His fins look torn but I don’t have any sharp things in the fish tank (that I’m aware of). I added kanaplex for few days but nothing changed. Any advice? He’s been like this for couple months now so not getting better.
https://www.reddit.com/gallery/1poi21x
Posted by PBnJelly22
11 Comments
Tank is heated keep it around 78. I don’t have the exact parameters but they’re always in the ok. I do monthly 30% water changes. I have had this betta in same tank for a year now. Most things are real plants, I recently reduced my light because I was getting too much green algae.
I’m more concerned with how it’s body looks…
Looks like he may be a fin biter to me. Ive had a few with heavy tails develop the habit, you can try making sure he has enough resting spots but I’ve never had one stop doing it once they start.
Could be fin rot or stress nipping. How big is the tank? If it’s 10+ gallons and your filter flow is strong it could be stress from swimming with the weight of his fins. I’d also consider changing to doing weekly 10% changes, and get a test kit to accurately text your parameters. If all of those things are clear then try treating for fin rot.
Looks like some intense lighting, and a very stressed fish.
I’m not a huge betta owner or anything but this looks like fin rot or obviously some kind of damage, I’ve heard of bettas damaging their own fins by biting if they are unhappy or have a sickness. Fin rot is often caused by stress, poor water condition, or sharp things. Also, depending on the tank size, you should definitely do water changes a bit more often. I would monitor, gently clean more often, maybe lower water flow and add some tannins and make sure they have places to hide to reduce stress. If it continues maybe set up a hospital tank and look into antibacterial medications, wish you the best
Start out with at least weekly water changes about 10-20%. Improve others areas as able as suggested.
This is fin rot. The top fin is too short for him to have nipped it himself and the pale head is a bad sign. I would do less drastic water changes more frequently I.e. 10% weekly. Also add Indian almond leaves for tannins and dim your light or keep it on for fewer hours.
If you can pull out your plants temporarily I highly recommend dosing the entire tank with API aquarium salt for freshwater fish following the dosing on the box. I’ve cured 3 bettas of pretty bad fin rot using only salt and tannins.
Highly recommend api master kit to keep tabs on your water parameters.
That fish looks absolutely hammered
Stress nipping, the beginning of bacterial infection/rot on the ends of some parts of the tail, pop-eye (bacterial infection in the left/closest-to-the-camera eye). Bloating and potential start of pineconing in the body, a top down view would give a better idea.
Your tank seems very open which causes stress in bettas, stress can lead to chronic bacterial infections popping up, even if your parameters are perfect. (Which you can’t assume perfect water conditions are in play unless you test the water parameters)
Those saying fin rot as the primary cause are incorrect, chronic fin rot leaves stringy/oddly bulgy black necrotic tissue. When you see clean edges like that, it’s typically fin nipping that’s the cause of the fin degradation, but rot can seep in from bacteria getting into the wounds left behind