Whats going on with Valentinos fins

[bellasia]

What size is your tank? 5 gallons
What temperature is your tank? 80
Does your tank have a filter? yes
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? no
Is your tank heated? yes
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? alone

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? nls pellets
How often do you feed your betta fish? twice a day

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? once a week
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? 25%
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? api stresscoat and vitachem

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

Ammonia:0
Nitrite:0
Nitrate:10
pH:7.6
Hardness:250
Alkalinity:

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? tears in fins
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? no change
When did you start noticing the symptoms? about 2 weeks
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? more frequent water changes
Does your fish have any history of being ill? no
How old is your fish (approximately)? had him a month

Hi

Have had Valentino just over a month and have noticed that his fins seem to have tears in them, there were also some red spots but they seem to have gone. Water parameters are fine i put sponge over filter intake and out as well as he was always going over there and removed his cave to be on the safe side. What do you think is going on? am upping water changes hes eating and active will post some before and after pics

[bettabetter]

Wel the tears are most likely just fin rot, and there is alot of posts about fin rot on this forum, and tons of people that can help you with that :) just search a post about fin rot and how to treat it, or get someone to help you who knows a bit more (like a mod, or bronze member even). the red spots may have been ammonia poison, but your ammonia seems fine now and you did say they are gone, so that good :)

[LebronTheBetta]

A little bit of tail biting on his caudal fin, but that shouldn't count with the other fins; he couldn't possibly reach. Do you have any plastic plants in with him? Rocks, other caves, etc.?

[callistra]

It looks like you're doing a good job..

Did you fishless cycle before adding your fish? Your water parameters look good, but if you were doing only 25% weekly water changes the whole month he would have been subjected to a lot of ammonia and nitrite during cycling.. And that could have accounted for the condition initially.

Has the sponge always been over the intake or just recently?

I would increase water changes to 50% weekly with siphon.. it looks like you have a few plants. Just siphon around them and not disturb them.

How many NLS are you feeding?

[bellasia]

Originally Posted by LebronTheBetta

A little bit of tail biting on his caudal fin, but that shouldn't count with the other fins; he couldn't possibly reach. Do you have any plastic plants in with him? Rocks, other caves, etc.?

Hi Thanx For Replying

A live plant and a silk plant i did remove his cave as i was worried it could have been the cause i have small gravel but it cant be that, hes always going over to the filter but apart from that cant think what else could be causing this.

[bellasia]

Originally Posted by callistra

It looks like you're doing a good job..

Did you fishless cycle before adding your fish? Your water parameters look good, but if you were doing only 25% weekly water changes the whole month he would have been subjected to a lot of ammonia and nitrite during cycling.. And that could have accounted for the condition initially.

Has the sponge always been over the intake or just recently?

I would increase water changes to 50% weekly with siphon.. it looks like you have a few plants. Just siphon around them and not disturb them.

How many NLS are you feeding?

Hi Thanx for replying
My tank was already cycled when i added him , when i started to notice the tears i decided to put the sponge over the intake, i give him 3 pellets am and 3 pellets in the evenin and fast him on Sunday.

[bellasia]

Originally Posted by bettabetter

Wel the tears are most likely just fin rot, and there is alot of posts about fin rot on this forum, and tons of people that can help you with that :) just search a post about fin rot and how to treat it, or get someone to help you who knows a bit more (like a mod, or bronze member even). the red spots may have been ammonia poison, but your ammonia seems fine now and you did say they are gone, so that good :)

Thanx

[callistra]

I think you're doing well with him.. I'm not sure why they are not improving. I would maybe just try increasing water changes to 50% once a week or maybe even twice a week and see if the pick up will help.

[bellasia]

Originally Posted by callistra

I think you're doing well with him.. I'm not sure why they are not improving. I would maybe just try increasing water changes to 50% once a week or maybe even twice a week and see if the pick up will help.

Thanx Callistra i will increase the water changes to 50 %, im already doing twice a week but only 25% hopefully that will help. His fins were so beautiful when i got him just baffled as to what happened

[callistra]

He looks like he might be biting too. But the vitachem and the stress coat should help with that.