Does my Betta have some kind of rot, or damage from tank decoration?

[Isurus]

Hello everyone.
My girlfriend and I noticed today that our betta has some damage on his tail that we hadn't noticed before. He had some small nicks in the same spot that I dismissed as being caused by his tail snagging on a decoration.
I didn't think it was fin rot because I never knew fin rot to cause holes in the middle of the fin (as can be seen in the picture), but to damage it from the tip inward.

I took the decoration (now turned green because of an ich treatment) out just in case, but I'm still worried about the little guy. I have attatched a photo for you to see. What do you think?

Close up. Note the hole in the middle.

Edit to add some info.

We have had this ten gallon tank set up for approximately 2 months. Yes it is heated, Our filter is on approximately 12 hours per day. Im not sure of the exact gallons per hour, but it is a carbon filter.

I completely change the water, scrub the sides, thoroughly rinse and sift the gravel, change the filter, and add the directed amount of Nutrafin Aqua+ water conditioner every 3 weeks.

The betta shares the tank with a Guppy, though we have a divider in place because we saw them attacking eachother. We have been feeding him tropical fish flakes. we recently tried freeze dried bloodworms, and was surprised when he became extremely bloated and unable to swim or stay upright. After some quick research we found out that freeze dried blood worms are an absolute no-no. We fasted ihim for 3 days, and he turned out fine. We purchased frozen blood worms just a few days ago, and have fed them to our Betta once. Our idea was to feed him frozen blood worms twice per week in place of flakes.

 

[dkpate]

IMO he has a little fin rot. Easily fixed. Mine had the same thing when i got him, and he is also a red VT. I thought he just had black around the edges....lol.

I would start by doing daily water changes of 50-80% add 1tsp/gal of aquarium salt for the next 10 days,
I would also remove all the plastic plants and replace with silk type or real, the Bettas fin are delicate and easily torn and once they have an opening bacteria can invade......
Fresh clean water is great medication, if you are on city water supply make sure to use a good dechlorinator with all new water added/changed.

Good luck!

 

[dkpate]

Also, what type of tank do you have him in? How often do you change the water? What is the water temp?

 

[Isurus]

Wait... the black isn't just coloration?? jeez I have a lot to learn.

Thanks for the info- I edited my original post with some more information after reading the rules. *ahem.* my bad

I like your idea of simply changing the water and a bit of the proper salt instead of harsh chemicals. I will need to run to the pet store and purchase some aquarium salt. I have been warned against using the wrong type of salt, so I want to be sure I am using the right one.

Yes, I do have plastic plants. I thought it was the ceramic-feeling ruined castle, but you are probably right. I am hesitant to get real plants. Do they not cause an algae buildup?

Water temp is currently about 24.5 degrees celcius. The heater has a thermostat, and I am not able to adjust the temperature.

 

[Isurus]

ok I'm about halfway done the change. I'm replacing 3/4 of the water, and I will do so every day until he shows signs of improvement. I also removed all of the plastic plants.

I took both fish out and into small containers while I'm changing the water, then I will let the containers float in the tank to let the fish adjust to the new temperature. DO I have to do this every time I change the water? moving them in and out of the tank every day seems like it would stress them out... or am I just worrying to much?

also- I assum using a stainless pot is fine for for filling their tank? If stainless steel isn't safe, nothing is. I'm also going to put in about 5ML of the tank conditioner.

 

[dkpate]

Ok, well you do have some sort of heat so that's good. I am not up to par on the celsius, but bettas need 76+ degrees to thrive.
I use API aquarium salt, works good. Some people say you can use regular salt as long as it doesn't have sodium chloride in it or something, but I prefer the tried and true, and made for fish.
If you betta is not used to salt, then you should only start out the 1st day with 1/2 tsp. And you will have to change his water every day (50%) while you are using salt or it will build up in there, as salt does not evaporate. Dissolve the salt in the bucket of new water before you put it in the tank too.
In the future, I would recommend, if unfiltered, changing 50% of your water 1-2 times a week. If it is filtered and cycled, then you only need to change it once a week as long as your tests are okay. When you clean everything in the tank, you kill off the good bacteria (nitrate) which keeps the ammonia and nitrite at 0. You can look up fishless cycling in the search bar to find out the info on that. It will give you a better idea what I am talking about than me typing a bunch of stuff on here haha!
The best way to heal a betta, and any fish for that matter, is clean water. Make sure you are using a dechlorinator (unless you are on a well) every time, and that the water you are replacing is 1-2 degrees of the water you took out/is left in the tank or you can shock your fish.
The best way to check and see if something in your tank is tearing your fishes fins is to take a piece of nylon and run it over them. If they snag, take them out. I have had real plants in my tanks for 4 months and have had no problems with algea. I think you only get bad algea if you leave the lights on for a really long time. I only leave the lights on in my tanks for 10-12 hours.
Feeding:
My bettas (I have 4) get Hikari pellets twice a day, 12 hours apart, so 6AM and 6PM. I give them about 2 frozen bloodworms on Friday evening. Bloodworms should be used as a treat of bettas, and not an everyday thing. Once a week is good. I also feed them boiled, de-shelled peas on Thursdays because peas are a natural laxative for fish. It just helps to clean their systems out. If you have a problem with him bloating again, you can use the pea trick. I boil them in a coffee cup 1/2 full of tap water in the microwave for 3 minutes. Then I squeeze the inside of the pea onto a spoon, and then mush them with my finger. Then I scoop a little onto my finger and dip it in the water. Remember that bettas stomachs are only as big as their eyes, so they don't eat much lol. Flakes are not that great for bettas, and breeders recommend pellets. Hikari is a really good brand to use, all of my fish food has been switched over to Hikari.
Good luck and feel free to ask any more questions! The only dumb question is the one you don't ask!

