Betta with Fin rot?

[HeatherFeather]

New owner of betta fish. Noticed the reddish spots on fin this morning, after 2 days of hanging out in the bottom corner of 10 gallon tank.

We have had him 2 weeks.

We took him in , after his owner had an emergency situation. She said it was a she, named Olivia. But I think it's a male? She also said he was blue and green.
But I see really no green. Just like a steel blue, almost purplish. With fins that fade to a light pinky peachy salmon color.
Any ideas on what he or she is? As far as kind? Tail? I'm completely a beginner with fish. I own great danes. Lol.

She gave us him, his 10 gallon tank. API quick start. Aqueon10 whisper filter. Air pump with air stone disc. A pleko tank mate. Gravel. And a castle. She had a live plant, no idea what kind. But after setting up the tank and a week in the tank I removed it because it was browning.

I ordered an API master test kit, API stress coat, API ammo lock, API aquarium salt, API stress zyme. And a few Marimo moss balls.

I set the tank up after thoroughly cleaning the tank with hot water and NO chemicals of any kind. Dried everything. Set it up. Then added tap water that had been treated with the API quick start.
I went to walmart to get test kit...after 2 Walmart's, all I could find on the shelves was ph test strips. Which I'm not sure are even accurate. But the test keeps reading 7.2.

I have not done any partial water changes, as now I'm not sure the API quick start has the ability to remove clorine from my tap.

Then this morning, I thought that maybe I could do a partial with refrigerator filtered water and the API quick start, until all the other products arrive in a few days. Is this an option? I ofcourse know I would have to let the refrigerator filtered tap water sit to reach room temp before adding.

Oliver is eating just fine. And greeting me everytime I approach the tank. He is swimming around the same way he arrived. No issues there.
But he is seen more and more, resting in bottom corner, on the gravel.
The very last image is the first night in his tank, in our home.
I was shocked to see that he was not the green and blue betta we were described.

Any advice is appreciated!

 

[Essjay]

Hi,

Your fish is definitely a male

10 gallons is a good sized tank for him, however it is not big enough for a plec. There are many, many species of plec some of which grow enormous. Could you post a photo of it so we can ID it, please.



API Quick Start is not a dechlorinator, it is bottled bacteria. Stress Coat is a dechlorinator, and Stress Zyme is supposed to break down sludge. Of these three, the only one you need is Stress Coat, though API Tap Water Conditioner is better.
Ammo lock is not necessary; it removes ammonia so that the beneficial bacteria have nothing to feed on. It is better to keep ammonia under control by water changes.
Aquarium salt should not be used routinely, only to treat certain diseases.
Keep them all in the cupboard just in case.

Dr Tim's One & Only and Tetra Safe Start are better bottled bacteria products than the API ones - I know it's more expense, but it would help if you can get one of those.


Do you know if your water supplier uses chlorine or chloramine to disinfect your mains water? If it's chlorine, you can leave some water to stand overnight and the chlorine will gas off - and you can use that to do a water change. But chloramine does not gas off unfortunately.
Does the filtered water contain chlorine/chloramine, or does the filter remove that? If it does, using that is the best option until the Stress Coat arrives. Once you have that, use treated tap water.

Until you have the test kit, change 50% of the water every day. Once you have the test kit, test daily and do a water change whenever there is a reading for ammonia and/or nitrite above zero.

I know you do not have any live plants, but they do help keep the water safe. Floating plants are the best - and betta's also like floating plants. Look at water sprite, water lettuce etc.




Lastly, he may not be green and blue but he is a lovely betta

 

[HeatherFeather]

Hi,

Your fish is definitely a male

10 gallons is a good sized tank for him, however it is not big enough for a plec. There are many, many species of plec some of which grow enormous. Could you post a photo of it so we can ID it, please.



API Quick Start is not a dechlorinator, it is bottled bacteria. Stress Coat is a dechlorinator, and Stress Zyme is supposed to break down sludge. Of these three, the only one you need is Stress Coat, though API Tap Water Conditioner is better.
Ammo lock is not necessary; it removes ammonia so that the beneficial bacteria have nothing to feed on. It is better to keep ammonia under control by water changes.
Aquarium salt should not be used routinely, only to treat certain diseases.
Keep them all in the cupboard just in case.

Dr Tim's One & Only and Tetra Safe Start are better bottled bacteria products than the API ones - I know it's more expense, but it would help if you can get one of those.


Do you know if your water supplier uses chlorine or chloramine to disinfect your mains water? If it's chlorine, you can leave some water to stand overnight and the chlorine will gas off - and you can use that to do a water change. But chloramine does not gas off unfortunately.
Does the filtered water contain chlorine/chloramine, or does the filter remove that? If it does, using that is the best option until the Stress Coat arrives. Once you have that, use treated tap water.

Until you have the test kit, change 50% of the water every day. Once you have the test kit, test daily and do a water change whenever there is a reading for ammonia and/or nitrite above zero.

I know you do not have any live plants, but they do help keep the water safe. Floating plants are the best - and betta's also like floating plants. Look at water sprite, water lettuce etc.




Lastly, he may not be green and blue but he is a lovely betta

Thank you for your response. I will try to find info on what my water supplier uses.
But if it doesnt gas off, should I hold out on the 50% water change until the stress coat arrives?

There was a live plant. I dont know if it was a planted plant, or floating. Hine sight is 20/20.
But I took that out. It was looking pitiful, but it never occurred to me that it could be a floating plant. Ooopsy!
I put it in a glass jar with water once I pulled it out. It's basically dried up leaves now. Hasn't even been a full day. Again, I'm new to all of this aquarium stuff.
I will definitely look into a perfect floating plant! As I love plants!
And as I was researching, I realized it will be wise to be prepared with supplies, and patience. Haha!

But as I was asking, are the spots on the tips of the fins in a couple places, with transparency of the fin... normal characteristics in a betta? Or is this a sign of something that I need to keep in mind with stabilizing his habitat?

The pleco.... yes. Hes a gnarly individual. Quite honestly, it creeps me out.

I'm told we cant release them here in north florida. Cant think of the term, but it didnt sound good.

 

[Essjay]

You could try all your local shops to see if they would take the plec. I am no good at IDing plecs but other members will be able to tell you what it is.

The betta does look like he has finrot - part of his tail is missing. It is possible he is biting his own tail but I would assume it is finrot for now and daily water changes are the best way to treat this. I would use the filtered water - at room temperature - until you get the dechlorinator (Stress Coat), and when you have it, switch to tap water.
I should explain that ammonia made by the fish, decomposing fish poop and decomposing uneaten food will stress the fish, and stressed fish get things like finrot more easily. You can reduce the amount of ammonia being made by feeding him only twice a week. He won't starve. Water changes will get ammonia down further.

 

[HeatherFeather]

Ok. I'm going to do the water change this afternoon.

Thank you!!