I have a male, veil tail betta. I got him from a PetsMart and I’ve had him for about a year. Below is a picture of what he looked like when I first got him. Since then, his fins have been deteriorating. I am hesitant to use medications, as I know those can be risky. I’ve been keeping a close eye on the water quality, as I’ve had bad spikes previously. Living in an apartment, water quality is an ongoing concern. The pH in the tank is high. When I consulted an expert at an aquarium store, she said if the fish has been exposed to the same pH level for a year, that lowering it significantly could cause more harm than good, and it would be difficult for me to lower it since the water from the tap is the easiest (and affordable) for me to access. PH is at ~7.8/8.0, total alkalinity is high around 200ppm, total hardness is high around 200ppm, nitrite is 0ppm, nitrate is 10ppm, and ammonia is at 0ppm.
He is an only fish in an Aqueon 2.5 gallon BettaBow tank with a MiniBow filter and a Tetra HT Submersible Aquarium heater. The filter has some aquarium foam on the end because I was concerned about his fins sucked in. There is a plastic plant in the tank (no sharp edges) a ceramic log at the bottom, a floating log, a resting leaf, and 3 moss balls. The water is kept at 77 degrees. The fish is fed Aqueon Color Enhancing BettaFood, getting two pellets twice a day, fasting every now and then. Currently, I’m doing 25% water changes every 5/6 days using half tap and half Crystal Geyser spring water. With these water changes, I scoop out any matter on the bottom of the tank and rinse off the plants/decor. Once a month, I’m changing the filter and vacuuming the gravel. With every water change, I use API Stress Coat+, Stability New Tank Stabilization System, and some aquarium salt. The stress coat and stability product have been introduced in the past 2 months when I was more concerned about him as he was getting lethargic and the nitrite and nitrate levels were dangerously high.
I’ve been nervous about upping the aquarium salt dose to what it says on the label- I was hoping just keeping the water clean would result in some progress. Fins are still clamped, now looking less opaque in some spots. I don’t see any white spots or distinct black edges. They just look clamped and disintegrating. I was thinking about buying Microbe Lift’s Artemiss as an antibiotic fin rot treatment because I’m afraid of using anything too harsh that could result in killing the fish. He is eating well, flaring (gills- can’t really do much with his fins), and just as perky as ever. I’m concerned that if the fins get much worse, they could cause serious harm. Any help would be much appreciated- I’m desperate for a fix for my little friend!
Photo URLs:
https://d39a28rhl1iwx3.cloudfront.net/ah/img_8803.png
https://d39a28rhl1iwx3.cloudfront.net/ah/img_9135.jpg
He is an only fish in an Aqueon 2.5 gallon BettaBow tank with a MiniBow filter and a Tetra HT Submersible Aquarium heater. The filter has some aquarium foam on the end because I was concerned about his fins sucked in. There is a plastic plant in the tank (no sharp edges) a ceramic log at the bottom, a floating log, a resting leaf, and 3 moss balls. The water is kept at 77 degrees. The fish is fed Aqueon Color Enhancing BettaFood, getting two pellets twice a day, fasting every now and then. Currently, I’m doing 25% water changes every 5/6 days using half tap and half Crystal Geyser spring water. With these water changes, I scoop out any matter on the bottom of the tank and rinse off the plants/decor. Once a month, I’m changing the filter and vacuuming the gravel. With every water change, I use API Stress Coat+, Stability New Tank Stabilization System, and some aquarium salt. The stress coat and stability product have been introduced in the past 2 months when I was more concerned about him as he was getting lethargic and the nitrite and nitrate levels were dangerously high.
I’ve been nervous about upping the aquarium salt dose to what it says on the label- I was hoping just keeping the water clean would result in some progress. Fins are still clamped, now looking less opaque in some spots. I don’t see any white spots or distinct black edges. They just look clamped and disintegrating. I was thinking about buying Microbe Lift’s Artemiss as an antibiotic fin rot treatment because I’m afraid of using anything too harsh that could result in killing the fish. He is eating well, flaring (gills- can’t really do much with his fins), and just as perky as ever. I’m concerned that if the fins get much worse, they could cause serious harm. Any help would be much appreciated- I’m desperate for a fix for my little friend!
Photo URLs:
https://d39a28rhl1iwx3.cloudfront.net/ah/img_8803.png
https://d39a28rhl1iwx3.cloudfront.net/ah/img_9135.jpg