 

[dkpate]

Only use the salt treatment with bettas for 10 days, no longer. Clean water is what is going to heal him, the salt is just to help with his slime coat. I believe fish lose their slime coat when they are stressed.
My betta had the same thing as yours, and as soon as I got his tail fin grown out and beautiful, he decided to bite it off....He was just growing it back and decided to bite off the new stuff too. I have read that bettas will bite off the ends of their tails if they think they are too heavy.
On a side note, you can exercise your betta with a hand mirror. Just tape it up to the side of the tank for about 10 minutes a day. He can flare up at himself and have a good old time lol!

 

[Isurus]

24.5 celcius is just about 74 farenheit if I'm not mistaken. Maybe not IDEAL for the Betta, but it would be at room temperature (a northwest ground floor), probably under 55 farenheit. Not exactly tropical.

I actually don't have any kind of test kits, the lady at the pet store told me with two fish, they'll be ok with an occasional water change. But, I want the best for my fish, so it can't hurt to be too careful. Maybe I'll look for Hikari pellets while I'm at it.

I like the sound of the nylon trick, but until I get him healthy, it's just water and gravel.

I know you said the fresh clean water is going to make the difference, but is there any kind of medicated treatment you might recommend?

 

[dkpate]

I would just use the salt. But you can also pick up some StressCoat.

Aquarium Water Conditioners & Chlorine Removers: Aquarium Pharmacueticals Stress Coat®

And that will help his tissue regenerate faster.

Your fish can die or become permanently damaged from ammonia or nitrite poisioning. I would recommend not listening to anyone at a pet store unless you know that they know what they are talking about haha.

If you want to invest in a good test kit that will last you a LONG time, I would recommend the API Master Freshwater Test kit, about 720 tests for around $20. You can get the strips, but they are unreliable, and you will spend more money in the long run.

Aquarium Water Testing: Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Freshwater Master Test Kit

 

[dkpate]

And yes, 74 is better than 55!

 

[mfdrookie516]

I actually don't have any kind of test kits, the lady at the pet store told me with two fish, they'll be ok with an occasional water change. But, I want the best for my fish, so it can't hurt to be too careful.

rule #1, never listen to store employees

 

[Isurus]

I completed another 80 percent water change today. I figured I would just put the betta on the same side as the guppy while I change the water. They were ok for a bit, but as soon as I went to get the betta with the net, he attacked the guppy. I don't see any physical damage (just hurt feelings! ) and he is acting normal, so no problem. I just have to take the betta out during tomorrow's change.

Problem shows no signs of worsening or improving, but it is early yet.
When I run out to get some aquarium salt and those pellets, I will also buy a good test kit as well as neutralizers in case I need them. I imagine these chemicals have a good shelf life?

 

[dkpate]

If you do buy something for the water, get Prime water conditioner. It helps with ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. And you only have to do 50% water changes, no need to do 80%. Good for you for getting the test kit, you are well on your way. And also, good for you for not getting frustrated and giving up.

 

[DragonFish71]

Another thing that is supposed help heal bettas and some other smaller fish is using indian almond leaves. (from what I've read anyways) They help the fish's immune system. (again, from what I've read) Bettas like a lower Ph as well, thought they can adjust to just about any Ph. I have yet to find a reliable source for the leaves but I use Tetra's black water extract for our bettas and they are all fiesty devils (male and female alike) Something having to do with the particular tannins. (which also helps in lowering Ph)

 

[dkpate]

I have IAL in all my tanks, ordered them from Amy Lin on Ebay. I believe she is in the Phillipines, and I got my order from her faster than I get them from the US. She came to me highly recommended, and has 100% positive feedback on Ebay. She has all sorts of other stuff too. She sends a nice little note and directions on how to use the leaves, and it only cost something like $11 with shipping for 100 micro leaves (which are actually about 6 inches tall lol). If you want IAL, order from her. I love the color it turns my water, kind of an amber.