Chronic Fin Rot Problems

[BettaMomma]

My boys HATE the cup.
They react like you or I would if we saw a solo cup the size of the empire state building chasing us down the street.

Maybe if I start doing them more often they'll get used to it.

 

[SRC]

I've never had a ripped fin from netting. Just always be sure to wet the net and have it softened before netting..that could cause ripping though.

Fin rot is almost always from bad water, not stress. The amonia from the water causes it (it burns their fins..thus the black or red edges). Some fish are just more messy (poop or pea more) and need more water changes then others.

 

[Raechal]

My boys HATE the cup.
They react like you or I would if we saw a solo cup the size of the empire state building chasing us down the street.

Maybe if I start doing them more often they'll get used to it.

I can't use the cup in Agus's 1.5 gallon bowl since it would never fit, so I jut drain his bowl down to where it is very low and then just turn his bowl over slowly and let him swim into the cup full of water next to the opening of the bowl. He never gets stress bars anymore, as I do his water changes everyday.

 

[BettaMomma]

Yep, i'm gonna start doing them more frequently.
Jasper seems to get less and less stressed each time I do a change for him.
Hopefully this will help!!!

 

[3fsh]

I have a suggestion... I don't think anyone else has mentioned it, but if they have, just ignore me. When I change the betta's water, I don't even remove them from the tank. I take a small section (2-3ft) of air tubing and stick one end in the tank and one end in a container which is sitting below the betta tank. Then I suck on the end of the tubing in the container until it starts siphoning the water out of the betta's tank. I let it drain until most of the water is gone, then I dump out the container of icky water, refill it with clean, dechlorinated water, and repeat the process only this time I siphon the water from the container back into the tank! It seems to cut down on the stress they go through because they feel safe and sound in their tanks!

 

[BettaMomma]

That's actually a really good suggestion.
BUT... how do you wash all the stuff out of the gravel then?
After I take the fish out I run scalding hot water over the gravel and swoosh it around, then dump it out. I do that 3-4 times before I'm done... then I wipe down the edges of the aquarium and then fill it back up.

A few of my fish are getting the hang of swimming into the cup without me having to chase them around so I'll see how the water changes upcoming go...

 

[Inchworm]

...After I take the fish out I run scalding hot water over the gravel and swoosh it around, then dump it out. I do that 3-4 times before I'm done... then I wipe down the edges of the aquarium and then fill it back up.

Hi BettaMomma

Why are you doing that? There is no way that the tanks will be able to cycle unless you give the beneficial bacteria a place to live undisturbed. Your small tanks are big enough to cycle just by doing good water changes alone and letting nature take its course. Vacuum the gravel, but beside that, leave it alone.

Finrot is caused by bacterial infection. Perhaps your fish doesn't have finrot. If you are not keeping the ammonia levels down at all times, the ammonia alone is enough to burn them and damage their fins. AND, the drastic chemical change in the water from before to after water changes is apt to be a worse stress for the fish than netting them ever could be. That will lead to bacterial infection.

If you keep the chemical levels low and steady (either through frequent small water changes alone, or cycling and less frequent water changes) and cure the bacterial infection (if there is one) your fish will get healthy and stay that way.

 

[BettaMomma]

...After I take the fish out I run scalding hot water over the gravel and swoosh it around, then dump it out. I do that 3-4 times before I'm done... then I wipe down the edges of the aquarium and then fill it back up.

Hi BettaMomma

Why are you doing that? There is no way that the tanks will be able to cycle unless you give the beneficial bacteria a place to live undisturbed. Your small tanks are big enough to cycle just by doing good water changes alone and letting nature take its course. Vacuum the gravel, but beside that, leave it alone.

Finrot is caused by bacterial infection. Perhaps your fish doesn't have finrot. If you are not keeping the ammonia levels down at all times, the ammonia alone is enough to burn them and damage their fins. AND, the drastic chemical change in the water from before to after water changes is apt to be a worse stress for the fish than netting them ever could be. That will lead to bacterial infection.

If you keep the chemical levels low and steady (either through frequent small water changes alone, or cycling and less frequent water changes) and cure the bacterial infection (if there is one) your fish will get healthy and stay that way.

Uhhh......
hmm.

