There has been a couple of times that I have come home and my bettas pectoral fins have had little pieces missing, but never something so drastic. I wasn’t too worried about when it would happen to his pectoral fins since he really enjoys squeezing himself into different areas and I just assume he has a hard time getting himself out (the third image shows him voluntarily wedging himself in between the glass and his hoop. I never leave the hoop in his tank.) I’m still not too worried about him since he is acting completely normal and they will grow back. But do y’all think I should be worried?
https://www.reddit.com/gallery/1qyeh1k
Posted by BioPlainet
7 Comments
Tank size: 5 gal
Heater and filter: yes
Tank temp: 80 F
Parameters: still have to double check
How long have I had my tank and fish?: I’ve had my tank since August 10, 2025. Betta since October 27, 2025.
Water changes: maybe once every two weeks. About 20% change
Tank mates: oto’s and shrimp. Recently discovered a snail.
Feeding: it varies. Usually consist of bug bites or bloodworms.
Decorations: a variety of plants, a pill bottle that he likes to go into, tree branches, and some mini eternal reef “rocks”.
Can you expand with the mod questions plus a full tank pic? This will help us to help you.
Can you share water parameters and water change schedule too? Thanks
https://preview.redd.it/72h6yvpny2ig1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a32a11d4d85bca78ed1739c5cdff0b2e210e3c35
Here’s his full tank. pH: 7.6 (didn’t realize it was so high) Ammonia: 0.5 Nitrate: 0 Nitrite: 0 Cl: 0
My guess is that he bit them
Willing to bet he’s been a wee twat around the hardscape, if his fins otherwise look healthy and there’s no other visible concerns. Mine did the same 🙄
Does his betta hide have plenty of room at the back to freely swim out of ? If not he could be having to do a sharp turn and dragging them against the tunnel edge and done often enough it can damage fins. Likewise if he likes to chill on top of it. Wiggling to get on it can do it – I have one who used to do this so I lowered it about 1/2 inch and no more ruined fins.
We removed or filed down EVERYTHING our little guy could tear his fins on but small tears and holes still appeared. One day he got worse, the fins started to get grey, he had what looked like a cotton ball on his back and he was just hiding, not very interested in eating. We got him medicine for fungi and fin rot, he looked worse, his finns where almost completely gone. But buy day 4 he suddenly started eating again, we gave him lots of food, one or two pellets at a time, and after a couple of weeks his fins had grown back and he was up at a healthy weight again. Our boy is a crown tail, i’ve read from others that they’re very prone to fin rot no matter how good you take care of them. We do water changes every week and you should too. But the main thing is – if you have removed everything that he can tear his fins on and it doesn’t heal whitin a couple of days it’s better to start treatment sooner than later, our boy almost died the first round, the treatment is hard on them but better than sick/dead. And they will look worse a couple of days in from treatment, that’s because all the fin rot you can’t see dies of, but after that the fins will grow out and he’ll be the prettiest boy again!