Betta Fin Damage - Advice Needed

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jennymph

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Lancashire, UK
Advice Needed;

For about 2 weeks this tank had an ammonia spike but I've managed to get the parameters back to normal now. I have no question that the spike and stall of cycle is the reasoning behind his fin damage. It is definitely not fin rot.

I need advice on what the best course of actions are for the best recovery for his tail. He's acting normally otherwise. I've been doing 75% WC for 3 days now and have been adding Prime, Stress Guard, IAL and did treat him with Fin Rot treatment just in case. I've also been adding 1 TBSP of Aquarium Salt as guided by the instructions with each WC. I will continue to do the daily water changes...

Is there anything else I can do apart from provide the most pristine water quality in order to aid his fins back to their original state?

Any advice is much appreciated for my baby!! Thanks ??IMG_20180324_132013.jpgIMG_20180324_131942.jpgIMG_20180324_131310.jpgIMG_20180324_131307.jpg
 
Oh No... I'm so sorry. Take the plants out. Clean the sides of the glass get all the algae off. Get a hang on the back filter and modify it or get an adjustable flow. Wipe down his tunnels, heater, and I'd stop adding all that stuff to his tank. Do 2-50% water changes and treat new water with Tetra AquaSafe. And every 2-3 days water change @50%. The biggest thing is the filter. And when you have plants everything collects to the sponge lots of build up just being pushed around. A filter system like a hang on back has more better flow, and has carbon to break the bulid up down and have less toxic for him.
 
Oh No... I'm so sorry. Take the plants out. Clean the sides of the glass get all the algae off. Get a hang on the back filter and modify it or get an adjustable flow. Wipe down his tunnels, heater, and I'd stop adding all that stuff to his tank. Do 2-50% water changes and treat new water with Tetra AquaSafe. And every 2-3 days water change @50%. The biggest thing is the filter. And when you have plants everything collects to the sponge lots of build up just being pushed around. A filter system like a hang on back has more better flow, and has carbon to break the bulid up down and have less toxic for him.
Okay got the HOB set up ready to run. Hopefully makes a difference. His fins are healing luckily, can see the paleness where they are healing around the edges and they are generally looking less ragged. I'm just being really proactive. Done the 2 X 50% WC and added Aquasafe.
 
Sounds good just keep on the water changes. And test the water a lot just in case.you can shove the old sponge in the filter to slow the flow down and have the bb cycle that filter.
 
I'd leave the plants in, they'll help with keeping the levels from rising, as well as lots of water changes. Just make sure you keep the old filter media in the new filter or you'll restart your cycle.
 
Fresh clean water is the very best he can get so bless you for being vigilant on this.

Have you checked to see that your tap water doesn't have ammonia or nitrates? It is surprising how many do.

Plants help use excess ammonia. If you see them rotting or anything like that I would remove dying or mushy plants otherwise I would keep them in.

Also I am a big fan of Epsom salts (ES), not a salt, but magnesium sulfate. It seems to me it helps in the healing. Pure Epsom salts - no other additives. Can be found in the pharmacy area of your local grocery or dollar store or Pharmacy store.

I didn't see which size the tank is, 5-10G it seems.

Also do you happen to know/be able to find out about your water?

KH/GH pH? TDS?

Not the end of the world if you do not know, you can always call the water department/supplier and ask them for the basic info which might not be exact since they do not test this for publication daily, usually quarterly or 6 months or yearly as required by laws.

If you do not have hard water 7.8 -8.0+ I would go ahead and add aquarium salt for a while and then taper off over a few weeks until you do not add any.

So for the ES for a treatment period of about 2 weeks I would use a total amount of
1 teaspoon (not tablespoon) per gallon.

After your pwc, leave enough room to add the 1 gallon ES water back into the tank:

To start take the number of gallons and dissolve the ES into a container of water. I use a 1G pitcher and hot water to half full till dissolved then add cool or cold water to get to the tank temp to the top, treat with the dechlorinator.

Then add the mixture by 1/4 amounts every 6-8 hours until the next day you have it all in there.

Then I usually make up a concentrate however you are comfortable calculating it into an amount of water. You can use a empty spring water gallon container of jumbo water bottle, etc. I mark a plastic cup with the quantity of concentrate and pour it in. You can also mark with a sharpie in the container as well - many ways to do it.

When you do the pwc add back the appropriate amount of Epsom salts to each water change.

Continue for the 2 weeks and if you see improvement but not quite better you can try another week.

When you are finished with the treatment just add back about half the amount ES for a couple pwc and then none. Eventually it will be removed, and wouldn't hurt him anyway.
 
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Hey thanks for replies. I have the sponge filter in and the HOB along with it, not taken any plants out and his fins are regrowing. I can see the paleness along the edges and they are generally looking less ragged. Our water is soft and low pH, no ammonia or nitrates, and I've been adding salt with each water change :) About to check ammonia now on his tank.
 
Maybe I'm gonna have to treat this situation as a fish-in cycle as I obviously stalled the other one when I stupidly removed all the sand -_- like I say his fins are getting better slowly.
 
Okay, what I've done; I removed some Biological Media Balls from the cannister filter that is in my 160L (has no issues and they have been there from the beginning of installing the cannister about 2 months ago) and I've put them in the HOB filter that's on Haiku's tank. I've also put some near the sponge filter. It said on the Fish In Cycle post on this forum to squeeze the filter so what I've done is poured out some water from the cannister filter which I put the Bio Balls in when transferring them to the HOB and poured the water into Haiku's tank. HOPING that this will speed the cycle up.
 
Maybe I'm gonna have to treat this situation as a fish-in cycle as I obviously stalled the other one when I stupidly removed all the sand -_- like I say his fins are getting better slowly.
You have another tank, don't you? Can't remember.
 
You have another tank, don't you? Can't remember.
Thought so. Sorry must of replied at same time. Your doing good. It's gonna take some time for him to heal. Your water changes are critical, even with a cycled tank. You should have a cycled tank again after doing what you did. Test again in a little while for nitrate if you don't see it then take your sponge and wipe the sides of the canister and squeeze it out in the back of his filter a few times. The good bacteria is caked along the walls of the canister.
 
Thought so. Sorry must of replied at same time. Your doing good. It's gonna take some time for him to heal. Your water changes are critical, even with a cycled tank. You should have a cycled tank again after doing what you did. Test again in a little while for nitrate if you don't see it then take your sponge and wipe the sides of the canister and squeeze it out in the back of his filter a few times. The good bacteria is caked along the walls of the canister.
Will do! Thanks! Going to check later before feeding. Will post updates too :)
 
IMG_20180330_132621.jpg Readings 24hrs after adding the seeded filter media. I'd say Ammonia is 0.5 Nitrite 0 Nitrate seems between 0 and 5.0
 
IMG_20180330_134212.jpg Right I've wiped the sides of cannister with this sponge and I'll place it in the HOB I haven't any more room for the balls but I'll put them near the sponge filter and then put the water in the filter when I've done the WC.
 
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