I think I'm completely missing the boat here on something.
I have no filters in any of my tanks.
Am I still supposed to not be washing the gravel between water changes?
That completely changes everything that I've learned so far, I think.

The reason I swoosh the water around in my gravel is to get all the gunk out. I never vacuum the gravel.

?

 

[Inchworm]

Hi BettaMomma

You don't need a filter to have a cycled tank. While harmful bacteria are usually free floating in the water, beneficial bacteria live by clinging to all the surfaces. They are usually found in the filter and on the gravel, the plants, decorations and the glass. Since you only have one fish in the tank, you probably don't need the extra surfaces that a filter provides. If you need more surfaces, you could always add a leafy plant.

You don't have to be a fanatic about getting every bit of waste out of the gravel. Just get most of it and the beneficial bacteria will get started growing a nice colony in your tank.

While having a cycled tank doesn't mean you can stop doing water changes, it does make things a whole lot easier for you. Your fish will benefit too because the ammonia levels will stay very low and much more steady.

 

[BettaMomma]

Hmmmmm.
Very interesting.
This could then be the common factor in all my boys' problems, then, eh?

So - should I be gravel vacuuming then, and taking out a large portion of the water, and that will be my water change? Then just get water ready and slowly put it back in when it's time? Oh, and also - is there any need to worry about ammonia spikes and do water testing with them when I go this route instead of the full changes w/gravel washing?

And as for Archie this morning - it looks like between some of the frayed and ripped parts, there might be a little bit of regrowth starting so that's definitely good. He's up and about as usual, BUt i did see 2 white spots on him now. I'm gonna be REALLY ticked off if he gets ick. (I can't really tell if those dots are teeny tiny bubbles, because he always has those stuck to him somewhere, or ick) I guess ick is manageable, but all this stuff is haunting to me because it's the path that Amos went down as he was going downhill.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi BettaMomma

I think it would be well worth the effort to try cycling. Even though they are bettas and have certain issues that are unique to them, they are first of all fish, and good fishkeeping practices should apply to them as well.

Do you know someone who has a well established tank? If so, perhaps you could get some bacteria laden gravel from them to start. Then it would just be a matter of getting them settled in. It would save you a lot of time and effort, and I would strongly recommend it.

If not, you will need to get the test kits and proceed more slowly. You might only want to select one or two of your healthier fish to begin with. Then, once your bacterial colonies are established, you can take part of their gravel and use it to seed the other tanks. This would take longer, but would work well too.

 

[cation]

Hmm... that's interesting.
the stress that water changes cause them is worth doing the changes every 3 days???

Mine hated WCs at first, but sfter my first juvies were jarred and I was changing those everyday, I realized they could get used to it. Within 2 hours of changing jars, I usually have juvie bubblenests, so apparently it doesn't bug them too much. In fact, as soon as juvies learn what you're doing, they'll usually help you by jumping into the new water, at least that's what I've found!

 

[cation]

Inchworm -

The bacteria important in cycling are aerobic. In fact, I believe they require LOTS of O2. This is the reason unfiltered, unairated tanks are difficult to filter - not enough oxygen passing over the colonies.

BettaMomma, try whatever you want. Personally, I'd toss all that gravel and go with bare bottom tanks. That's what all the cool bettakeepers in "the know" do. 8)

 

[BettaMomma]

So now I still have no idea what I should do.
I don't want to go without gravel - I hate the way that looks. Besides, I wanna have plants and stuff in the tank and they won't stay in place without gravel.

The whole reason I got into bettas was just because of the ease of taking care of them - and the fact that I've always been told that you don't have to cycle a tank for them.

I definitely am willing to try something different, because what I"m currently doing isn't agreeing with everybody's fins.

What does everyone else do? Surely not everyone has cycled 1 and 2 gallon tanks out there.?!?!?!

And I'm not going to get filters for any of my tanks - just don't want the hassle.
Man, I'm sooooo very confused.

 

[cation]

I have bare tanks, and I think they look nicer, actually. Also, they're so easy to clean!

You can have plantsI just use small, smooth river rock to anchor them in my tank. But, it's up to you.

As for the cycling - as I understand it, the bacterial colonies will not prosper unless the water is properly airated. This is why people are concerned about losing the biological filter when the mechanical filter stops - water is no longer flowing over the colonies, but sitting stagnent.