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Fin rot or just a tear?

3K views 66 replies 10 participants last post by  scurrie11 
#1 ·
Hi there, I just moved into my own apartment and brought all my fish with me.

I have a 5 gallon divided tank with 2 bettas. One is a CT and the other is a VT. My crowntail wasn't showing any signs of fin rot at all before we left. His fins were long and beautiful with no tears at all.

Now that we're all settled in our apartment, I realized that he has a big ol rip down the middle of his tail and the fringies around the rip are fraying. He looks like someone pulled them off, but there there also looks like a needle prick hole around the area too. He doesn't sit still so I can, in no way, get a picture. He still flares, still swims EVERYWHERE, still is really active, loves to eat bloodworms from my hand, loves to beg, is still his usual self, he just has that tear and breakage. He also hasn't faded or anything. I'm not sure if it could be finrot or just a tear. Can the temperature affect their fins? I know they are sensitive to temperature. I accidentally left my second 100w heater at home so I won't be able to get that for another week. Their temp is staying within 75-77, I know, that is low, but I really can't do anything about it right this second. The water quality in my tank is:

pH: I think about a 7.8, maybe 8 (test kit colors all look the same) Is this too high?
Amm: .15ppm I know, it should be zero, and it was before we moved. I took the way more than half of their original water with me, so I only did about a 45% water change when we moved.
Nitrite: .15ppm Again, I know, it should be zero, I'm only wondering if this could cause one betta to have problems and not the other.
Nitrate: 5.0 ppm

I think it might be my water quality. I will preform a water change today and see what happens. They have a little bit of everything in their tank so I'm assuming its trying to finish up the cycle and I interrupted it by moving and stressed Bleu out.

I have a filter on the tank set to the lowest setting. The water I use IS city water but I add API's Stress Coat water conditioner. I add aquarium salt every once in a while.

I would love it if someone could give me their advice and what they think could be going on.
 
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#2 ·
First off that tank is slightly overstocked some live plants will help with the Nitrate do you have any hiding spots if both have the damage fin rot salt bath will help if one it is nipping I recommend live food and decorations.
 
#3 ·
I really don't think the tank is overstocked, I do a water change every 4th day and test on those days as well. I have plenty of hiding places, no one nips, only one has a little damage, I feed them frozen bloodworms and brine shrimp, and I have decorations.

I don't want to do live plants because I use salt and the plants can't withstand the salt, also I don't want to have to deal with them if they don't have enough carbon dioxide, etc.
 
#4 ·
Neither one is showing signs of sickness at all, thats why I THINK it might be just a tear from one of the plants, so I took that one out, its a little bit prickly for their delicate fins.

I did 40% water change, added a teaspoon of aquarium salt, dropped in 3 drops of melafix and we'll see what happens.

And yes, I know melafix is too strong of a concentration for bettas, I don't use the same amount and I dilute it in separate water, then put it in there.
 
#5 ·
Put peace lilies in the filter you do not need to worry about CO2 if you want some advice Java fern can live in brackish and freshwater aquarium salt does not really seem like a problem to the plants seem like the Bettas are less tolerant of it with all those Nitrates way too high that will encourage algae Marimo like salt they like abit of aquarium salt.
 
#9 ·
PETA considers 5gals a minimum, but overstocked doesn't refer to the amount of fish in a tank it refers to the bioload.
Goblin is as happy as can be, and is in a 2.5 heated. A 5 gal divided gives each fish 2.5 gallons which is sufficient for bettas. :)
 
#11 ·
The reason why my water parameters are funky right now is because of the move. It's happening with my other tank as well. They were both perfectly cycled before and then I had to change a lot of water and now they're trying to get back to normal. You don't normally see all three, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate all spike at the same time. So I think in a few days it should settle, with a few warm water changes, a little salt, and some sweet lovin' they should be ok, right? I'm gonna get my heater soon. I forgot it in my hermit crab tank. (I have the heater in a vase with a bubbler to keep the humidity up, thats beside the point) and I don't need the heater in there anymore, I meant to grab it. I guess I expected it to stay a little warmer up here in Maine for a little longer. I try not to use the heater in the summer because their water gets up to 85 and stays there for the most part. Right now I'm using my hood lamp as a heater, it heats the water to about 77 and once I get my Aqueon up here, I'll plop that in, and they'll be super toasty :]

ChoclateBetta, I don't know what you mean when you say my nitrates are too high, they are at a pretty good level right now...And the fact that I have nitrates indicates that my cycle is trying to fix itself. Why would I want a plant to get rid of my nitrates when they're only at 5ppm? I don't have any room in the filter to put a peace lily...
 
#13 ·
I'm sorry......nitrates, last thing on the cycle, should always be present in a tank, 5.0 is pretty much the lowest you can have it and still have it be beneficial. They shouldn't go above 20ppm, thats when they are slightly harmful...I think you might be getting your nitrite mixed up with your nitrate :p

VERY true about them getting depressed when their tank buddy is removed. When I separated them for the move, both were freaking out and looking for each other. When I put one in the tank, he was SEARCHING for the other. They do flare, but not all the time. Like, maybe once every couple of hours or something. They do like to look at each other. I feel like they have little competitions with each other, see who's prettier, etc :p

ChoclateBetta, to each his own. I chose to put them in a 5 gallon so I could bring them to school with me. I would say that it is much better than the dinky cup they were in for a long time. It has a filter, I do partial water changes often. I don't really think that a 5 is too small when many people prefer to keep them in 1 gallons with no filter.

