Hi everyone! I got my betta on September 10, and I’ve been monitoring his fins closely since then. These photos show his fin condition over time:
Oct 1. – fins were full and healthy (this photo is him flaring)
Oct 7. – slight fraying and tears started appearing
Oct 26. – much worse; fins look torn and thin, with red outlines like he’s bleeding
I’ve been treating him with Seachem KanaPlex. I also gave him a methylene blue bath (just a drop) and kept him in a hospital tank with talisay extract. He actually seemed to heal and stop ripping while isolated, but once I moved him back to his main tank now, it was only about a week or two when the fin damage started again.
Lately, I’ve also noticed small holes forming in his fins on top of his head and tearing with red edges on the bottom fins like before.
Tank details:
– One amano shrimp tankmate (they don’t really interact)
– I do 10–20% water changes daily
– Water is clean and parameters are stable
– I did have that circular betta beds that are 3D printed, and I just removed it now.
The only behavioral change I’ve noticed is he does not flare anymore. However, he’s still curious, energetic, and eating well.
Also how long does it take for my betta’s fins to grow? or will it ever? I’m not sure if he’s sick or it’s just an aesthetic issue. It’s my first time as a betta owner and I just want the best for him. Any insights would really help.
https://i.redd.it/glfc3m7jqfxf1.jpeg
Posted by Delicious-History-60
4 Comments
i’m having exact same issue with my betta op:( i’m at a loss. I hope someone in this sub can help you 😭
the pictures don’t look like fin rot, as I don’t see the red rims you are talking about. fin nipping is extremely common in long finned bettas. make sure the current in your tank is as low as you can get it to make it easier for him to swim without getting blown. add tannins to promote healing, and plenty of resting spots. in my experience it’s hard to get them to stop doing this, it’s just a part of owning long finned bettas. fin healing takes a long time and likely they will nip before regrowth is even possible. i’ve had a half moon betta for over a year who nips his own fins, as long as your water is clean, temp is good, and you’re following the above steps, there’s not much else you can do, and he can still live a happy life. you don’t have any tank mate that’s could be stressing/nipping him, so it’s not that. just keep an eye on him to make sure it doesn’t progress into rot, which will be easy to spot with a white betta
He’s nipping his own fins
I have a similar situation to you, op. My tank is great and my parameters are stable. When I first got my fish, I believe the change from being cramped to being able to swim very actively in a 15g tank led to tearing of his very long fins which led to fin loss. He’s still super active and his fins have no red edges, but he’s lost a lot of fin length. He still flares, and runs around all day on what my wife and I refer to as “his fish errands”.
I think this is an aesthetic issue. His fins are regrowing somewhat, but as he enjoys “biting his nails” and running around the tank all day, I don’t think they’ll ever be super long again due to wear and tear. I think they can only be super long if the fish is unable to move freely.