Is there something wrong with my betta?

[Catladynew2fish]

Fin rot is normally caused by poor water quality (ammonia or nitrite), which damages the tissue and allows harmful bacteria and fungus in.

The best treatment for fin rot is clean water and a bit of salt. However, the fish doesn't appear to have any infection in the fins so just keep doing big water changes to keep ammonia and nitrite levels low.

You can post pictures once or twice a week to compare with previous pictures and see if the fins are getting worse. If they do get worse, add some salt, (see directions below).

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SALT
You can add rock salt (often sold as aquarium salt) or swimming pool salt to the aquarium at the dose rate of 1 heaped tablespoon per 20 litres of water. If there is no improvement after 48 hours you can double that dose rate so there is 2 heaped tablespoons of salt per 20 litres.

Keep the salt level like this for at least 2 weeks but no longer than 4 weeks otherwise kidney damage can occur. Kidney damage is more likely to occur in fish from soft water (tetras, Corydoras, angelfish, Bettas & gouramis, loaches) that are exposed to high levels of salt for an extended period of time, and is not an issue with livebearers, rainbowfish or other salt tolerant species.

The salt will not affect the beneficial filter bacteria, fish, plants, shrimp or snails.

After you use salt and the fish have recovered, you do a 10% water change each day for a week using only fresh water that has been dechlorinated. Then do a 20% water change each day for a week. Then you can do bigger water changes after that. This dilutes the salt out of the tank slowly so it doesn't harm the fish.

If you do water changes while using salt, you need to treat the new water with salt before adding it to the tank. This will keep the salt level stable in the tank and minimise stress on the fish.

When you first add salt, add the salt to a small bucket of tank water and dissolve the salt. Then slowly pour the salt water into the tank near the filter outlet. Add the salt over a couple of minutes.

Thank you. That is helpful!

 

[Catladynew2fish]

Thank you. That is helpful!

So I am very worried about the condition of the fins. I can see the difference, as I have been taking pictures to compare since I got him. It started with his top fin looking a bit frayed and now there’s a chunk missing and some of the other fins look frayed also. Yesterday I did a big water change and used the prime. After a few hours I took about a gallon of the aquarium water that was freshly changed and added a tablespoon of the aquarium salt. I let us dissolve and then slowly added it back into the tank. So now my question is, when I do the water change today, I will empty about half the tank and use the appropriate amount of prime. Do I add the salt into the primed water? And then re-add to tank?

 

[Colin_T]

So now my question is, when I do the water change today, I will empty about half the tank and use the appropriate amount of prime. Do I add the salt into the primed water? And then re-add to tank?

Yes.

 

[Naughts]

Sorry if you already know this, but it may not be obvious to everyone reading it.
1 tablespoon treats your tank size of 20 litres/ 5 US gallons so if you are changing half the water, add back half the salt- half a tablespoon. If you are changing, for example, 75% of the water, add back 3/4 of a tablespoon of salt to keep the levels consistently at the correct dosage.

 

[Colin_T]

Salt for medicating fish should be 1 heaped tablespoon per 20 litres and can be increased to 2 heaped tablespoons per 20 litres.

 

[Catladynew2fish]

Salt for medicating fish should be 1 heaped tablespoon per 20 litres and can be increased to 2 heaped tablespoons per 20 litre

 

[Catladynew2fish]

Good morning!
So an update on Indigo, my betta. He seems to be doing better. I did 2 weeks of the aquarium salt treatment with daily water changes, and the fins seem to be growing back. ( clear membrane at tips). He is eating well and swimming a lot.
PH is 7.0
Ammonia has been .25 ppm
Still 0 nitrites and nitrates after 7 weeks since tank was set up. Been using the prime regularly.
I did use one bottle of tetra safe start over a few h20 changes. Am I being too eager for tank cycling? Should I continue with daily water changes? Also, the filter is needing to be changed soon. I’m afraid to switch it too soon, any suggestions please?
Thank you!

