Do Their Fins Really Grow Back?

[sweetp544]

I was looking at some of the topics on here and seen the one about rescuing bettas. Some of those pictures the poor fish looks horrible!! I see them in the petstore all the time and their fins look like that. Im just curious, is that from keeping them in those bowls?? And do their fins really grow back after you rescue them??? I think it is so cruel people actually believe they can keep them in a little bowl, its ashame there isnt some law against it.

 

[Joby]

Fins are generally nipped from inappropriate tank mates but sometimes its through fin rot etc. With good clean water and no infections, they should grow back perfectly well

 

[happyannie]

My rescue's fins are kinda wavey and white in some spots at the end of them. They probably never will be "normal" again but he's healthy and happy and we're not trying to win any awards here. So..no matter.

 

[OohFeeshy]

Yes, they do grow back, although to what extent varies. Eg., I had a crowntail that had been nipped up a lot, his tail grew back fine, but then he it it all off and his tail went more veil tail-y.

 

[sweetp544]

So are the ones in the petstore like that from being kept in a bowl??

 

[OohFeeshy]

Pretty much.

 

[oneponygirl]

It's not even the bowl so much as it is that their water is allowed to get dirty and stay dirty. Theoretically you could keep a betta in a bowl but you'd have to do water changes just about every day. But it would still be pretty cruel to keep him in that small of a space. It would be like keeping a big dog in a crate. Even with fresh water and good food and taking out the waste it still isn't healthy.

My rescue that had fin rot has gorgeous long, brightly colored fins now. I don't have a recent picture or I'd post it.

 

[RandomWiktor]

Fin regrowth almost always occurs, but I will say the one exception is when a fish's fins have rotted or been nipped over and over again over a long period of time. In those instances, the fins may stay rather short for life. For example, I have a male VT who is a fin biter and had a good year of badly mutilating his tail especially. I have gotten him to stop by perfecting his living conditions, but his tail has remained about 1/3 the length of what a normal VT's would be (which is fine by me; he can't reach it any more, and he swims better without all that fin dragging behind him).

 

[BettaGardener]

I've had a few halfmoons get their tails munched pretty badly during spawing. (Those girls can be VICIOUS!) Despite trying every trick in the book, after several months, they did never grow back very well. They did have some regrowth, but the tails are still ragged and stumpy. It's a shame, because it completely changed the way they looked... but I still love them anyhow.