You have got to be kidding!

[adadkins1]

So, my betta has been recovering from a mild case of fin rot for a couple weeks. I just put in a filter in order to keep his tank cleaner. Well, as I was doing weekly water changes, I noticed his anal fin was looking a bit tattered at the end. This is the first signs he has show, and it is not even on the fins that were effected during the first case. I know that antibiotics like what I used (Maracyn 2) become less and less effective in a tank the more you use them; not to mention produce nasty strains of antibiotic resistant bacteria. So what should I do?

By the way, I am leaving tomorrow afternoon to camp and won't be back until Sunday evening.

 

[Vircomore]

Can you provide a link to the filter you added?

Also, what size tank is this?

Anything else living in the tank?

If you can get pictures of the Betta or of the tank and especially the decorations - that would help us narrow it down.

It may not be fin rot - he might of damaged it on a decoration or in the filter - or both (getting blown by the filter into a sharp object). Or could be agression from something else in the tank.

 

[adadkins1]

He lives alone in a 5.5 gallon planted aquarium. I am running an underpowered filter, but it was a deal and I knew it wouldn't blow him around. Since it is planted and the rocks are all basically smooth, I don't think he would have torn it on anything in the tank. What do you think? I will get a picture up in a second.

 

[adadkins1]

Here is a picture of his tank and his fins. Disregard his caudal fin, that was damaged during the first case of fin rot. At the end of the anal fin, not real easy to get a picture of, you can see where it looks to be torn a bit. I am almost certain that it is fin rot, because it looks EXACTLY the same as the first time. There are multiple tears along with the edges starting to deteriorate.

 

[adadkins1]

Just did a test, ammonia and nitrites were both zero, so I know it has not been caused by water quality problems.

 

[mudraker]

Sometimes fish will continue to sluice off dead tissue from fin rot for a long, long time.

I am assuming you are now keeping up with PWC and will do a nice big one before you go to camp and another when you get back

Fin rot is caused by unclean water and is cured with clean water.

 

[adadkins1]

Yes, I have been keeping his water very clean. I know about the whole clean water being the problem but I can't buy completely into that since this is almost like a relapse. He had been fine and then literally overnight this showed up. I just put a heater in, because I saw that too low of a water temperature could cause it. The temp had been staying in the low-mid 70's, but now I have a heater in there pre-set to 78. Hopefully this will help.

Sorry if I seem a little short, I am about to go nuts between this along with diatoms and algae.

 

[adadkins1]

Update: Woke up this morning and it doesn't look like there are any new tears. However, there is a small bit of fungus(?) on one of the messed up rays. I don't want to be annoying, I just want to stop its progress before I leave this evening. Should I add salt to the water, or just do some 50% PWC's and see how that works. Last thing I want is to come home to a betta missing a complete fin...or worse.

 

[adadkins1]

Yipee! Came in today and checked on my betta. The fin rot has stopped/disappeared, and he is happy as can be. Thanks for the help.