Betta Fin Rot :( Desperate for help

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Can you bump the thread please? There are a lot of lurkers on this forum, it's very possible that an actual member hasn't seen it. I remember seeing lots of views but no answers on one of my posts at first too

 

[bettabeginner]

I have some fancy guppies with the same problem, their tail has become really damaged recently. I've had a family of fancy guppies for ~4 years, so these have been with me since they were born. I had one guppy that when I got it had moderate fin rot, but I'd thought it was normal, just something fish could have
Now I have 3 guppies and all of them have tail damage.
And then there's one with what I assume is a broken top fin. It's trying to swim around but it's not moving too much... and not eating as well. It also has a fungal/bacteria infection in its gill and I don't think it'll make it

Anyways, probably change maybe 30% of the water daily???
Not sure, you should probably ask someone more experienced

Hi! I am so sorry to hear about your guppies! I hope you get some more experienced help as well. Maybe you could try the steps I have taken (looking at previous advice from this thread) I heard salt treatments, methylene blue treatments and frequent water changes are supposed to do wonders most of the time! It seems like it is pretty rare to have a stubborn fish like mine that just does not heal but perhaps you will have better luck!

Hopefully someone with experience sees your thread and can be more helpful to your little guys! I have not changed the water of my tank yet since putting him back in, oops! I should probably do that today.

Hope you have better success with your fishies!!

 

[bettabeginner]

Update on my fish so far: Itachi seems happier in his new tank, he seems to have missed being in a bigger heated tank. Although his fins have no changes what so ever, his wounds have been looking way better after scratching himself in the MB treatment. Maybe the salt is helping more with that. I heard from another expert on instagram that you can do multiple MB treatments and i actually now do see a little bit of fuzziness still there. I might do another MB treatment later on but I do want to give him a bit of a break since he was in there for 2 weeks already. Until then I will keep the water clean, use salt and almond leaves.

 

[xxamyxx85]

Hi! I am so sorry to hear about your guppies! I hope you get some more experienced help as well. Maybe you could try the steps I have taken (looking at previous advice from this thread) I heard salt treatments, methylene blue treatments and frequent water changes are supposed to do wonders most of the time! It seems like it is pretty rare to have a stubborn fish like mine that just does not heal but perhaps you will have better luck!

Hopefully someone with experience sees your thread and can be more helpful to your little guys! I have not changed the water of my tank yet since putting him back in, oops! I should probably do that today.

Hope you have better success with your fishies!!

Hey, so no improvement yet?? Hopefully no worse? How much how often do u do a water change? I wipe everything down every week and vac my gravel whilst changing 50% of the water, the filter I only squeeze out in old water once a month. Just thought I would mention this because I read very conflicting info on how much water to change and then was advised to do 50% by a member on here and my tank is always so clean, plants grow well and Betta is looking great.

 

[bettabeginner]

Hey, so no improvement yet?? Hopefully no worse? How much how often do u do a water change? I wipe everything down every week and vac my gravel whilst changing 50% of the water, the filter I only squeeze out in old water once a month. Just thought I would mention this because I read very conflicting info on how much water to change and then was advised to do 50% by a member on here and my tank is always so clean, plants grow well and Betta is looking great.

Nooo unfortunately his fins look the same and I still see slight fuzz. I normally do the same water change schedule as you, change water vac the gravel and wipe the sides once a week, change the filter and rinse decor in old water once a month. But I will probably do it twice a week instead of once while he is still like this, just to make sure it doesn't get worse. I am thinking maybe giving him a few weeks in here before putting him back in methylene blue again, just for a break. Not sure yet Other than that he still acts and eats the same.

 

[xxamyxx85]

Nooo unfortunately his fins look the same and I still see slight fuzz. I normally do the same water change schedule as you, change water vac the gravel and wipe the sides once a week, change the filter and rinse decor in old water once a month. But I will probably do it twice a week instead of once while he is still like this, just to make sure it doesn't get worse. I am thinking maybe giving him a few weeks in here before putting him back in methylene blue again, just for a break. Not sure yet Other than that he still acts and eats the same.

