is something wrong with fins?

[LuvMyBetta21]

The other day I noticed my betta's fins look knotted (for lack of a better word). The ends look like they're knotted in a ball at the tips. I'm not sure if it's fin rot or maybe something else. He's my first fish so I don't know much about signs of diseases. As far as decor in his tank there are 2 ornaments for hiding and silk plants. I filled out the questionere and posted pics below it.

Housing
What size is your tank? 5.5 gal
What temperature is your tank? 78-80
Does your tank have a filter? yes
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? don't think so
Is your tank heated? yes
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? none

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? aqueon pellets
How often do you feed your betta fish? 2-3 pellets daily

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? once weekly
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? approx 50%
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? aqueon betta bowl plus

Water Parameters: had water tested at Petsmart
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?

Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH:
Hardness:
Alkalinity:

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? slightly
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? no
When did you start noticing the symptoms? a couple days ago
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how?
Does your fish have any history of being ill? no
How old is your fish (approximately)? not sure. I got him christmas eve from Petsmart.

This is the first day I brought him home(christmas eve). (the plastic plant was only there for a few days until I put him in his bigger tank)


Yesterday:

[eatmice2010]

can you post a pic of him?

[Ezzie]

My bettas fins did exactly the same, hes also a red betta as well
I asked my local aquarium guy about it and showed him photos and he said it isnt rot but some kind of deformity.
He still has the "balls" to this day and hes 100% healthy, so i wouldnt worry about it too much, it gives him character!

[LuvMyBetta21]

Originally Posted by Ezzie

My bettas fins did exactly the same, hes also a red betta as well
I asked my local aquarium guy about it and showed him photos and he said it isnt rot but some kind of deformity.
He still has the "balls" to this day and hes 100% healthy, so i wouldnt worry about it too much, it gives him character!

Oh good! I'm glad to know he's not sick. He's been acting normal and looks healthy to me. I thought it might've been the filter but it's not. The intake isn't strong enough to bother.

[callistra]

Sorry to disagree but those fins are either torn on something in the tank or it's rot. The graying I would tend to think is rot anyway but the high splits means he either tore them flaring or tore them on something in the tank.

Use women's panty hose to thoroughly drag through everything in your tank (take the stuff out.. don't stuff panty hose in your tank..) and if it snags at all that can snag your betta's fins.

I would always put a prefilter on any hob as well: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...efilter+sponge

[LuvMyBetta21]

Originally Posted by callistra

Sorry to disagree but those fins are either torn on something in the tank or it's rot. The graying I would tend to think is rot anyway but the high splits means he either tore them flaring or tore them on something in the tank.

Use women's panty hose to thoroughly drag through everything in your tank (take the stuff out.. don't stuff panty hose in your tank..) and if it snags at all that can snag your betta's fins.

I would always put a prefilter on any hob as well: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...efilter+sponge

I will check everything in the tank for anything sharp he could've torn his fins on. Also I do have a prefilter on my hob filter. How do I treat for rot if that's what it is?

[callistra]

The sticky treatment #1 talks about how to treat with aquarium salt. I would use that method, but definitely check for things that are snagging. I think something specific must be up to cause those splits. does he flare a lot?

[LuvMyBetta21]

Originally Posted by callistra

The sticky treatment #1 talks about how to treat with aquarium salt. I would use that method, but definitely check for things that are snagging. I think something specific must be up to cause those splits. does he flare a lot?

He was flaring up alot when I first transferred him to from the 1 gal to the 5.5 gal. But it was due to the background we had up. He was fine was we removed it.
But I think I found the culprit. His favorite silk plant didn't pass the panty hose test. If I can't find him he's hanging out in that plant. He even likes sleeping on it. So I'm guessing that's why the splits are so bad. I just removed it.
Should I still treat with aquarium salt just in case? Or should I use stress coat to see if that helps repair his fins first?

[shellieca]

Just make sure to do your regular water changes & he should be fine.

[LuvMyBetta21]

His fins today...Signs of improvement??



Leonard midflare...He doesn't like the camera too much hahaha