Hi everyone, l'm hoping someone can help me out with a question. Recently, my Betta fish and I moved to a new house, and since then, l've noticed a change in her tail. I also recently added some new moss to her tank, so l'm wondering if that might be related, but l'm not entirely sure (or stress from the move??) About a week ago, I noticed her tail had developed a strange zigzag pattern. I'm trying to figure out if it could be fin rot or tail nipping.
For context, I keep her in a 5.5-gallon tank with sand substrate and a few shrimp balls. She has a piece of driftwood that's been in the tank for a long time and is very smooth, so I don't think it's causing any injury. There are tannins in the water, along with an Anubias plant I got from Petco and the new moss. I also use a hang-on-back (HOF) filter with a buffer to reduce the current, so it doesn't stress her.
She's never had fin rot or tail issues before.
However, when I introduced the moss, I noticed small white organisms on the glass, they might be copepods, but l'm not certain. Additionally, I had to cut the Anubias plant because some leaves dried out after the move, during which I had to partially empty the tank.
I've been giving her salt baths, but the zigzag pattern in her tail is very distinct and unlike the fin rot l've seen before, which was usually more asymmetrical and had blackened edges.
For tank maintenance, l use Seachem Flourish, Seachem Prime, and API PlantZone. And stability. Occasionally, add a small amount of aquarium salt (about half a teaspoon). The water temperature is steady at 80-
81°F since I live in a colder climate.
I'd really appreciate any insights or suggestions on what might be going on. so Thanks much!
(Also a zebra snail is present in the tank to!)
Posted by sploinkytheyoinky