Betta Fin Rot Help

[DreaminginBlue]

I haven’t been around for a long time, but I’m trying to help a friend whose Betta appears to have fin rot.
She keeps him in a 20 gallon planted tank in her office. She says she changes 50% of the water a couple times a month. She has a test kit and when I helped her set the tank up it was cycled, but I haven’t been able to go over and check the water since then, and she doesn’t know how to test herself.
She rescued the Betta from Petco, and when she got him the tips of his fins were red colored, so that might have hidden any redness? As of right now, his fins appear shredded and uneven, and much shorter. She is keeping him in a plastic Kritter Keeper while she medicates him, and she changes the water daily. She’s using E.R. Erythromycin. I can’t tell yet from her photos if his fins are getting any better, but I do know today the fish’s healing got set back significantly. Her cat has never paid any attention to the fish, who is situated on the counter and has been there for weeks while she treats him, but today she came home to the Kritter Keeper knocked off the counter. The cat, luckily, couldn’t get into the still closed container, which was upside down on the floor, but the water leaked out of the lid. The fish was miraculously alive in the little bit of water left, but his dorsal fin is missing a pretty big chunk after his fall.
Besides keeping the fish in a room where the cat can’t get into, what should she be doing to treat his fin rot and now injury?

 

[Fishlover99]

I haven’t been around for a long time, but I’m trying to help a friend whose Betta appears to have fin rot.
She keeps him in a 20 gallon planted tank in her office. She says she changes 50% of the water a couple times a month. She has a test kit and when I helped her set the tank up it was cycled, but I haven’t been able to go over and check the water since then, and she doesn’t know how to test herself.
She rescued the Betta from Petco, and when she got him the tips of his fins were red colored, so that might have hidden any redness? As of right now, his fins appear shredded and uneven, and much shorter. She is keeping him in a plastic Kritter Keeper while she medicates him, and she changes the water daily. She’s using E.R. Erythromycin. I can’t tell yet from her photos if his fins are getting any better, but I do know today the fish’s healing got set back significantly. Her cat has never paid any attention to the fish, who is situated on the counter and has been there for weeks while she treats him, but today she came home to the Kritter Keeper knocked off the counter. The cat, luckily, couldn’t get into the still closed container, which was upside down on the floor, but the water leaked out of the lid. The fish was miraculously alive in the little bit of water left, but his dorsal fin is missing a pretty big chunk after his fall.
Besides keeping the fish in a room where the cat can’t get into, what should she be doing to treat his fin rot and now injury?

She should remove him from that tank. He has to work to hard for air and to swim. He need a gallon till he is better. EM erythromycin, or seachems sulfplex, treatment should turn him around. He needs a temp around 80-82. He will also need about 10 % daily water change and time.

 

[Fishlover99]

She should remove him from that tank. He has to work to hard for air and to swim. He need a gallon till he is better. EM erythromycin, or seachems sulfplex, treatment should turn him around. He needs a temp around 80-82. He will also need about 10 % daily water change and time.

Sorry a bunch of this didn't load for me. Higher temp, and keep up with EM erythromycin. Giving him a 24 hour break in between the 4 day treatments. Salt will greatly help him. Methylene blue dips would be really beneficial, if not that then Indian almond leaf extract there is some meat just for betta fish on Amazon what are the leaf itself in the water has anti-fungal properties, and will help him heal. He needs time. The stress from the cat however might have pushed him over the edge.

 

[DreaminginBlue]

Okay, thank you! I’ll work on getting her to get some methylene blue. What sort of tank should I get her to move him to? She only has the 20 gallon, I think.

 

[Fishlover99]

Okay, thank you! I’ll work on getting her to get some methylene blue. What sort of tank should I get her to move him to? She only has the 20 gallon, I think.

He honestly would be better off in a betta keeper while she medicating him. After he is stronger he can go back into the 20 gallon, I would make sure that there isn't alot of current for him in the bigger tank. I had one betta that had like no fin left he was starting to pinecone. The sulfplex by seachems worked best for him along with the dip and daily water changes. Just remember Betta's are jumpers so I suggest not filling tank all the way. About 2 inches from the rim is good.

 

[DreaminginBlue]

He’s having daily water changes and he had his first methylene blue dip today. She’s stopped the antibiotics for now, and will be dipping and changing him and his water daily until he recovers.

 

[DreaminginBlue]

Friend and I figured out a better system for caring for him. He’s in the Kritter Keeper, which has the water changed in it daily. While his Kritter Keeper is being water changed, he gets put into a separate smaller container and fed brine shrimp and bloodworms. Then he gets his methylene blue dip and it’s back into the Kritter Keeper he goes. The Kritter Keeper is inside of a larger tank with the proper temperature, and is pinned to the side of the rank using a magnetic algae scrubber. This way, his water is kept the correct temperature, but he is still able to have a small, isolated container of water that is changed every day.
It seems like the temperature change and baths are helping. She says he looks so much healthier and she thinks his fins may be beginning to grow back. I really hope he’ll make a full recovery!

 

[Autumnsky]

Good to hear things seem to be looking up.

The huge helping factor is basically perfect water. Long fins on the Bettas sit at the bottom of the tank in very low flow and often not having any gravel vac since there is usually just easy pwc from the top of the tank. It gets mucky and ideal for getting bacterial infection.

Recently I fixed up a Betta with the good water changes, aquarium salt and Epsom salt. Had to end up using meds / Kanaplex (Seachem). He is doing well now. Still keeping up for an additional week with the Epsom salts until we can make sure he is good. We did the feed in a cup too so we could get the most food and not get his tank too much pollution. Keeping some dried leaves too with him.

