Betta Tail Rot?

[ViPz]

I've had my betta for three weeks and today noticed his tail looks a bit shredded, what can it be and how do I sort it?
He's quite happy swimming around, there was a live plant which was dying slowly which I have removed today.
Please check out the before and after pics to see how his tail has deteriorated .

 

[LyndaB]

If you have any plastic plants or decor in the tank that may have sharp edges, remove it.

Are you keeping up with regular water changes? What are your readings?

 

[ViPz]

If you have any plastic plants or decor in the tank that may have sharp edges, remove it.

Are you keeping up with regular water changes? What are your readings?

Hi

My readings are ammonia 0,
Nitrate 70
Nitrite 0
GH 250
Kh 270
pH 8.0

I live in an area with very hard water, could this be a cause ?

 

[maxwellag]

Hi

My readings are ammonia 0,
Nitrate 70
Nitrite 0
GH 250
Kh 270
pH 8.0

I live in an area with very hard water, could this be a cause ?

Do a water change. Your nitrates are pretty high. This may be stressing the betta out. Sometimes bettas lose their color when stressed. It's fins might be shredded because it was stressed and got its tail caught on something. Were his fins like that when you got him, or did they get worse?

 

[ViPz]

Do a water change. Your nitrates are pretty high. This may be stressing the betta out. Sometimes bettas lose their color when stressed. It's fins might be shredded because it was stressed and got its tail caught on something. Were his fins like that when you got him, or did they get worse?

He was perfect when I got him, over the past three days this has happened, after I did my first major water change.
I've clipped all the plastic plants as teu were a bit rigid, only soft silk plants remain now,

Could it be the water hardness? Or maybe I should do more water changes? Please advise !!!!!

 

[absolutangel04]

Yes, that does look like fin rot.
Despite the cause, the treatment is that same. Do a big pwc (70%) today and another one tomorrow. Try to keep your nitrates under 20ppm. 70ppm nitrates is quite high. Clean water does a lot for healing fin rot. Hopefully that will be enough. You can also try adding a bit of salt to the water, or if seems to get worse despite the clean water, you can try some betafix.
Start with the water changes though and try to get those nitrates down. Let us know how it goes.

 

[ViPz]

Yes, that does look like fin rot.
Despite the cause, the treatment is that same. Do a big pwc (70%) today and another one tomorrow. Try to keep your nitrates under 20ppm. 70ppm nitrates is quite high. Clean water does a lot for healing fin rot. Hopefully that will be enough. You can also try adding a bit of salt to the water, or if seems to get worse despite the clean water, you can try some betafix.
Start with the water changes though and try to get those nitrates down. Let us know how it goes.

Hey,

Thanks a lot! At least I Have an idea of what the problem is now,

Will keep you posted

 

[ViPz]

Yes, that does look like fin rot.
Despite the cause, the treatment is that same. Do a big pwc (70%) today and another one tomorrow. Try to keep your nitrates under 20ppm. 70ppm nitrates is quite high. Clean water does a lot for healing fin rot. Hopefully that will be enough. You can also try adding a bit of salt to the water, or if seems to get worse despite the clean water, you can try some betafix.
Start with the water changes though and try to get those nitrates down. Let us know how it goes.

Hi there, have kept up with water changes and added aquarium salt but he still got worse, I have bought some Melafix ( same as Betamix) and his fins seem a little stronger now and not as brittle looking after a few days of use, hopefully he will get there, thanks very much for your help and advice!

 

[absolutangel04]

Make sure not to use a full dose of melafix. It is the same thing as betafix, but the variety for bettas has been diluted. Some labyrinth breathers have a really bad reaction to it. I am glad to hear he doing better though. If you did give give him a full dose of melafix, make sure to keep what I said in mind for the future.