Are microworms linked to ventral fin deformities in betta fry?

[flumon]

I've come across info saying microworms can cause betta fry to lose their ventral fins - is there any truth to this?

[coltin]

No. It's not the food that causes them to lose their ventral fins. If fish fry don't develop fins properly, it's usually due to a genetic issue rather than their diet.

[flumon]

No. It's not the food that causes them to lose their ventral fins. If fish fry don't develop fins properly, it's usually due to a genetic issue rather than their diet.

I can use them for feeding then.

[coltin]

Assuming the fry are a decent size, you can definitely use them as a food source.

[earthie_9]

I have to disagree with you, coltin. I've personally experienced issues with microworms causing missing pelvic fins in my betta fry. It was my mistake, really - I wasn't cleaning up after each feeding, and the leftover microworms rotting at the bottom of the tank caused the pelvic fin buds to "burn" off. Not all the fry were affected, but most of them were. Some have only one pelvic fin, some have none, and a few have stubby little fins.

It's not genetic, both parents have perfectly functional pelvic fins, and another batch from the same father but different mother have perfect fins. I've heard of this happening before, and I'll link to a relevant article: https://bettaboy.wordpress.com/2017/08/ ... flake-fin/. This male had 2 stunted pelvic fins.

Some of my fry have no pelvic fins at all. This female has one perfectly normal fin. Meanwhile, her brother from the same parents has 2 perfect fins.

[goldminer]

I agree with earthie_9, it's not genetic, but rather down to water quality. Poor water conditions can cause fin deformities, especially in sensitive fish like betta fry. I've seen it before, and it's not just about micro worms, but also about how well you maintain the tank.

[flumon]

I must respectfully disagree with coltin. I've had a firsthand experience where micro worms caused my betta fry to lose their pelvic fins. I wasn't diligent about cleaning up after each feeding, and the leftover micro worms rotting at the bottom of the tank seemed to have 'burned off' the pelvic fin buds. Not all the fry were affected, but most of them were - some had one pelvic fin, others had none, and a few had stunted fins.

It's not a genetic issue; both parents have perfectly formed pelvic fins, and another batch from the same father but different mother also have perfect fins. I've come across this issue before and found a relevant link: https://bettaboy.wordpress.com/2017/08/ ... flake-fin/. This male had 2 stunted pelvic fins.

I had a female with one perfectly normal fin, while her brother from a different mother had 2 perfect fins. As for your question, I started feeding my fry micro worms when they were around the same age as yours - about a month old. However, I would advise you to exercise caution and ensure you clean up after each feeding to avoid any potential issues.

[earthie_9]

I started feeding micro worms a few days after they were free swimming. One month old is a good age, they can handle micro worms but they really should be on something more substantial. To be honest, micro worms aren't that nutritious so try to get them on baby brine shrimp or something similar as soon as you can.

[earthie_9]

It's the sinking action of micro worms that's the issue - they drop to the bottom of the tank, and that's where the betta fry will be searching for them. Trouble is, the bottom of the tank's where you'll find higher concentrations of ammonia and other nasties from rotting food. And that's what seems to be causing the damage to their forming pelvic fins.

I mean, if it was the micro worms themselves, you'd expect to see problems with the other fins too. But that's not what I've seen. My other fins are fine.

Feeding live BBS seems to avoid this issue altogether. I'm not saying micro worms are the problem - it's what happens when they rot, like I said before. And I've been using them for ages with no problems in my betta, cichlid, danio and live bearer spawns.