Just got my first finned friend about 6 days ago for my 10-gallon tank. It was fully cycled beforehand, with a low flow filter and a heater at 26°c. I did notice some rips on his fins initially, but I thought it was nothing major, assuming he'd already recovered from finrot due to the lack of discoloration.
However, over the past 3 days, I've seen his caudal and pelvic fins get pretty badly ripped and now they're twisted. He's still swimming fine and eating, but I'm worried it might be finrot or a water issue?
I did a 50-60% water change and removed any tank decorations that could be causing the fin damage 2 days ago, and followed up with an additional 20-30% change today. My daily water checks have been showing:
Nitrate: 20 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
pH: 7
KH: 80
GH: 60
These readings have been consistent since I got him. If this is finrot, I've heard aquarium salt helps sterilize the water and promotes new growth. Is that true?
Fin rot in my new betta
Re: Fin rot in my new betta
I just realized I didn't share the before pic of my fin_tank, so I'm adding that now - the first one I posted is how he looks currently, but the second one is from 6 days ago when I first brought him home.
Re: Fin rot in my new betta
I'd be happy to answer your questions about my fin_tank.
The tank is 10 gallons, and yes it's got a heater set to 26°c. I've also got a low flow filter in there. The current isn't too strong, I'd say it's pretty gentle. The tank was fully cycled before I added my fin_tank, so that's not an issue.
I've been changing water pretty regularly - I did a 50-60% change 2 days ago and then another 20-30% change today. I also vacuum the substrate whenever I change water. I use a De Chlorinator to remove chlorine and chloramines from the tap water. Speaking of which, I use tap water for my tank.
I've got a water test kit, and my latest readings are: Nitrate - 20 ppm, Nitrite - 0 ppm, pH - 7, KH - 80, GH - 60. I don't have readings for ammonia, but I'll make sure to test for that next time.
When I clean the tank, I siphon out any debris from the substrate, and then replace the old water with fresh, dechlorinated water. I've been feeding my fin_tank a varied diet, but I'm not sure if I'm feeding him too much or too little - I'll try to provide more details on that later.
He's been alone in the tank since I got him, so no tank mates to worry about. I've only had him for 6 days, so I'm not aware of any history of illness. There were some tank decorations, but I removed them 2 days ago when I noticed his fins were ripped.
I've already attached photos of my fin_tank, including one from when I first got him and one from now.
The tank is 10 gallons, and yes it's got a heater set to 26°c. I've also got a low flow filter in there. The current isn't too strong, I'd say it's pretty gentle. The tank was fully cycled before I added my fin_tank, so that's not an issue.
I've been changing water pretty regularly - I did a 50-60% change 2 days ago and then another 20-30% change today. I also vacuum the substrate whenever I change water. I use a De Chlorinator to remove chlorine and chloramines from the tap water. Speaking of which, I use tap water for my tank.
I've got a water test kit, and my latest readings are: Nitrate - 20 ppm, Nitrite - 0 ppm, pH - 7, KH - 80, GH - 60. I don't have readings for ammonia, but I'll make sure to test for that next time.
When I clean the tank, I siphon out any debris from the substrate, and then replace the old water with fresh, dechlorinated water. I've been feeding my fin_tank a varied diet, but I'm not sure if I'm feeding him too much or too little - I'll try to provide more details on that later.
He's been alone in the tank since I got him, so no tank mates to worry about. I've only had him for 6 days, so I'm not aware of any history of illness. There were some tank decorations, but I removed them 2 days ago when I noticed his fins were ripped.
I've already attached photos of my fin_tank, including one from when I first got him and one from now.
Re: Fin rot in my new betta
I think I can offer some insight into your situation, oceanist. Clamped or twisted fins are often a sign of a protozoan or bacterial infection. I'd recommend trying a more aggressive water change schedule - 75% each day for a week, and make sure to gravel clean the substrate daily as well.
Increasing the temperature to 30C for a couple of weeks might also help, as high temperatures can kill off protozoan parasites. Just keep a close eye on your fish during this time to make sure it's not stressing him out.
If you don't see any improvement after trying these methods, you might want to consider using a broad spectrum fish medication. However, I'd suggest trying the water changes and temperature increase first before resorting to medication.
Increasing the temperature to 30C for a couple of weeks might also help, as high temperatures can kill off protozoan parasites. Just keep a close eye on your fish during this time to make sure it's not stressing him out.
If you don't see any improvement after trying these methods, you might want to consider using a broad spectrum fish medication. However, I'd suggest trying the water changes and temperature increase first before resorting to medication.