Betta EMERGENCY!!

[jaisea]

So I have this beautiful betta fish my boyfriend and I share. His name is Gandalf and he is so cute and just beautiful but over the past months we've had him he keeps getting fin rot!

Everytime we think he's just gotten through one by the next few days he'll have it again and I've been following the instructions on the medicine box (maracyn) but it keeps coming back! Gandalf used to have such beautiful almost halfmoon fins! Now he's all tattered and practically finless cos of fin rot!

I've been cleaning his tank religiously but nothing seems to help. I've tried cleaning with soap, with out soap, adding aquarium salt the whole shebang!

Please please please help me. I've owned bettas since late HS and have never come across fin rot this horrible and persistent!
I'd like to save him ASAP from all of it but nothing I'm doing seems to be helping. :(

Gandalf, although he looks beat and tattered is still quite healthy and swimming. He greets me everytime I come visit him but his fins are just ruined! :(

Someone please get back to me asap!

Thanks in advance.

[Luimeril]

you sure it's fin rot, and he's not tail biting? what size tank does he live in? does it look like chunks missing?

[lvandert]

It might not be fin rot. Fin rot litterally looks like the fin rots away with blackened edges. If his tail just looks like he's missing a few pieces here and there thats tail biting. Which just means he's not happy about something, weather it be a plant is upsetting him or something as silly as a rock in the wrong place. I'm starting to wonder if some bettas are obsessive compulsive...

[acadialover]

whaaat ? ARe you saying that fin rot always has dark edges ? So if the fins are frayed looking and maybe a little opaque at the edges it is biting ?

[lvandert]

yeah...its hard to see until you really see it for yourself. This is a good showing of fin rot, a split and new growth. http://thegab.org/Articles/images/Di...inrotBetta.jpg
the rot, as you can see is the darkened area on his fins. The new growth is almost clear and then a split/tear is just a split/tear. and this is tail biting http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=68216

it can lead to fin rot though. I hope this helped!

[Laki]

HM's are known for biting their tails. (I know, they just don't appreciate their own beauty)
However, split-bit fins can rot if they have bad water. Since you've been cleaning the water and medicating it I highly suspect it's tail nomming.
Can you show us pics??

[Luimeril]

fin rot often has black or red edges. but, that's only on the very edges. sometimes, though, red dragons have a black edge to their fins, so it's a little confusing. x-x

tail biting looks like chunks missing. fin rot is the whole fin disappearing. :B pictures help more than just describing.

[Aus]

Cleaning your tank with soap is really not a great idea.. soap residue is hard to get off and can make your fish really sick.

I sympathise with your persistent fin rot issue, one of my boys has had ongoing problems with it from biting his fins, despite treatment and pristine water. My other two are just fine.

But as the other poster said, some clear pics would really help in id'ing whether he's biting or not.

[Laki]

I would opt for indian almond leaves over "pristine" water. IAL is naturally in the waters where bettas come from (I know these guys are domesticated pets but it has proven to be highly beneficial in speeding recovery and growth in fins). It tans the water which aids the process. I always keep a few ial in the water, Ludendorff (avatar pic) nommed off his tail and it started re-growth in just 2 days.
A lot of pet stores sell concentrate "blackwater extract" which does the same thing but ial bought form ebay is more real. :) Just my 2 cents. I love that stuff so much!