Betta's Dorsal Fin Rotting

[PGL]

Hi,

My betta's dorsal fin seems to be rotting away, I've tried to attach photos but I'm not sure how clear they'll be. When I first noticed it the fin looked a bit puffy and white. It was just after we moved house so I thought it was just an injury from that. But it just continues to rot away despite me keeping his water clean, I completely change it every 2 days, he's currently in a 2l jar. He was in a cycled heated tank which I intended to put him back in after the move, but I'm worried he might tear his fin more if he has all that room to swim. He's still swimming pretty well, eating and blowing some bubbles- not as many as usual and sometimes he looks miserable. All his other fins look fine. Any ideas on how I can help him keep his fin? At this rate it'll be gone in a couple of weeks

Any help would be appreciated.
Primula

 

[bluesword23516]

Put him in the cycled and heated tank. Warm water will help him heal, I am not sure if betta fish can handle aquarium salt, someone else will have to answer.  He will feel much better in that tank and his fin should be ok while he swims in that tank, he won't want to do anything to hurt it. 

 

[Mamashack]

I agree about getting him back into a proper tank with filtration and heat. 2L is way too small for a betta especially when already stressed.
Don't know about the aquarium salt as I've never used it, but you could add Indian Almond Leaf (IAL) to the tank which emulates the normal habitat where the leaves fall into the paddy fields. The substances that leach out are beneficial in both soothing nerves and assisting healing. If you don't want actual leaves eventually rotting in the water and turning it brown (which I quite like!). you could get some Easy Life Catappa X which is IAL extract. It's a pale honey colour when shaken in the bottle but hardly noticable when added to the tank.
It may also be finrot which would probably need a treatment. I've never dealt with it so am reluctant to offer advice here, but someone may be able to suggest something.

 

[betta fish]

Agreed on putting him back in his tank and keeping the water clean by small changes daily and adding a treatment for finrot, Esha 2000 is very good if you can get some.

 

[bluesword23516]

Agreed on putting him back in his tank and keeping the water clean by small changes daily and adding a treatment for finrot, Esha 2000 is very good if you can get some.

I wouldn't do changes every day, that can be too much stress. Maybe just every other day because he is trying to heal from a wound.  Also I am not trying to be mean, just trying to help.

 

[betta fish]

Small water changes per day i.e 25% will not stress fish and are beneficial to help healing, large water changes however, can cause stress 

 

[PGL]

Thanks everyone, he's been back in his tank for the last couple of days and seems happier and more active. Might try a conservative dose of salt too if he isnt healing, it's hard to get most meds in the area of Australia I live in. Thanks for all the advice.

 

[Crazyredd16]

Do not do frequent water changes! I thought this was the right thing to do when my betta had fin rot because I was adding salt too, but the frequent water changes caused too much stress for my fish and it soon died I recommend doing a salt treatment and taking it easy with water changes

 

[the_lock_man]

Do not do frequent water changes! I thought this was the right thing to do when my betta had fin rot because I was adding salt too, but the frequent water changes caused too much stress for my fish and it soon died

I recommend doing a salt treatment and taking it easy with water changes

 
See, now I would say the complete opposite to that. I would not use salt, but I would do frequent water changes - so many fish ailments are helped with pristine water conditions, and that means daily water changes.
 
CR16, I would respectuflly suggest it wasn't stress from water changes that caused your fish to die.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

PGL, how is your betta doing now?
 
I'm fighting rot with mine at the moment too.

 

[Wildbetta]

 

Do not do frequent water changes! I thought this was the right thing to do when my betta had fin rot because I was adding salt too, but the frequent water changes caused too much stress for my fish and it soon died

I recommend doing a salt treatment and taking it easy with water changes

 
See, now I would say the complete opposite to that. I would not use salt, but I would do frequent water changes - so many fish ailments are helped with pristine water conditions, and that means daily water changes.
 
CR16, I would respectuflly suggest it wasn't stress from water changes that caused your fish to die.
 

 
Totally agree with TLM.  With a fish showing signs of something like this, frequent water changes to keep the water pristine so that the fish does not catch any other secondary issue or have the first issue get worse is the best treatment. Water changes do not have to be stressful for the fish and even 100% water changes can be made to be easy on a fish.  All it takes is learning how to do a water change that is not stressful which can take some time and patience.  I very highly doubt that stress from water changes is why your fish died.
 
 
 
 
OP -- how is your betta doing?  Any better, worse, about the same?  Any recent pics of the dorsal fin area where he had the issue?