As the resident fish expert in my dorm, I get to deal with all the girls who decide to keep their betta fish in everything from bowls to vases to bottles. I think I'm on the 4th one with fin rot now. Now, I'm trying to figure out the best way to treat them. I don't have a quarantine tank, so I just make due with extra stuff I have laying around in the room. Usually I add a small air pump to the water, put a few fake plants in it for the betta to rest on, add prime to get rid of any ammonia, and then start doing water changes. This time the girl got some bettafix, so I'm adding that per dosing. Basically I am wondering if the air pump is beneficial. I also have a box of aquarium salt, and I'm wondering if that would be useful to treat them. I also have a 7.5 watt heater sitting around, and I am wondering if I should put that in the tanks. The most current one is a 1 gallon bowl. The heater is set to a constant temperature, and I'm just trying to make sure it doesn't overheat the tank. Any other suggestions would help too. Maybe make this a sticky because fin rot is the most common betta disease in my experience.
Betta fin rot treatment
- Thread starter gt1009
- Start date
The best cure is good water quality, so make sure to do daily water changes since the bowls and vases are so small. If the case is really bad and/or there are other disease along with the finrot, then you could consider some meds along with the water changes, but be careful to properly diagnose it before throwing just anything in. More often than not, using the incorrect med will do more harm than good or at least be a waste of money.
Do you have a temp reading? If it stays a constant temp, between 78-82, then I would not bother with a heater at this point.
Do you have a temp reading? If it stays a constant temp, between 78-82, then I would not bother with a heater at this point.
I agree with Baz. Clean water is the way to go. Since most people who keep bettas don't filter or heat, a partial water change every two days is necessary to keep the water clean. Hopefully they have the fish in a minimum of 1 gallon each, with more space being even better and less stress on the fish. I keep mine in a five.
I am not too fond of either bettafix or melafix for bettas. There is too much evidence of them being harmful to betta types. I would go with clean, clean water and reduced stress as much as possible. Good luck, fish nurse!!
I am not too fond of either bettafix or melafix for bettas. There is too much evidence of them being harmful to betta types. I would go with clean, clean water and reduced stress as much as possible. Good luck, fish nurse!!
