HELP! Male Double Tale Betta fin rot? With Pics!

[sheldanggg]

I've purchased my beautiful double tail betta (Spark) on December 23, 2012 and kept him in a 1/2 gallon tank until January 15, 2013. Since then, he's been in a 6 gallon tank with a filter and heater. and he has 3 other tank mates. (1 ghost shrimp and 2 african dwarf frogs). On January 30th, i noticed his tails looked very different. meaning, his tails started to look "spikey" as what i could best describe it. also to mention, he started to appear very pale. I observed him for a day and noticed that it was progressing. so immediately, i did a 100% water change, added water conditioner and removed his tank mates. It's been 3 days since the water change, and his tails doesn't seem like it's getting worse. but then i noticed that he has a red horizontal line on the base of his bottom tail.

Here are a few pictures:

(When I first got him)



(When I started noticing 1/30/13)




(natural lighting 2/4/13)

(2/4/13)

(2/4/13 noticing the red horizontal line on his body at base of his bottom tail)

It really pains me to see spark in this condition. and if anyone know what is going on, please help. though he looks like this, he's still a very active and friendly fish.. always roaming around the aquarium, looking for his tank mates. every time i come near the aquarium, he comes and greets me and likes to play "follow the finger". during feeding time, he eats really fast. i alternate wardley betta pellets food color intensifier. (usually i need to crush them into smaller pieces because they're too big. and majority of the time, i feed him nutrafin max betta color enhancing flakes that came with his 1/2 gallon tank (he likes this 100xs better). I feed him once in the morning and once at night. I recently purchased frozen blood worms and i've been wondering how about to feed it to him. With the fin rot situation, what can i do to help spark without purchasing any medication, etc. is it possible to just do water changes? if so, how should i do water changes and how often. and does anyone know what that red horizontal line is?


In short, my questions are:
1) I want to confirm if Spark really does have fin rot.
2) Is it possible to treat and cure fin rot without medication?
3) Can water changes cure fin rot? if so:
a) how should i clean the water? (ie: 20% water changes? 50%?)
b) how often should i clean the water? (ie: every 3 days? every week?)
4) My water conditioner is API Stress coat+. it states that it makes tap water safe and protects fish. In the directions, it says to double the dose to replace slime coat and to repair damaged skin and fins. would this help with the fin rot?
5) Is it necessary to separate my frogs and shrimp from spark even though he has fin rot? can i just put them back in with him?
6) Does anyone know what that red horizontal line is?
7) How do i feed Spark the frozen blood worms?

Please, i need answers. if you know anything to any of my questions (it doesn't need to be all of them) please help.

Thank you in advanced.

[veggiegirl]

Hey there,

I was just wondering are you referring to sparks dorsal fin (the one on his back) or the top lobe of his caudal fin (tail)?.

It is difficult to say for sure if he has fin rot, are you noticing more of his fin breaking away every day or every second day? Does he have any red streaks or spots on his damage fin that isn't just his colouring, sometimes a red dust like colouring appears on the fins. Does he have any black edges to his fins. Are you noticing new splits, holes or pieces of fin missing?

Does his tank have any plastic plants in it or maybe decorations that contain sharp edges or points in which he can tear his fins on, how does he get on with his tank mates do you ever see them following his or nipping at his fins?

Now I will try to answer some of your questions.....

1. Until you answer some of the above questions I cannot confirm for sure whether it is or is not fin rot.
2. Depends on the type of fin rot, some aggressive forms must be treated with suitable medication in order to have any hope of saving the fish, it is common with these strains of fin rot that the fins are eaten rapidly away within a matter of a few days. Other forms of fin rot are less aggressive and may be cured with constant water changes.
3. In some cases yes
a) I would recommend placing spark in a 1-2.5 gallon tank for treatment as it will make things a lot easier, the tank must be large enough though to have a heater in it. In which case do 100% water changes.....
b) every 2-3 days
4. I would double the dose of the conditioner as it won't hurt your boy and may help
5. I would keep him separate from his tank mates in a 1-2.5 gallon bowl until he has recovered.
6. I cannot be sure about his red stripe, he is a marble so colour change (sometimes dramatically so) is quite normal and so the red stripe may just be his colouring otherwise he may have injured himself on something in which clean water and stress coat is the best option. A disease called septicemia does often have red streaks through the fins and body as a common symptom however your boy sounds too happy to have this.
7. Bloodworms are not so good for bettas or fish in general. Fish cannot digest the casing of the worms and this can lead to problems. For this reason bloodworms should only ever be fed as a very occasional treat and never as a regular part of the diet. If you do feed bloodworms break a tiny bit off the frozen square and allow to thaw, rinse and then drop a couple in his tank.

I hope that was of some help, if you could answer some of my questions above it might help to diagnose him. Goodluck

[Luimeril]

i'd bet my amethyst that someone's snacking on his fins. x: either himself, or i've heard of ghost shrimp doing it. doesn't look like rot to me, no black or red edges that aren't natural coloration.