Sounds like the best idea tbh. I think as long as he is eating and swimming normally then whatever you are doing isn’t hurting him.... I hope you see an improvement soon. My Betta had lost a small part of his tiny side fin (sorry not sure what it’s called) I tested my tap water and had high nitrates which I’m sure wasn’t helping, not sure if you have done this? I use a nitrate filter for my tap water now.....It’s taken about two months but it’s nearly all grown back. Fingers crossed for you.

 

[bettabeginner]

Sounds like the best idea tbh. I think as long as he is eating and swimming normally then whatever you are doing isn’t hurting him.... I hope you see an improvement soon. My Betta had lost a small part of his tiny side fin (sorry not sure what it’s called) I tested my tap water and had high nitrates which I’m sure wasn’t helping, not sure if you have done this? I use a nitrate filter for my tap water now.....It’s taken about two months but it’s nearly all grown back. Fingers crossed for you.

I haven't head issues with the water parameters last time I checked before treating him. But idk it probably has just been progressing over time ever since I got him in October. I am still positive and hopeful I will heal this guy. Glad your fish's fin grew back! Crazy how water parameters can make such a big difference.
I will keep you guys updated.

 

[TheTenthDoctor]

Fin rot is pervasive in bettas. Many people struggle. Here is what I do. I might do the hydrogen peroxide treatment. It effectively stops the fin rot. Beware it can be harmful for the fish and you must have the right ratio of peroxide. I also try putting indian almond leaves in my tanks, or sometimes i put oak leaves in. I also up the water changes and vacuum the bottom. Another thing, your betta has huge fins. Somtimes bettas are bred with such enormous fins that they have difficulty getting oxygen and blood to the bottom which causes the fins to rot away. This is why I stick to smaller finned bettas like veiltails, crowntails, and plakats. These bettas have all seemed to have less issues with fin rot. Anyhow hope this was helpful

 

[TheTenthDoctor]

Oh another thing, I don't use filters with my bettas and instead go for a natural tank full of plants and with emergent plants. This makes sure that the betta doesn't get their fins caught, it also insures that there aren't any scratchy objects and its all soft and comfortable for the betta.

 

[bettabeginner]

Fin rot is pervasive in bettas. Many people struggle. Here is what I do. I might do the hydrogen peroxide treatment. It effectively stops the fin rot. Beware it can be harmful for the fish and you must have the right ratio of peroxide. I also try putting indian almond leaves in my tanks, or sometimes i put oak leaves in. I also up the water changes and vacuum the bottom. Another thing, your betta has huge fins. Somtimes bettas are bred with such enormous fins that they have difficulty getting oxygen and blood to the bottom which causes the fins to rot away. This is why I stick to smaller finned bettas like veiltails, crowntails, and plakats. These bettas have all seemed to have less issues with fin rot. Anyhow hope this was helpful

Interesting to note! I didn't know that certain bettas have better luck! I have not have not seen the full size of my betta's fins yet but I hope to at one point and keep them healthy. About the hydrogen peroxide, I have seen videos about that but I am a little skeptical of moving on to big hands on treatments at this point. Especially since he is still active and behaving normal. I want to try and see if I can solve this with what I have on hand first which is fairly simple and involves treating him through the water first. I think that may be something to consider if things go way downhill from here.
My tank was actually sized and put together according to the space I had in my dorm prior to COVID-19. So although it is not the most ideal tank situation I made it easy for me to take care of often without harming him at the same time. His filter is a sponge filter because I was also apprehensive about possible torn fins. That has been doing the job for very clean water

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Interesting to note! I didn't know that certain bettas have better luck! I have not have not seen the full size of my betta's fins yet but I hope to at one point and keep them healthy. About the hydrogen peroxide, I have seen videos about that but I am a little skeptical of moving on to big hands on treatments at this point. Especially since he is still active and behaving normal. I want to try and see if I can solve this with what I have on hand first which is fairly simple and involves treating him through the water first. I think that may be something to consider if things go way downhill from here.
My tank was actually sized and put together according to the space I had in my dorm prior to COVID-19. So although it is not the most ideal tank situation I made it easy for me to take care of often without harming him at the same time. His filter is a sponge filter because I was also apprehensive about possible torn fins. That has been doing the job for very clean water

You're a very dedicated first time fish keeper, and I hope that pays off for you soon and you get to see him in his full glory!