I realize my parameters are not exceptional right now, but I know exactly why that is. It's not because it is overstocked, it's because I shocked the tank with the move and now it's all confused. I'm hoping it will level out with a few small water changes over the next week. I've had this tank set up for a while now, it's not new.
 
#16 ·
I'm not trying to get rid of the nitrates...I want them in there to help break down the ammonia and the nitrites...Exactly what aokashi said, if I didn't do water changes, then I would get plants. But I really don't want to buy a bunch of live plants and have to deal with them too. I'd rather do small water changes. Thank you for that input though.
 
#17 ·
Did you just call me a he.....

Now I'm insulted.... :p

ChoclateBetta, this tank has been set up for months now, the original cycle has already happened. If you actually took time to read my posts, you'd see that the problem is that I just moved and had to add and take out a lot of the original water. THAT is why my parameters are funky. I think I've said that 3 times now... All three toxins are present in my tank. That only happens when the tank is shocked or when the tank is finishing up a cycle. Since my cycle happened months ago, the toxins are weird because I shocked the tank with a lot of new water. The bacteria and toxins from their original water was added so that I didn't have to do a fishless cycle when I moved. There wasn't any possible way for me to re-cycle an entire tank and move my fish and everything. So I did what I could.
 
#18 ·
I'm not going to argue about this anymore. The nitrates are not even a problem right now. I know what to do for him and I'll post about what happens in a week or so. I gotta go feed him, he's giving me those darn betta begging eyes... :p
 
#19 · (Edited)
Cycling is a process where bacteria takes ammonia, and turns it into nitrites.
then another type of bacteria turns nitrites into nitrates.
Nothing gets rid of nitrates so water changes are performed.

nitrates are no where as toxic as nitrite or ammonia. there may be up to 20-40 parts per million of nitrates in the water before a water change is performed.

OPs tank right now shows 5 (five ) ppm of nitrates which is very safe

OP's tank had already been cycled before the move, which means the bacteria is present. however she may have some die off in the move and hence the cycle is now not so stable. Her cycle is now re establishing and she is doing water changes, not so much to lower nitrates, but rather thw ammonia and nitrite levels.

I myself am a big plants fan, but many people keep fish using purely the nitrogen cycle and water changes to keep tank water safe :) I'm not familiar with books on the matter. So I cant recommend you any but it's a fascinatig topic to look up if you have time
 
#21 ·
I think you're thinking of ammonia or nitrites LOL
Ammonia is toxic in small amounts Nitrite is not as dangerous but still deadly Nitrate in large amounts is deadly.
 
#22 ·
Exactly, thank you. I really do know this stuff, this is what I go to school for. Marine biology is what I do best, and I have been keeping fish all my life. I have to explain the nitrogen cycle to someone on a daily basis, I work at Petco as an aquatics specialist and you'd be surprised how many people don't even know what nitrites are...

I might do plants in the near future, would prevent their tails from getting snagged. I also don't want to deal with algae and a lot of the times, plants from pet stores have freshwater snails and I DO NOT want to be killing snails everyday. For now I'll stick with my water changes, a little easier for a broke, busy college kid :p
 
#23 ·
Let's just keep this plain friendly guys! ChoclateBetta, let it drop. The tank is not overstocked so just stop...
Scurrie, sorry for the... Confusion. If the fins keep getting smaller, then you should treat. But not yet, wait for it to happen. Just do a 50%-75% change and then the day after tomorrow you should do another one just to ensure no infection. Since the moving messed up your cycle, try to keep the ammonia and nitrite close to 0ppm as close as possible.
 
#24 · (Edited by Moderator)
There aren't that many 2.5 gallon tanks out there, so my own suggestion is anything over 3 gallons. It also gives a little wiggle room for gravel and plants. That being said, I have kept fish just as well in 1 gallon tanks, and so have many of the members of this forums. In the end, it's all up to you.

Fish do not get happy. They do not have the emotions that humans assign to them. They can be healthy, excited, agitated, hungry.. but happy and sad are human concepts. If a fish is healthy, active, responsive to stimuli, eating and pooping, this is as close to happy as a fish can get. We, as their caretakers, have to watch their water, make sure it is safe for them, and as long as it is, they will be healthy. You can keep a betta healthy in a 5 gallon tank, or a 1 gallon bowl, whatever you are comfortable with, as long as you give them the proper care.

Sometimes we need to keep our bellybuttons under our shirts, cause those things can be really ugly...
 
#25 ·
Thank you Lebron, I'll keep a close eye on him. I'm gonna do small water changes for the next couple of days and test to see whats going on. It should level out soon. Thank you for your help :]

Okay ChoclateBetta, I would appreciate it if you would stop adding your input. I never asked for you to insult me about my job. I am actually making a huge impact on the way my Petco treats their fish, but thank you. If you have never worked there or tried to change the way they treat fish, then I don't really appreciate you insulting me and my efforts. The whole REASON I got a job there was so that I could change the way their animals were treated.
 
#28 ·
Thank you Lebron, I'll keep a close eye on him. I'm gonna do small water changes for the next couple of days and test to see whats going on. It should level out soon. Thank you for your help :]
No problem, just watch out for anything serious and you're fine. I suggest you leave this thread, it's getting out of hand and you're doing just fine!
 
#31 ·
Okay, I just removed about half of this thread. Hopefully it's okay now.

Please, everyone, stop arguing about tank size, and nitrates. 5ppm nitrates? A betta can't even feel that.

Thank you,
Olympia.
 
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