 

[DreaminginBlue]

I’ve been watching your Betta heal, and you’ve done a great job! I’m very glad he’s recovering. I hope my friend’s little guy will follow suit.
I’m not entirely sure how her Betta ended up with fin rot, but I’m guessing since she got him from Petco, he could’ve already had it from sitting in those awful cups (that the staff never seems to change the water in). I know she kept him in a 20 gallon that was cycled and did water changes monthly (?). Not too sure on details beyond that. She does have a gravel vac and I showed her how to use it, so I think she has been getting the gunk out.
I should see if my friend can get some Indian almond leaves, but I don’t know if anywhere near us carries them. He seems to be healing up well with just the daily water changes and methylene blue dips, so I didn’t think she needed to use salt or the leaves, but maybe that would be a good idea?

 

[Autumnsky]

Maybe Epsom after the treatments. It is a healing mineral. There can be more than one way to heal up a fish. It is in my experiences an excellent tool for restoring health. Very clean water is key though.

She will need to do more frequent pwc than 2x per month I think.

My recommendation further is to VERY gently rinse the substrate either in the entirety or with gentle but thorough vac'ing in hopes to remove excess build up. But not destroy the BB. If there is some left.

She could be feeding the BB some food in the tank once or 2 times a week as well unless a med which kills off BB was used IN the tank.

 

[King Fisher]

I Agree..... Epsom or even aquarium salt helps heal fins. I think for future care, weekly 40-50% water changes would make a world of difference. In smaller tanks there really is no reason to not change a good amount of water weekly.

 

[Autumnsky]

My understanding is aquarium salt assists in creating a slime coat. Also FW fish must have some salt in their bodies, which I understand can come from the tank water in normal osmosis.

Epsom "salt" is actually magnesium sulfate and there are some studies showing it's positive effects on skin (human) / it is needed in the body (again - I am not the science major here), good for muscles and said to help aid in stress relief.

It is used for a number of things including keeping fish tank water chemistry buffered and aiding in plant health in aquariums and in the garden, and numerous fish have been helped with bloat and other ailments, I think it helps with the fish osmosis, maybe to help get it back in order which helps the fish be able to heal. Not positive on that. But would recommend a try.

Hoping all goes well! Healthier food than simply pellets I think also helpful.

 

[King Fisher]

I don't disagree with Epsom salt. Although, I've really only used it for constipation because it's a natural laxative. Aquarium salt has been a common standard for onset stages of fin rot and fin injury in freshwater fish. I've had success with both.

 

[DreaminginBlue]

Yeah, she’s been feeding him frozen bloodworms and brine shrimp, no pellets. She refuses to give him pellets because she thinks they’re unhealthy for him.
I don’t know if she has any Epsom salts, but I can ask her tomorrow. How would she does those?
I’ll also pass on that she should vacuum the gravel and change the water more.

 

[King Fisher]

A varied diet is what keeps fish from having intestinal problems. So feeding the same thing every day usually isn't good. At the least, she should feed him a veggie based pellet food a couple times a week as betta are omnivores.

The dose for Epsom salt, Autumnsky might have a different method, for me is 1 TEAspoon per 5 gallons of water. Then after a 3-4 days up the dosage to 2 TEAspoons per 5 gallons of water. In more severe cases you can add 1 TEAspoon per gallon of water.

When she vacuums the gravel tell her to lightly vacuum the surface of the gravel. Don't go deep into it or it can cause a bacterial bloom in her tank.

My personal recommendation is changing 50% of the water every 3 days until the betta is doing better then 50% water change once a week. Never letting the tank go longer than a week without a water change.

 

[Autumnsky]

My dose for Epsom Salt for treating illness is a bit higher.

Similar in the getting the fish used to the ES. Gradually adding it in.

And IF the lower amount initially seems to be good then you might not need the ramped up /higher amount.


Initially 1 teaspoon per gallon when treating illness.

Then changing over after a couple days to and also gradually 1 tablespoon per gallon for serious conditions where you might end up losing the fish. I usually would run that amount for 7-10 days, then reducing down to 1 tsp per gallon. For another week or 10 days.

If it seems the fish is good in the initial 1 Tablespoon treatment, I would still do the extra week of the 1 teaspoon. Then for a time the 1 tablespoon per 5G just helps keep a little extra security that is a very low amount in 5G.

Your situation seems to be getting better, the lower level amount would be fine of the 1 teaspoon per gallon.

Just provided the extra amount in treatment info for future needs of yourself or other readers in a similar situation.

My usual method is ES measured into a container (plastic cup - trenta starbucks cup and lid) super hot water and mixed about half way up cup, plenty of mixing room, stir or can swirl with the lid on until basically dissolved.

Then do the pwc

Either the mixture has cooled on its own or you can add cool water for tank temp. Add a drop of Prime. The rest is fine at room temp.

Add 1/4 of mixture into the tank. It is not a huge deal if some fine crystalized particles go in. Then about every 8 hours I add in the next 1/4 portion.

The mix can be calculated to make an amount for a premixed solution.

Say you know you will be changing 1G of water every day or time - half cup of concentrate in 32/33 ounce bottle will be about 8 portions of concentrate.

To make it easier I use a re-labeled big plastic drinking water bottle or gallon size, depends on how much concentrate you need if it was a bigger water change.

Inked with Sharpie lines for each amount/portion when using a smaller water bottle, larger gallon would be pour out how much you need in a pre-marked cup.

Don't forget to treat water ES concentrate with Prime.