a nitrAte reading of 5 or less really shouldn't result in a planaria outbreak unless somethign else is afoot...wich very well could be?

As for the clamped fins;
- A sick betta may develop clamped fins especially with bacterial outbreaks.
- Poor water quality can cause this.
- Stress can lead ot clamped fins as well in bettas (although rare), such chasing when netting, large water changes, poor acclimation into a tank, etc., but in these cases it is usually temporary.

[DarkSoul]

alright, to answer the many questions asked, as best I can

No fake decorations.... no real ones either :) Just plants, and gravel.

My daughter could NOT feed the fish, as the food is kept on a shelf at a height so high I am the only person in the household who can reach it.
Also since the last "incident" she as well learned her lesson about playing with the tank, up to and including, leaving finger prints on the glass.... trust me on this one, she will never do anything to that tank again, that she wasn't told/asked to do, under supervision. When cleaning the water, I have never seen bits of left over food. not rotting pieces or chunks or anything. Basically, to the best of my knowledge, there is NO leftover food in the tank.
My betta also doubles as a bottom feeder, and will pick at the bottom for food that has sunk. He eats the "leftovers". which is usually nothing more than a flake or two, and maybe a worm.

I havent continued to add ammonia because there is a fish in there :). The ammonium chloride didnt arrive until a week after I bought the fish.
I put the fish back into his cup during the ammonia "treatment" .... and man I felt bad. His colouration at that time also deteriorated during that time..... i felt so bad keeping him in there, even for 24 hours. But the fin tearing problem, was happening long before his temporary relocation.

I am aware that visibly looking at the water tells you very little, but if the water was visibly dirty/problematic, then it would indicate some kind of problem. I follow the tests, but even they confuse the @$#% out of me when the readings have been as sporatic as I have described above.

his fins have been doing this ever since a few days(or weeks?) after adding him to my tank. Otherwise, he is in extremely good health, he swims fine, seems very happy, likes to play in the current sometimes, he is alert and active, sometimes coming up to the glass to say hello to me, and his eyesight is amazing if you ask me (what do I know about fishes eyesight) .... the ONLY thing wrong with him are his fins, plain and simple.

[pcnicholson]

What size tank is this? The reason I asked is all of the betta's that I have had like minimal amounts of current. I have tried them in my bigger tanks and lost one that way. I currently have my 2 in a 3 gal at work and a 5.5 here at home. They are much happier that way. Both of these tanks have very low current so I was thinking that maybe he's a bit stressed by the current you have? As far as the readings <shrug>

[DarkSoul]

35 gallon with a penguin 200.
He seems to like the current. I watch him swim along the glass, and race through the current back and forth.... he seems to rather enjoy it, almost like he is exercising. otherwise he happily swims around away from the current looking for food 24 hours a day :)