Aquarium salt doesn’t work. What’s next?

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Betta_Lover97

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Jul 31, 2017
Messages
41
Hi! I tried Bettafix, aquarium salt, change my dechlorinator to Sechem Prime.

No matter what I try, my betta’s fin rot seems to get worse.

Some are honestly starting to look like they’re going to fall of soon.

I don’t know what to do anymore.
 
Your ammonia and nitrite should be zero. The nitrate should register below 40 but should not be zero.
Not sure if your tank is fully cycled. Your Bettas fin problem might be ammonia related. I'm not sure of your tank size, but suggest changing 15% to 25% of your water everyday for the next 3 weeks. Feed very sparingly. This should ensure your tank gets cycled and should do a lot towards healing fins. Good luck.
 
My tank hasn’t been cycled yet.

It’s a 3 gallons tank.

For the ammonia problem, someone recommended Seachem Prime. I thought it would help me with the problem, but looks like it’s not gonna do anything either.

I do water changes every week. I do at least 50% and sometime even more because the tank can get really dirty, especially under the gravels.

For the feeding part, I think I do okay with that. For pallets, I give him 5-6. For flakes, 3-4 for big flakes.
 
Prime is a great water conditioner and it temporarily detoxifies ammonia. Since your tank is only 3 gal. Change one gallon a day for three weeks. That should be enough time for your tank to complete its cycle. It does sound like you're doing a fine job feeding and keeping the gravel clean. Once your tank has leveled out, then go back to your weekly 50% WC's
Stop using the Betta Fix. Your fish is likely suffering from ammonia burn rather than fin rot.
 
Water changes everyday on that tank. And for salt to work you gotta make sure at water changes it dissolves in a bowl with the fresh water your putting in. And never too much. Most important is testing your water everyday. And keep heat at 78, 79, or 80 degrees keep steady on one of them. What I do is take 30% sometimes 50% on my 10 gallon.( It's not cycled either. ) I put 1 tbsp in a bowl of same temp water as tank set it aside let it dissolve while I finish up adding fresh water. And alittle conditioner then add the salt water to the tank. And I wait till later to test. Just to be safe. You shouldnt have ammonia. Water changes will take care of that. But gotta keep on them. Hope this helps.
 
So, I have to keep using the salt? Wouldn’t that cause another problem? I did 10 Days of the salt already.

I have my betta for months now. I think since the summer time.

I don’t know why, but the tank is still not cycled. What if the keep changing the water everyday for 3 weeks and the tank is still not cycled?
 
But I guess I have no choice, but to water changes everyday for 3 weeks like you said.

For the salt? Should I really continue on with that?
 
But I guess I have no choice, but to water changes everyday for 3 weeks like you said.

For the salt? Should I really continue on with that?
As long as you keep the ammonia level at 0 he will heal. You don't have to do salt. I do salt right now cause it works for my Betta. Helps him heal and breath. My ammonia level got higher and caused fin rot pretty bad. I check my levels morning and afternoon water changes. And watch him like a hawk. 3 gallon tank don't take long for the levels to spike.
 
IMO, No more meds and no more salt. The meds might be slowing up the N. Cycle. Just be patient and do the noted WC's.
 
As long as you keep the ammonia level at 0 he will heal. You don't have to do salt. I do salt right now cause it works for my Betta. Helps him heal and breath. My ammonia level got higher and caused fin rot pretty bad. I check my levels morning and afternoon water changes. And watch him like a hawk. 3 gallon tank don't take long for the levels to spike.



Oh. [emoji23] I’ll be careful. Thanks for the tips.
 
IMO, No more meds and no more salt. The meds might be slowing up the N. Cycle. Just be patient and do the noted WC's.



Okay. I’ll wait for another 3 weeks like you said to see if he’s gonna be any better. Thank you.
 
Okay. I’ll wait for another 3 weeks like you said to see if he’s gonna be any better. Thank you.
+1 to V227 and coralbandit, don't stop using prime but stop using salt and meds, I also don't see anything that jumps out at me but I'm definitely not an expert at diseases, what test kit do you use to test the water?
If it's strips that could be the issue with parameter readings, if it's the api master liquid test kit, on the nitrate test you have the shake the living beep out of bottle #2, you add 10 drops to the vile from bottle one, shake bottle 2 vigorously for 30 seconds, add 10 drops to vile shake vile for 1 min let sit for 5. I see that you said it's not cycled but prime will detoxify the ammonia while doing said 1 gallon water changes daily over the next few weeks.
 
+1 to V227 and coralbandit, don't stop using prime but stop using salt and meds, I also don't see anything that jumps out at me but I'm definitely not an expert at diseases, what test kit do you use to test the water?



1D7E38E8-18AA-4C59-B156-8A146546D68D-12412-000005321A849513.jpg
I’m using this one, and I read the instruction every time before I do the test. Just to make sure that I do it correctly.
 
View attachment 305257
I’m using this one, and I read the instruction every time before I do the test. Just to make sure that I do it correctly.
Perfect, I was actually doing the nitrate test wrong for a very long time I actually do believe it was CB that told me I was doing the nitrate test wrong as I had no nitrate after 3 years, I did it the correct way and found my nitrate was 80 lol DOAH!
 
For the feeding part, I think I do okay with that. For pallets, I give him 5-6. For flakes, 3-4 for big flakes.


You’re overfeeding, which doesn’t help with water quality issues. That’s entirely too many betta pellets in one day, and you don’t need to feed flakes in combination with pellets. Two or three pellets a day would be more than enough. He would really appreciate some frozen shrimp or bloodworms a couple of times a week too.
 
You’re overfeeding, which doesn’t help with water quality issues. That’s entirely too many betta pellets in one day, and you don’t need to feed flakes in combination with pellets. Two or three pellets a day would be more than enough. He would really appreciate some frozen shrimp or bloodworms a couple of times a week too.
Make sure the bottom of the tank is vacuumed and do water changes. You are diffently over feeding. And I wouldn't do the flakes in that tank very much. Flakes build up fast (uneaten food) making the tank toxic to him. (Causing fin rot)
 
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