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Is it safe to move my betta out of his QT tank?

910 views 8 replies 3 participants last post by  Leopardfire 
#1 ·
My HM betta Comet got severe fin rot about 2 weeks ago which took half his tail in a single day. I treated him for in a 1.5 gallon tank with bottled water for 10 days with salt and did 100% changes daily. His tail soon started showing clear regrowth which has now started to darken as it gets filled in with color.
It's been 4 days since the salt treatment ended, but he is still in bottled water with 100% water changes and stress coat daily. I am also adding a 1/2 dose of bettafix to prevent the fin rot from coming back.

When can I move him back to his temporary 5 gallon tank? I am starting to cycle his 20 gallon, but it won't be ready for at least 6 weeks. (Maybe longer since I keep messing things up.) My tap water has about 1ppm ammonia in it, and even though ammo chips can lower the ammonia to about .20-.15 ppm, they can't get rid of it completely. If I put him into the 5 gallon, I'm scared that the poor water quality will cause the fin rot to return. Bottled water is expensive though and using that with daily water changes for 2 months is a lot of work. Will the fin rot come back if I move him
 
#2 ·
I just went and looked at him and the tip of his tail is looking ragged again! What should I do? I can't treat with salt anymore. I really need help!
 
#4 ·
There's a chance it could be tail biting, but I don't know how you can tell. His tail doesn't look blackened around the edges but there's some tatters in the bottom. If it tail biting, how should I treat that?
 
#5 ·
If there's no black edges it could very well be tail biting. Treatment is based on the reason he's biting. It could be boredom, or it could be stress. If it's boredom, giving him more things to play with and look at in his tank could provide the stimulation he needs. If it's stress, make sure he's not bothered by filter current, temp, or too much light.

There is a third possibility, which I have experienced with my own fish. For whatever reason, sometimes they decide their tails are too heavy and hack them off. Of course it's my show quality males :roll: I would rule out the other possible reasons first before settling on this one though.
 
#6 ·
I'm pretty sure it's biting. His anal fin has a u shape taken out of it and so does his tail. It could be from boredom since he's in a 1.5 gallon QT with nothing to look at. Do you think it's safe to move him to a normal cage though, especially with cuts in his tail from biting?
 
#8 ·
Yep, that U shape is what my tail biters make too. I think it's safe to move him, as long as there's nothing sharp or rough in the tank. Since he's probably doing it to himself I wouldn't be too paranoid about the decor hurting him though. If you have one handy, try putting a ping pong ball in with him. I know some bettas love to play with them and push them around. Go ahead and keep using the stress coat, since these bites are fresh. I would ditch the bettafix, it tends to cause more problems than is solves in the long run. Keep an eye out for signs of infection as well.
 
#7 ·
You should stop using the Bettafix or anything with the word fix in it has tree oil in it and can harm the organ that Bettas breath air with the labyrinth lung. I think I would move him back and keep and good eye on him and see how he does. Good luck !
 
#9 ·
I think I will move him to the 5 gallon, but use bottled water so his fins don't get infected. Do you think 50% water changes weekly and ammo chips will be enough?
 
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