I would do the same thing in trying the gentler treatments first, then moving on to more extreme measures if those fail, that just makes sense. But at least now you know someone who has used the hydrogen peroxide treatment and had success with it, so I'm sure @TheTenthDoctor can talk you through how to do it if it comes to that.

 

[bettabeginner]

You're a very dedicated first time fish keeper, and I hope that pays off for you soon and you get to see him in his full glory!

I would do the same thing in trying the gentler treatments first, then moving on to more extreme measures if those fail, that just makes sense. But at least now you know someone who has used the hydrogen peroxide treatment and had success with it, so I'm sure @TheTenthDoctor can talk you through how to do it if it comes to that.

Thank you so much! Sorry for responding so late But that is very sweet to hear! And yes I definitely agree with you on that, if I need to go into that option I will totally reach out

 

[bettabeginner]

I find it helpful documenting everything on here, so I am just updating on my fish. The last two weeks were pretty busy so I was not able to do as many water changes as I intended to. But now that my busy weeks have settled a bit I have more time to treat him again.

He still has the little fuzz (its very small) on his fins. But I do not think I can expect improvement or regrowth until I know that its completely gone. His fins look the same so last night I put him back in his 0.5 gal methylene blue treatment with some salt and piece of almond leaf, and the air pump. I think I will keep him in here for a few weeks until I am completely confident that he has been treated fully. In the mean time I will do daily water changes and observe him.

I was told that it is completely safe to do that as long as I keep the water clean and a consistent temperature. I will do another update once the few weeks end, or if there are any significant changes between then!

 

[bettabeginner]

Hi everyone! Hope you all are doing well Just another update since my last post: I have taken Itachi out of his MB bath after 4 weeks and daily water changes. I will admit, between those 4 weeks I skipped the daily water changes 3 times due to a tight schedule. During each week I checked in to take pictures and observe him, his behavior never changed so that is good! Now about his fins, he had that fuzzy whitish growth on his front fins, and some rot on his big fins. Over time I noticed that it had diminshed, however I do not know if the MB melted that part off or if it just rotted off not sure. I would like to think 4 weeks of MB has done soemthing good for his fin rot.

I put him back in his original tank again with 2 tbspn of aquarium salt and maybe I will add in a bit of almond leaves. I am hoping to see some signs of healing or progress such as regrowth. I will try to keep the water clean with regular water changes. If I do not see improvement even then do you guys think it would be worth it to give the kanaplex a shot? Or perhaps another round of MB? Of course I am just going to focus on waiting and observing the next few weeks first. I included some pictures I just took of him right now which was really hard because he is swimming all fast and excited now that he has more room again!

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Hi everyone! Hope you all are doing well Just another update since my last post: I have taken Itachi out of his MB bath after 4 weeks and daily water changes. I will admit, between those 4 weeks I skipped the daily water changes 3 times due to a tight schedule. During each week I checked in to take pictures and observe him, his behavior never changed so that is good! Now about his fins, he had that fuzzy whitish growth on his front fins, and some rot on his big fins. Over time I noticed that it had diminshed, however I do not know if the MB melted that part off or if it just rotted off not sure. I would like to think 4 weeks of MB has done soemthing good for his fin rot.

I put him back in his original tank again with 2 tbspn of aquarium salt and maybe I will add in a bit of almond leaves. I am hoping to see some signs of healing or progress such as regrowth. I will try to keep the water clean with regular water changes. If I do not see improvement even then do you guys think it would be worth it to give the kanaplex a shot? Or perhaps another round of MB? Of course I am just going to focus on waiting and observing the next few weeks first. I included some pictures I just took of him right now which was really hard because he is swimming all fast and excited now that he has more room again!
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Hi again!

Honestly, I think this has been so persistent despite your diligent husbandry, that it's time to go to an antibiotic treatment. As far as I know, that's the next step with stubborn fin rot that isn't responding to MB or salt.

I'm not sure which antibiotics are available in the US or that are good for bettas (some meds aren't suitable for bettas because of the labyrinth organ), hopefully a US member with bettas like @Deanasue could recommend one to try.

Glad you checked in again! And nice to see him looking happy and enjoying being able to stretch his fins in the bigger space!