Fin rot… again
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Well, I have 4 bettas. One is recovering from fin rot and now two more are in the very beginning stages. I put a little aquarium salt in their tanks ever weekly water change and keep the temperature steady. They get wonderful water changes and still get fin rot. Is this because bettas are just really prone to getting it? I thought I was being a good mom and taking care of my babies. But no such luck. I am getting meds today, so they will be on the road to recovery. But blah. Fin rot sucks.
Happy holidays!
K
Edit: found a nice little fish store close to my town that I had no idea was there! Picked up some meds the owner swears by and started treatment yesterday. Keep you posted!
dana 3 tears on 
betta fish lover 20 on 
Betta Fish are what I blog about.
December 23rd, 2008 at 9:46 pm
Well, sounds like you’ve got a real problem there. If you keep your betta in a warm, cycled, clean tank, it will never -ever- get fin rot. Is your tank about 78-82 degrees F? Does your water have a neutrak pH? Is your fish getting receiving a varied diet high in protein? The slightest upset with water type, temperature, amonia levels, and food can weaked your betta’s immune system, leaving them susceptable to fin rot or any other disease. Hope this helps.
January 6th, 2009 at 4:11 am
What kind of medicine did they recommend? I have a betta with fin rot and gave it a salt dip combined with Furan-2 and am waiting to see if he will get better. I also keep my tank very clean with all the tests showing optimal conditions, so I think you may be on to something when saying that bettas are just prone to fin rot, possibly due to over breeding or poor conditions at the LFS. Please let us know how yours is doing…
January 8th, 2009 at 8:47 pm
What is the update. Well that fish store you found sounds pretty good. Good luck
January 14th, 2009 at 5:58 am
Try Melafix or Betafix meds for fin rot. If you catch it early enough you will save your little friends. If the stage of fin has started a while ago you might loose your beta.
January 21st, 2009 at 12:28 am
Hey everyone I am new to this website I am a 14 year old boy, and I have 3 betta fish that are divided and are really cool. I have an all white delta tailed. I have a regular black and blue betta, and a red and gold crowned. I love with everything i have, but they are not as active as they should be. What should i do? is there a certain temperature the water should be at? i know that it can be freezing, but i do a bunch of reasearch saying that the water should be at 78 to 80 degrees. All the pet stores say there is no temperature needed. So i dont know what to do. HELP!
March 13th, 2009 at 1:21 am
how do i know if my fish has finn rot and what do i do to help it before it is too late? i need help or else my fish flo may be getting flushed!
April 10th, 2009 at 11:59 pm
I had one betta fish and he died i had him for a while,(about a year).But he died of some fin rot. It was all over his body. Now i have a new one and he has a big ball of rot on his fin. It all started when i started using dried blood worms. So i went to the pet store with my betta and they gave me these meds. BETTAFIX. And START RIGHT with allantoin. They are not working at all. I love my betta fish and i need some help with the rot so please respond. bye
April 11th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
So i think dried blood worms are bad for betta fish. It gives them fin rot.But these red little pellets are really good.I wish i new that before i gave my fish that! So if you start feeding your fish that and it gets fin rot then go to that red little pellets that are crab.
June 14th, 2009 at 5:34 am
hi. i have to bettas and my fish nemo has a little bit of white on the very tip of his tail. i think it may be fin rot but im not sure. how can you tell if he has it? someone please reply so that i can save my fish if he has this disease. thank you!
June 30th, 2009 at 6:07 pm
my fish never got fin rot i never had a big retangle tank i have a simple triangle one with two bettas sugar the female and cinnomin the male ofm course with a divider between them but once sugar jumped over to cinnomin and layed eggs they hatched and all babies and unhatched eggs died and and i cleaned it all out this morining now my fish tank is crystal clear! and after they layed eggs there fins looked a little torn apart i wonder is the male did that when they layed eggs i feed my fish bettamin granulea somtimes the male spits out some of it and eats some when they first layed eggs it wouldent eat. then when they hatched and died the male started eating again and when i took my fish out to clean the tanks i put then in seperate cups in different places cuz like we ALL need alone time!
