Who Gives A Fish Forums

I just got home and my beautiful Elephant Ear Betta, Raj, has one pectoral fin stuck to his side - it's literally plastered there, but he can still move the lower part. The rest of his fins are fine, and he's eating like normal, no visible issues. He's in a heated 16-litre planted tank with 2 Bumble Bee Gobies and a golden mystery snail. I do regular 20% water changes and condition with Prime and a bit of salt. The Gobies are only 2 days old in the tank, so I'm worried about parasites, but they look healthy.

I did a water change and bumped the temp to 26°C, and he seemed a bit better. Now I'm not sure what to do next - treat for parasites or try a mild salt bath with some ascorbic acid? I've had limited success with clamped fins on Bettas at work, but they were usually too far gone. This just started today, so I want to catch it early. I don't think it's stress from the new tankmates, they're peaceful and he seems fine around them. I chose them for their calm nature and bottom-dwelling habits.

Any suggestions would be great, I want to stop this before it gets worse.

*update*

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this, but it seems the fin issue with Raj has somehow resolved itself. I'm talking, what, a day later? That water change I did must've done the trick, or so it appears. I'm not counting my chickens just yet, though - I'll be keeping a really close eye on him for the next week to make sure this isn't just a temporary reprieve. I'll get my water tested tomorrow, just in case something's amiss. I'm not holding my breath, but you never know, right?

I've heard that Bumble Bee Gobies can be quite particular about their food, is that your experience with them so far?

I've seen clamped fins in bettas before, and more often than not, it's down to an injury of some sort. Given how quickly Raj's fin improved after the water change, I'm inclined to think that's what happened here. One possibility that springs to mind is that one of the Bumble Bee Gobies might have taken a nip at his fin - I've never kept them myself, but I've seen them at my LFS and they do look like lovely little fish. Maybe they're a bit more feisty than they seem, who knows?

My Bumble Bee Gobies aren't picky eaters at all, they're doing great so far.

It is pretty odd that only one of Raj's fins was clamped, and there's no visible damage, so I highly doubt the gobies nipped at it. They're just too adorable, with the sweetest little personalities - I'm absolutely loving them.

I'll keep you all updated if this happens again in the next few days, but hopefully, it's just a one-time thing and we're good to go.

It's still possible that a goby might have grabbed the fin without taking a chunk, causing the betta to react like that. Just keep an eye on them, it may have been a mistake on the gobies' part. Their eyesight might not be that great, and the betta's curiosity could have led him to get a bit too close and flap his fins too near. Would love to see a pic of all of them together.

I'm still a bit concerned about Raj's fin, it seems to be clamping and unclamping throughout the day, with one section looking a bit stiff. I really hope it's just a minor issue caused by the gobies, I'd hate for it to be something more serious. I've uploaded a couple of photos of the tank, including Raj's fin, so you can see what's going on.

Photo 1 shows how the darker part of his fin looks like it's stuck to his body, but it does occasionally come apart. He seems to prefer keeping it close to his side, though.

Photo 2 is just a shot of the tank, with the snail and one of the gobies in the background. You can see how much diatom algae is growing - it's everywhere! I was hoping to get a better photo of the goby, but it didn't come close enough.

I've also been noticing that Raj paces back and forth at the front of the tank for ages, even after I've fed him. He's such a fussy eater, won't even touch bloodworms if they're too big. I'm not sure if this is normal behaviour for a betta, though. Is it common for them to pace like this, or is Raj just being his usual demanding self?

Also is it normal for a Betta to pace back and forth at the front of the tank for ages?

Yeah, I've heard of this before - it's called glass surfing, apparently. From what I've read, it's pretty common and he should settle down in a few days or weeks, fingers crossed. I've also been thinking that maybe the tank is a bit too bare for him, it's pretty open and bright in there. Maybe I need to add some more plants, including some floating ones to give him some cover and make him feel more at ease.

He's such a sweetheart. The glass surfing is pretty normal, and I'm sure he'll calm down a bit once he gets more settled in. Adding some floating plants will definitely help with the lighting, but I've noticed bettas tend to do this more when they see you nearby - they're always on the lookout for food.

I'm still learning about normal Betta behaviour, but it seems like Raj's pacing is just his way of saying 'Hey, human, feed me already.' I've heard from others that Bettas can be quite demanding like that. I guess it's just part of their charm, and I'm already hooked. I can see how people end up with multiple tanks - it's hard to resist those adorable faces.