yet another fin rot thread (pic heavy)

[nerobella]

Another long one, heh.

Okay, so while i was at work today, my mom went out and bought a couple more betta fish for her and my cousin because she thought they were pretty, even though i just got done attaining a couple of sick betta fish the other night. So now we have a 4 betta household. I knew the two i had originally rescued were sick seeing as how they had little to no finnage, but these guys look like they have issues too. And me being the uneducated owner that i am, am trying to figure out what's up with these guys. So i'm just a little irritated but i can't bring myself to return them to their tiny dirty cups or get mad at my mom, she knows even less about fish than i do. She thought the critter keepers were ideal homes *rolls eyes*

There's two, a dark bue veiltail (i think) named Sean, and a dark blue/mostly maroon veiltail named Rex. Shaun has very spiky incomplete looking fins and I'm not sure if it's fin rot or fin nipping, seeing as how before last night Ive never dealt with either condition. I know black edges is a sign of rot, but he's so dark i can't tell if there's black or not.

Rex looks a little healthier, but his fins are sort of raggedy and fraying slightly around the edges. Now, he has a few black spots around the edges, but i can't really tell if it's his coloring or if it's rot.

Both fish are lively, swimming around in their critter keepers she bought for them (i'm going to get two 5gal tanks w/accessories to divide, two fish to a tank, on friday). They're eating fine, don't seem to have any issues except for the aesthetics. But i'd like to know how i can help, if i can at all, before it gets to the point that they start to suffer.

Please don't be mean/rude, both me and now my mother are learning as we go along.

I circled the areas in the pictures that concern me, well the pictures of Rex anyways. Shaun's problem is pretty straight forward and easy to see. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Shaun:







Rex:

[Laki]

What size are the critter keepers? I keep a medium one on hand, I think they're great environments if water changes are kept up on (twice a week)

I wouldn't divide the 5 gallon until you know both fish are healthy and disease free. It seems they could use some aquarium salt treatments first. Pre mix 1 tsp of salt into 1 gallon of water (make sure all the salt is dissolved) and acclimate them to this treatment. Change this solution every day for 10 days (that's 10 days of making new salt water mixes). After 10 days keep them off it for 7 and see how they improve.

I say the raggedy fins are a result from improper water in the store and un-frequent changes. The salt will prevent infection. Make sure there are no plastic plants or rough ragged decorations for them to shred their tails on. There is not much to do for fin nippers except provide an ideal environment, clean and warm and provide stimulation (moving plants around every few days) and exercise (mirror for two minute intervals twice a day)

So all you need to worry about now is keeping their water clean and WARM and giving them the aquarium salt treatment.

[nerobella]

Originally Posted by Laki

What size are the critter keepers? I keep a medium one on hand, I think they're great environments if water changes are kept up on (twice a week)

I wouldn't divide the 5 gallon until you know both fish are healthy and disease free. It seems they could use some aquarium salt treatments first. Pre mix 1 tsp of salt into 1 gallon of water (make sure all the salt is dissolved) and acclimate them to this treatment. Change this solution every day for 10 days (that's 10 days of making new salt water mixes). After 10 days keep them off it for 7 and see how they improve.

I say the raggedy fins are a result from improper water in the store and un-frequent changes. The salt will prevent infection. Make sure there are no plastic plants or rough ragged decorations for them to shred their tails on. There is not much to do for fin nippers except provide an ideal environment, clean and warm and provide stimulation (moving plants around every few days) and exercise (mirror for two minute intervals twice a day)

So all you need to worry about now is keeping their water clean and WARM and giving them the aquarium salt treatment.

I plan on making sure everybody is healthy before i move them at all. But yeah, they were, unfortunately, a victim of the 'betta in a vase' fad. Just like my other two finless rescues. But luckily they got out of that cold dirty water before they got that bad. So the salts are coming on Friday as well, right now the keepers they're in are the small ones meant for a single hermit crab, a little bigger than maybe a half a gallon to one gallon? Too small. They're the same size as the vases they came in pretty much.

But right now all they have in their containers, and the same goes for my other two, is a smooth 8w heater meant for a 1/2gal betta cube type deal, a floaty glass thermometer, and some gravel. I started my other two on tetracycline to ensure that their health issues get addressed, so that took all of my money for now. But i get paid friday and plan on getting everything i need to make everyone healthy and happy.