June 30th, 2009 at 6:26 pm
i just discoverd this website last night when i was looking up y my betta babies died instantly and y my male didnt do anything about it but when i saw the name ebetta and i read the words under it fish sleep i had to click on it but anyway i have two bettas sugar the female and cinnomin the male their in a simple triangle tank with a divider that seperates them blue and white circle rocks and one plant for each i feed them bettamin granuels and once sugar jumped over to cinnomin layed eggs and when they eggs hatched the babies died instently the babies and the unhatched eggs sank and died cinnomin didnt do ANYTHING and sugar slowly watched her babies sink and die it was tragic now i cleaned their tank and their back on thier seperate sides now at night when my fish r tired i turn they litght out bur leave a small tiny light on so where they can have a little ligth during the night incase they need to ley eggs over night or something im sure that my fish r happy and healthy the get feed once in the morining and once at night when i got my first betta i only feed it at night! then a read the back of the food container and discovered it would be healthier to feed them day and night so i did sometimes i even put on a relaxing song one a low volme for them! call me wierd but i LOVE my fish A LOT
July 2nd, 2009 at 7:22 pm
I NEED BETTA HELP ok so my two bettas sugar the female cinnomin the male r in a tank with a divider to seperate them well sugar jumped over to cinnomin and now sugar is trying to have eggs! its at head is just below the water surface and u can see a white little egg trying to come out! its their second spawning! BUT ther male isnt pushing the eggs out! my female is trying to lay eggs and the male is kinda just watching! not doing ANYTHING but i wonder if its becouse my dumb bro keeps knocking on the wall and disturbing the tank. MY BRO NEEDS PILLS. sierously he locks himself in the bathroom knocking on the bathroom wall witch my room is next to the bathroom so hes disturbing my tank! and then hes blocking my door with vacums and its just sooo fusterating knowing ur fish cant lay eggs cuz of ur retarded brother i mean HES OLDER THAN ME AND IM MORE MATURE at least i dont bang on his fish tank when there trying to have eggs. and when there first spawning eggs hatched my bro was in the way being all stupid and I WISH I WAS THE ONLY CHILD! if adam died id have to throw the biggest party EVER and on his funeral everybody would wear WHITE and be happy I DO BETTER ON MY REPORT CARD EVERY SINGLE YEAR! but do u have any suggestions on wat to do i mean my females trying to have eggs but the male is jjust STARING into space my poor female! its justrso fusterating! i payed five bucks for a fish that wont help a fish he LOVES ley eggs! NOW WAT AM I GANNA DO!
August 7th, 2009 at 4:57 am
ok my bettas r fine they just layed eggs for the fifth time but no baby survived they just sank and died olff along with the unhatches eggs EVERY SINGLE TIME MY MALE JUST STARES INTO SPACE WHILE HIS BABIES R SINKING AND DYING i think my male is retarded
August 30th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
the main reason why bettas get tail rot is because the water is dirty..
January 18th, 2010 at 6:42 am
This is an old thread but I am adding info for any that stumble across it.
To all here. I have over 45 years experience (plus several degrees related to bio chemistry, pre vet/ocean/zoological studies) and I would make one suggestion. Prior to buying any living creature, read books and real literature on the care and needs before you purchase the animal, in this case a fish. (much of what I read on the net these days is rehashed bad information, passed from one site to another.) Real books on the subject written by those in the field, can greatly add to one’s education.
Fin rot is solely due to filthy water (and not all filth is “visible”), and improper water chemistry, and if kept in a small environment (under five gallons or even ten for the beginner). Also, improper changing of water (ie squeaky clean, too much each time, not enough – about 1/4 each time, and frequency depends on many factors – size of tank, bio load, plants, live or fake – always soft silk not plastic, and filtration so on) creates enormous stress, (osmotic shock) which lowers immunity which allows bacteria in.
There is no one size fits all for water changes.
Rushing out to buy meds (most of which are not the “right” one, and often misused, are highly toxic – as an artist, I know many of these chemicals are one and the same) and antibiotics must be used for the proper type of bacterial (Mardels one is mostly for gram positive, while most fin rot disease is caused by gram negative types – Mardel Two)… both are for mild cases, and stronger drugs (all same as for people btw) need to be carefully used, as all can cause kidney and other organ damage.
So, it is best to create a great environment, in a a ten gallon tank at least (this is due to the fact that it is far easier to control that complicated water chemistry – yes it IS complicated (redox potential and other issues for those that wish to study up). This is almost impossible to achieve in a small environment save for the extremely advanced, and the reason so many here are having trouble.
(my orange long tailed female, has a 20 long, with two over the back filters, that are greatly dampened to have a low flow, and a large curvy piece of wood with java moss and needle leaf ferns growing over it…. there are other smaller wood forms with moss attached with suction cups about this form, and several rock “caves” for her to explore. She is all over the place.)
Bettas’ as you know, are intelligent, curious and amazing fish, esp when provided a great environment.
(btw, there is no such place in their natural environment where they live in little puddles or small water bodies… they may be shallow esp during a dry season, but even rice paddies, are huge slow flowing water systems and nature provides for proper water chemistry.
As an example, the dreaded blue/green cyanobacteria actually (like all so called “negative” bacteria, in natural balance they provide something positive, nutrients, some chemical for another organism)… adds nutrients to the soil (without getting too complicated) for the rice and is not harmful as it is in our aquariums (produces toxins) because of this relationship.