 

[Catladynew2fish]

Good morning!
So an update on Indigo, my betta. He seems to be doing better. I did 2 weeks of the aquarium salt treatment with daily water changes, and the fins seem to be growing back. ( clear membrane at tips). He is eating well and swimming a lot.
PH is 7.0
Ammonia has been .25 ppm
Still 0 nitrites and nitrates after 7 weeks since tank was set up. Been using the prime regularly.
I did use one bottle of tetra safe start over a few h20 changes. Am I being too eager for tank cycling? Should I continue with daily water changes? Also, the filter is needing to be changed soon. I’m afraid to switch it too soon, any suggestions please?
Thank you!

 

[Slaphppy7]

Good morning!
So an update on Indigo, my betta. He seems to be doing better. I did 2 weeks of the aquarium salt treatment with daily water changes, and the fins seem to be growing back. ( clear membrane at tips). He is eating well and swimming a lot.
PH is 7.0
Ammonia has been .25 ppm
Still 0 nitrites and nitrates after 7 weeks since tank was set up. Been using the prime regularly.
I did use one bottle of tetra safe start over a few h20 changes. Am I being too eager for tank cycling? Should I continue with daily water changes? Also, the filter is needing to be changed soon. I’m afraid to switch it too soon, any suggestions please?
Thank you!

Anytime you have ammonia, you do a WC, daily...use the Prime only for WCs, not as a "treatment"

What do you mean about the filter?

 

[Naughts]

Yes it should be cycling by now, are you adding anything that could harm the beneficial bacteria or doing any rigorous cleaning?
Filter media can be rinsed in old tank water and reused, if it's just sponge and floss there is no need to change it out, despite what the manufacturers tell you. They want you to keep buying replacements but it is detrimental to the cycle.

 

[Catladynew2fish]

Anytime you have ammonia, you do a WC, daily...use the Prime only for WCs, not as a "treatment"

What do you mean about the filter?

Yes that’s what I’ve been doing… water change and using prime as conditioner. Filter seems like it’s not filtering. I’ve been rinsing it out in the fish water that I’ve changed. But it just seems like it’s not filtering very well and needs to be changed. however I’m afraid it may have some of the beneficial bacteria needed for cycling… But cycling doesn’t seem to be happening.

 

[Catladynew2fish]

Yes it should be cycling by now, are you adding anything that could harm the beneficial bacteria or doing any rigorous cleaning?
Filter media can be rinsed in old tank water and reused, if it's just sponge and floss there is no need to change it out, despite what the manufacturers tell you. They want you to keep buying replacements but it is detrimental to the cycle.

Yes it should be cycling by now, are you adding anything that could harm the beneficial bacteria or doing any rigorous cleaning?
Filter media can be rinsed in old tank water and reused, if it's just sponge and floss there is no need to change it out, despite what the manufacturers tell you. They want you to keep buying replacements but it is detrimental to the cycle.

Nope just doing the water changes and conditioning with prime in the freshwater before I put it into the tank. No rigorous cleaning just a little bit of a small sponge on the top of water line weekly just to keep the grime away and a vacuum throughout the bottom of the substrate every few days or so. The filter seems yucky. I do rinse it in the fish water when I do the water changes but it doesn’t seem to be filtering very well. The only other thing I’ve added to the tank was the tetra safe start. I only used a 3 ounce bottle over like three water changes… Sometime last week. That is the only thing I’ve added to the tank besides prime conditioned water….

 

[Slaphppy7]

Yes that’s what I’ve been doing… water change and using prime as conditioner. Filter seems like it’s not filtering. I’ve been rinsing it out in the fish water that I’ve changed. But it just seems like it’s not filtering very well and needs to be changed. however I’m afraid it may have some of the beneficial bacteria needed for cycling… But cycling doesn’t seem to be happening.

Yes, do not change the media, rinse in old tank water...what do you mean by not filtering well? Does the flow seem restricted?

 

[Catladynew2fish]

Yes, do not change the media, rinse in old tank water...what do you mean by not filtering well? Does the flow seem restricted?

Yes It’s flowing but the water is not filtering through the filter. It seems to be just going right over it and back into the tank. If I do a lighter flow and less water than it does flow through slowly. Hope that makes sense

 

[Slaphppy7]

Yes It’s flowing but the water is not filtering through the filter. It seems to be just going right over it and back into the tank. If I do a lighter flow and less water than it does flow through slowly. Hope that makes sense

What kind of filter? Can you post a pic?