Iv'e gotten four unexpected bettas in the past two days, aside from them being unhealthy at the moment i'm excited. i haven't had a betta in a very long time.

[Laki]

Sounds like you have it under control :) It's unfortunate that these ended up in your care so unexpectedly :/ They're in a new great home.
Yea, clean the kritter keepers out every two or three days when not on salt.

[nerobella]

well i'm having another issue with one of my finless fish and i'm at a complete loss. i have another thread about it, but nobody has adressed it quite yet.

when i woke up this morning he wasn't moving and was just floating on his side at the top of the tank, breathing softly (gills were slowly fluttering). I thought he was dead until i looked very closely and saw slight gill movement. i gently transported him to a large bowl with his small heater and 1 1/2in of water and did a 25% water change so it didn't shock him, thinking maybe it was the tetracycline i had him on (he had fin rot so bad he has virtually no fin left except one of his tiny ones by the gills). when i got home from work 5 hours later he was upright, but all day long he's just been floating at the top of the water, breathing very softly. If he gets startled he'll wriggle a little bit, but nothing substantial. and once or twice and hour he'll float to the bottom of the water, but he always comes back to the top for a few more hours. But i also noticed that one of his gills is slightly swollen, it doesn't close like the other one does. is there anything i can do for that?

[sainthogan]

Floating sideways is usually a sign of a swim bladder issue. The best way to treat that is with epsom salt and warm water (you've already got that down). This is the information given to me on how to do an epsom salt treatment:

"Premix the treatment water in a 1gal jug of dechlorinated water-Add Epsom salt 3tsp/gal and a tannin source-either IAL or dried Oak leaf. Let this steep for 30min and use this for 25% water changes every 15min for 1 hour today. This will get him properly acclimated and start the 10-14 day treatment.
Tomorrow-using the premixed treatment water make 50% daily water changes.
If you used a tannin source the water in the jug should look darker each day and this is what you want."

I was told to float my fish in a small container in his tank, but since yours is already in a small container, I think you can just follow those directions without putting him in something separate. I was also told that if that didn't work I could use 1tsp/gal of epsom salt long term safely.

Oldfishlady is the person who gave me my information, she's a super moderator on here with loads and load of experience. She likes to try natural treatments first rather than medication. You can private message her and she will do her best to help her. Another good source here is Sakura8 - also a super moderator - and you can private message her as well.

[nerobella]

Originally Posted by sainthogan

Floating sideways is usually a sign of a swim bladder issue. The best way to treat that is with epsom salt and warm water (you've already got that down). This is the information given to me on how to do an epsom salt treatment:

"Premix the treatment water in a 1gal jug of dechlorinated water-Add Epsom salt 3tsp/gal and a tannin source-either IAL or dried Oak leaf. Let this steep for 30min and use this for 25% water changes every 15min for 1 hour today. This will get him properly acclimated and start the 10-14 day treatment.
Tomorrow-using the premixed treatment water make 50% daily water changes.
If you used a tannin source the water in the jug should look darker each day and this is what you want."

I was told to float my fish in a small container in his tank, but since yours is already in a small container, I think you can just follow those directions without putting him in something separate. I was also told that if that didn't work I could use 1tsp/gal of epsom salt long term safely.

Oldfishlady is the person who gave me my information, she's a super moderator on here with loads and load of experience. She likes to try natural treatments first rather than medication. You can private message her and she will do her best to help her. Another good source here is Sakura8 - also a super moderator - and you can private message her as well.

well thank you very much, i really appreciate the advice. today he seems to be doing better, but his gill is still sort of swollen so i think i'm going to still do the epsom salt just to be sure everything's okay. Then by friday i'll have the aq. salt so i hope he makes a full recovery <3

But it's amazing, yesterday he seemed dead today he's swimming around all on his own :] not an overly huge amount but every few minutes he'll swim an inch or two, then go back to just hanging out at the surface (no more sideways floating!)

He still won't eat, but i'm going to try blood worms here in a minute and see if maybe he just doesn't like the flakes/pellets. (i'm changing his water in an hour or so, so right now I'm not worried about food mess.)

thank you everybody for helping me with my pretty boys :D