Nature is complicated – home aquarists are trying to produce a small slice and really can not (hence the water changes, filters so on) … this in actuality is not easy. Sick fish are the result.
Create the environment (I cycle tanks by adding a filter used in mature tanks, before that, from knowledge gained as a child – books by Dr. Innes et al, one would set up the tanks, planted which aids in maturing, and let it sit for at least a month. Bio bugs do start up with the microscopic life forms starting up, and then one adds fish slowly over time (in this case with betta’s only one).
Never did any of the complicated routine I read of on web sites these days. (there are also several great sources of biological organisms – like what our soils need, and our stomachs to create the organisms that do so much to keep things in balance. (National Fish Pharmaceutical is one source) (most found in liquid form at petstores is not viable ie dead)
If kept in as small as say a 2.5 then daily small (partial such as 1/4) water change is needed. (I dribble in water – pre aged, slowly from a small air line hose tied in a knot). Any shift in ph, temperature or even bacterial count/type in water can cause severe stress and even osmotic shock to a fish. All changes need to be slow and gradual. If you do a complete “cleaning” of the tank – then take the fish out (cup never net a betta, with lid) (dark and wrap a small towel around so as not to panic and add stress)… take the fish out and part of the water, which when the tank is cleaned you add back, then slowly dribble in the rest of “fresh” water…. (again always 1/4 in smaller set ups).
The betta’s fin/tail is one cell thin and easily invaded by mostly gram negative bacteria. They need a constant temperature of around 78/80 degrees, with air temp as warm.
Live plants help to maintain water quality and aids in cycling, and allows for microscopic growth of “bugs” that they also nibble on. They as well, perch on to rest, or hide underneath at bed time.
Nitrates/nitrites and ammonia take a small time to build up – hour or less. These are quite toxic.
To Pearl, no your fish is not “retarded” – you have not provided the proper care to enable him to be a robust parent… sick fish do not act normally.
Betta’s as well should not be in a “divided” tank – creates less space for each and they view each other constantly creating extreme stress. Imagine yourself being bullied all day long. Like us, they secrete stress hormones, adrenal/cortisol which kill over the long run.
In nature, like any animal defending it’s territory, they would make a stance and have their own space with any intruders driven on. They would not be “forced” into this stance – it is not natural.
Blood worms, unless from a great company (ie sterilized) are often grown in sewage like conditions. They are not the best food and can cause disease and constipation. (again depends on the source). The best for is live larval, fruit flies, and other natural insects or the frozen version of. They as well need the fiber these larval insects would provide.
If you don’t do this, then buy the best frozen (warmed of course) and feed only a small mixed dot of the food – their eye is the size of their stomach. I do a carnivore feeding in the am, and soft green flake in evening (or steamed vegetable) again a small dot, in the evening to help purge the earlier meal.
Flake or pellet esp, is the absolute worst and a money maker for companies. Again, try to replicate their natural diet… they do not, nor do they have the digestive capability of dealing with this hard, swells up inside of them, filled with things they’d never eat (wheat) and other fillers, type of diet. Ugh! (like us eating dry cardboard)
As someone mentioned on a forum somewhere – imagine you in a small cold bathroom, with no toilet flush save for once in a while, and dried food shoved in once a day or more… nothing to do, nothing to explore and how would you feel.
(great books on animals going insane from improper environments – books by Desmond Morris – Zoologist and more) All creatures evolved for certain behavior, they are not “stupid” (would not make it if they were) and all have muscle/nervous energy which needs expression as well as instinctual urges… ie movement, roaming so on. Pacing, flashing, frantic behavior is due to lack of space to move (discounting parasites, so on)
In cold small bowls such as found at many outlets that sell bettas (heat pad should be used) their sunken stance is them slowly dying… (and one reason why many get sick by the time you bring them home, the bacteria has already invaded tissue)
http://www.desmond-morris.com/books.php
Please don’t try to breed bettas unless – like puppies you can contend with the fact that millions are killed each year from improper care, and lack of good homes…. can you provide homes for all those fry!
While a novelty, good pet ownership is the consideration of these things as well. I know, I’ve “rescued” hundreds, most going to be flushed (not a great idea – illegal, and very painful for the fish) from a local pet store (I eventually had the city file a fine for that) (adds disease to our local environment).
BTY – fish do feel pain, esp around the mouth… more sensitive then our finger tips!
Another btw, a “little” salt (salt has great impact on their slime coat and osmotic regulation – you should know exactly how much you use, only for hospital needs… and not rely on it for a lack of improper water chemistry, non cycled water, and other issues.
Before adding more fish, (one recovering, now the others have fin rot) why not address the reason for the fin rot (not great environment) before adding more. Clearly the fin rot is telling you the husbandry is off.