Does my betta have fin rot already???

[steffi0122]

I bought a new betta on Sunday. He was the prettiest one at the pet store and i just love him. When i got him he had the longest fins out of all the bettas there. Now only 3 and a half days later i notice that his tail has started to curl up at the tip and look kinda transparent and gray at the tips. Could this be fin rot...and if so what can i do to help him. He is currently living in a 1.5 gallon tank with a light but no heater. (the guy that i talked to at the pet store told me that the heaters that they sold were too strong for a tank that small and they would over heat) He seems to be happy however and he is eating well. The tank stays at arounf 73-75 degrees all the time. (it is fairly warm in my house all the time and i figure with the warm weather comming it'll only get warmer.) Also could someone tell me some causes of fin rot and what i can do to avoid it? Thanks so much!

 

[Loboto-Me]

Unfortunately it sounds like finrot.

My advice is to keep the water very very clean and to go get something called "Betta Fix"

There are other betta products made for fin rot as well.... actually as long as you get the kind made specifically for bettas it should be fine. There are products on the market that are made for finrot but no made for bettas, and those could be too strong for them as they are labrynth fish and could harm their breathing apparatus.

He's eating well and is active? That's a good sign. Just keep doing water changes, and being meticulously clean with his tank, and treating him with his meds.... He's got a good chance of recovering.

Usually, the cause is unclean living conditions. As the water gets dirtier, the ammonia from his urine can attack his fins, but not always. I have a betta who lives in clean conditions, but has a bad habit of attacking his own tail, making him a high candidate for finrot.

 

[steffi0122]

Thanks! I have the thing you are talking about called BETTA FIX. i bought it about 4 months ago when one of my betta came down with fungas growing on him. He recovered nicely and is now thriving in a 5.5 gallon with tank mates. So this medication also works for fin rot?
How long do i use this medication for? How often should i be changing his water?? Should it be more than once a week?

 

[Loboto-Me]

Bettafix is great for finrot. Just read the instructions on the bottle and see what they suggest.

My bottle asks us to do a 7 day cycle of betta fix, adding more to the water each day without water changes except on the 7th day... but your bottle may say something different.


Once the bettafix cycle is finished, I would do partial water changes in between the once a week change. Probably 30 to 50 percent every 2 or 3 days, always making sure that the water temp of the new water is the same as the tank's.

I usually keep a jug of water on my counter ready to go for the next water change.. that way the chlorine is already disolved by the time I need to use it.