Finrot?

[OohFeeshy]

OK... I've had Hannibal a week? now. I'll skip and get straight to the pint- I'm a little worried about his fins. When I got him his caudal was almost split in two with a cleary bit with a blue sheen in the gap. Cellophane, I suppose. Anyway, the guy said he'd had an accident and it would soon go red. But now, it is still there, has split again and there is more cellopaney bits around the edges of his tail and anal fin. And his , damn, forgotten the name- the one on the bottom near his head, looks a bit... shrivelled. Now, in typing this I've thought that either his fins are growing and will turn red, or he's ripped his tail in the filter current. I'm sure he sleeps under it..... So should I bung some finrot medicine in just in case? I will try to get a pic, its just very hard to get the right light.

 

[turbotiber]

Mmm... keep his water clean and add a little aquarium salt. That's all I can say though cause I wouldn't know what medicine to recommend. Although, my betta did have some clear parts on the ends of his fin and it turned blueish and it just turned out that his tail was growing still. Maybe it's that?? The picture would help a lot though.

 

[OohFeeshy]

I'll try later. I might take out the plants and have real instead. If I can get some black gravel I will replace the stuff I have now and put real in incase he's cutting himself on the plastic ones.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi OohFeeshy

It sounds like your betta has a case of bacterial infection going on. This is very common among newly purchased bettas due to the cramped and unsanitary The m conditions the go through during shipping from their point of origin to your lfs. You can probably save him if you act fast.

He will need lots of fresh clean water to swim in and an anti-finrot/bacterial infection medication. Since you are located in the UK, I would suggest Waterlife’s Myxazin or Interpet’s Anti-Fungus and Finrot.

Also, be sure he eats well and that his diet includes high protien foods such as live or frozen bloodworms. blackworms or tubifex worms. These will help him regrow his fins and rebuild his immune system.

Good luck with him.

 

[BettaMomma]

If there's clear growth around the edges of the fins, that means they're starting to heal and that's a good sign. I"m not sure what the guy at the fs was talking about, because if they start to turn red that's a bad sign, and means infection is starting up.

Some salt and some sparkly clear water will help immensely.
Two things to watch for:
If you suspect your boy's tail is getting sucked into the intake filter, take some time and watch him. I thought the same thing, but came to find out that Amos was EATING his own tail. YUCK. I witnessed him doing the chasing his tail thing, then when he latched on, he tossed his head back and forth til he ripped a strip off, then he sucked it in like a piece of spaghetti and ate it. A piece of his tail the size of a dime approximately is now missing.

I've concluded that it was from stress due to me moving him to a new tank- i've now moved him back to his original tank.

However, if you do determine it to be from being sucked into the intake tube, get a piece of filter sponge and shove it into the tube where the slats are. That will help. Watch him and make sure that red or black doesn't appear along the edges of any of his fins. All of my boys' fins shredded a bit more after they got home before they started getting better. They all now have solid tails, except for some ruffling along the edges which I have yet to figure out how to get rid of.

 

[OohFeeshy]

OK.... the edges are clear. When he said turning red, he's a red betta Should I just pop in some Melafake/Bettafake and finrot meds? I can do Bettafake, I'm getting the bus home tomorrow so I can go into Holland and Barett. He's fine in himself, swimming around, eating. When I can get to pets at home I'll get him some meds and some Tetra Delica or start some sea monkeys. And I've already started some waxworms up. Before you say they are to big, I'm only feeding the little ones. The big un's will get frazzled.

 

[BettaMomma]

Oh - then the red makes sense.. lol

Skip the MelaFix - that stuff has never done anything for any of my boys.
The BF might be an okay option.

As long as he's still eating okay and everything I wouldn't worry too much about it. If it does get worse, you can try some stronger meds like Maracyn.

 

[OohFeeshy]

Unfourtunately I don't think you can get that over here Why do you get all the good stuff? Ah well, as soon as I've got some yummy waxworms for him, he might perk up a bit... And I might be getting him some micro-crickets/fruit flies on Saturday.... I don't think I'm busy. Apart from washing sand...

 

[BettaMomma]

Hmm - you could get it online probably?
Hmm...