Betta Troubles

  • Get the NEW AquariaCentral iOS app --> http://itunes.apple.com/app/id1227181058 // Android version will be out soon!

biondoa

AC Members
Feb 6, 2015
397
26
18
NC
Real Name
Alison
I am not sure what is wrong with my betta, if anything, however in the past 2 days I have noticed his dorsal fin and upper ray on tail fin look somewhat ragged. He also appears to have some patches on his skin that look faded. His behavior is normal and he is eating well. He is housed alone in a 5g tank which has perfect water parameters.
My LFS guy said to try some Betta Fix from API which I added this afternoon. He is still acting normally and eating tonight. Does this sound like anything serious, and is there anything else I should be doing for him?
thanks for your help with this.
 

Duckie

AC Members
Mar 14, 2015
600
49
31
What kind of decoration do you got for him that could injure him and how close can he get to the heater? He might have just slept wrong and got the fins caught and got his body burned by the heater. You need to keep an eye on him and see if it gets any worse. Might not be fin rot initially, but now that he is injured he will be more prone to catch it. With perfect water it is unlikely, but not impossible. I would try to add some salt to the water to help him heal faster in any case. 1 tablespoon for your 5 gallon tank should do the trick. Use aquarium salt if you can, if you don't have any you can use table salt, but make 100% sure that it is iodine free (has to say that it is not iodized, if it doesn't say one way or the other then you should assume that it has iodine in it which is toxic to fish).

Good luck, and hopefully it doesn't turn out to be fin rot as you would need to treat that as soon as you can before it is too late for your betta.
 

biondoa

AC Members
Feb 6, 2015
397
26
18
NC
Real Name
Alison
Thank you for your advice Duckie. I do have some aquarium salt. I will add some this morning. What is the usual treatment for fin rot?
 

Duckie

AC Members
Mar 14, 2015
600
49
31
Thank you for your advice Duckie. I do have some aquarium salt. I will add some this morning. What is the usual treatment for fin rot?
I believe it consists of extra water changes and treating with Melafix. But that only works in the early stages before the fin rot is too extreme. Don't have any first hand experience with fin rot though, or with treatment with Melafix. I do not believe in throwing medicine at fish unless it is absolutely necessary, and even then I would not do it "just in case."
 

Anders247

IG-88 Invaders
Jun 10, 2014
295
9
18
Real Name
Anders
Fin rot is best treated with clean water with 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and 20 or less nitrates. Medications aren't needed.
 

biondoa

AC Members
Feb 6, 2015
397
26
18
NC
Real Name
Alison
Water tested this morning . 0 ppm on ammonia, nitrite and nitrates. The little guy is behaving normally and eating, but fins look ragged. This has only been for the last 2 days. I added betta fix (which is basically melafix) yesterday and today. Since water quality is good, maybe I should stop the meds.
 
zoomed.com
hikariusa.com
aqaimports.com
Store