Does my Betta have Fin rot?

[GillieMays]

I got my Betta from Petsmart and have a heater in his tank and appears as if the parameters are fine, I've had done a water change but have noticed his tail is a bit tattered. I don't know if it's a Veiltail Mix or if it's just cosmetic damage, here's a look.

[Oldfishlady]

Welcome to the forum...

Its hard to tell by the pic, could you get another one with the areas in question...Also, complete this info sheet and add-the more info we have the better...

http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/b...ons-you-49233/

[GillieMays]

Here's what information I have, thank you.
Housing
-2 Gallon Tank (actually around 1.8)
-The outside stick themometer it is 86 when I have my 7.5 watt heater on but 80 when it's off (However I see the themometer as highly unreliable I'll get a new one soon, I feel my heater makes it too hot regardles though)
-No air stones
-No tank mates
Food
-Feed him small pellets once a day, he hasn't eaten much
Maintnecne
-Have peformed one water change since I got him on Monday and will do another one tomorrow on Friday
-I change around 40%
Parameters
- I am unaware of the parameters.
Symptoms
- His tails have become more tattered but appears as if he had some tatter when I first got him looking at the last of the pictures that will follow (it's the first I took)
-Ever since I started using the heater he has been less active, hanging out at the top. Infact when I got home today around 3, I had left his heater on and in and he was so motionless when I got home it scared me but he is moving again.
-I noticed them because they were very apparent

I am not home right now but I have provided a link to bigger pictures of the ones I posted, however they're the same I can get you different ones in a bit if needed. Thank you so much Here are the pictures: http://imgur.com/a/Vr5HB

[Laki]

The preset heaters can be unreliable and actually fluctuate in such sharp increments that it puts the betta into shock. So, either leave it on or leave it off until you return it.

Like OFL said, it is kind of hard to see if he is just in a resting position or if his tail is stuck like that. Can you show him a mirror and see if he flares?

[GillieMays]

I'll keep it off till I get another, here is some shots of him moving hopefully they'll help, and I showed him a mirror and he didn't flare but he did have a reaction. http://imgur.com/a/RQmNT The bottoms ones are ones of him swimming.

[Laki]

Come to see those clearer pics, he does have pretty tattered fins. This could be from the store. Warm, clean water should mend those. Moniter him everyday for signs of change, improvement, worsening.

[GillieMays]

Does it appear to be fin rot or just tattered fins? I'll do a water change tomorrow, but my heater makes his tank too warm and puts him in worse shape than without it. I'll get a proper one by sunday, is that too late? Another thing is that a bit of his food has gone uneaten and fallen in his gravel but I don't have a vaccum, would it hurt to wash his uncycled tank gravel? How would I go about that? Thank you so much for your help.

[Laki]

I cannot tell if it's rot because his fins and the lighting on the pic is too dark. You can tell if it's rot if the edges are red, black or not re-growing after at least a week. I know for the dark blue and black tails, this is really hard to see but for now just treat him for tattered fins. Watch for re-growth (which is clear) and then proceed with a report.

If the heater is malfunctioning and heating it too much, don't put it on at all. Just try to make the tank as warm as possible until Sunday when you can get a better one. It's better for him to be cold for a few days than to risk baking him! He might not eat as much food if the water is cold and you might not see any tail regrowth until the new heater is set up. As tropical fish, they kind of slow down in cold water.

A 1$ turkey baster would be your best friend here!! I am still yet to buy a real aq vac, I siphon gravel with a turkey baster! lol A lot of people do and this has sparked ZooMed to market a turkey baster as a betta bowl cleaner -_-" .. SO if you have one in your house and it's clean you can use that, or go to the dollar store and pick one up.

*** Either way, the uneaten food needs to come out because fallen food rots in the water, causing ammonia and nitrites to rise and that is what causes tattered fins and fin rot. You dont need to wash his gravel, you could just remove him, get some of his water in a separate cup, put all his gravel in the tank water and rinse it then put it back (not the water) and that would = a water change and clean gravel without killing BB.