Who Gives A Fish Forums

Hi, I set up a 30L Walstad-style tank a couple months ago for my short-fin betta Jellybean. It's got no filter, but lots of plants, and I've been keeping an eye on the water parameters since it's my first tank like this. Everything's been going great, except yesterday I noticed some chunks missing from Jellybean's fins. She had a chunk missing from her tail when I bought her, but I'm pretty sure the others are new.

She's alone in the tank, except for some snails that came with the plants, and five cherry shrimp I added about a week ago. I tested the water today and everything seems fine - 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, 0 nitrates.

I've attached some photos of Jellybean from when I bought her and from today, so you can see what's going on.

When I bought her, she looked like this:



Today, she looks like this:



I'm worried she might be biting her fins or have fin rot, but I don't know much about either, so I'm not sure. What do you think? Should I be concerned? If so, what should I do? Any advice would be great, thanks in advance!

My fish have had similar fin damage before and it usually heals on its own. Just keep a close eye on it to make sure it doesn't get infected or cause more damage. It should heal over time, give it a week or two to fully recover. If you notice any further damage or signs of rot, then we can discuss further action.

To help the healing process, you can try using pure salt - no additives - one to two tablespoons per five gallons of water. I always have some API salt on hand for situations like this. I think there's a salt usage guide on this forum, I can try to find it for you. This treatment is similar to what you'd use for fin rot, but I don't think that's what's going on here. The salt will just help keep the wound clean and promote healing.

My gudgeons sometimes get little cuts like that and stuff on their fins. Keep a close eye on it to make sure it doesn't start to rot away or cause any more damage. It should just heal back over time. Give it a week or so for it to heal up fully but if you see any further damage and rotting you should come back to see what to do.

Thanks so much for the advice, I really appreciate it. I'll definitely start treating the water with salt right away - I'll make sure to add it slowly and carefully to avoid stressing Jellybean out. I'll also keep a close eye on her fins to see how they're healing, and if I notice anything getting worse, I'll be sure to come back and ask for further advice.