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Help! Rescued a betta, fin rot?

564 views 2 replies 3 participants last post by  LittleBlueFishlets 
#1 · (Edited)
Help please, I recently rescued a male veiltale betta from my girlfriend's sister, it was recently bought a week ago and it was kept in the tiny cup that it came in. I noticed that the water was cloudy and that the betta was barely moving.

Appalled at the neglect, I decided to take it home and care for it myself, I am pretty new to raising bettas but I have been doing a bit of research. I went out and moved it from the tiny cup it came in and currently have it in a 1/2 gallon tank, doing a 50% change every other day, feeding it 2 pellets in the morning and flakes at night. I looks much more livelier now but I am concerned about its condition.

Even though it is more livelier I noticed that its fins are discoloring as well as looking shriveled, I googled the symptoms and seems that my betta might possibly have fin rot? I notice that it also has a light coating of dust or something of that nature over its body. But I am not really sure so I am unsure how to treat this. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Also I am aware that a 1/2 tank is too TOOO small for a betta, I am planning on getting a 2.5 gallon tank with a filter, heater, as well as java moss and a small castle/cave for my betta to hide in over the weekend.

Housing
What size is your tank?
1/2 gallon tank
What temperature is your tank?
room temp
Does your tank have a filter?
no
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration?
no
Is your tank heated?
no
What tank mates does your betta fish live with?
none

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

How often do you perform a water change?
every other day
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change?
50%
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change?
Betta Conditioner

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed?
Discoloration in fin
How has your betta fish's behavior changed?
More livelier but not sure if its a good thing
When did you start noticing the symptoms?
5/2/13 4pm
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how?
Not yet, looking to get aquarium salt perhaps
Does your fish have any history of being ill?
Nope
How old is your fish (approximately)?
The betta was bought at petco 2 weeks ago

Here are some pictures:

 
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#2 ·
I suggest getting a larger tank, the minimum should be 2 gallons and the best cure for the mild fin rot is a heater. Also i suggest only feeding him pellets cos flakes can cause swim bladder disorder.
And discoloration could be because of stress.
And if you dont have a bigger tank for the time being, storage containers work really well as temporary tanks, or permanent. They are also cheaper then normal fish tanks.
 
#3 ·
Hi! Good for you for trying to give this guy a better life! :)

1) Fin rot:
Most cases of fin rot can be treated with just lots of warm, clean water. I know that you're planning on upgrading his tank, so that's good. In the meantime, I would increase the water changes on his 0.5 gal tank. Either do 50% every day, or 100% every other day..... And once he's in the larger, heated tank, that should really help clear up any rot.

(After he's in the 2.5 gal, heated tank -- if the rot persists, then you could consider using some aquarium salt. The sodium in it puts stress on the kidneys though, so don't use it in high concentrations or for more than about 10 days.)

b) "Dusting" - I can't really see this in the photos....
Can you see the "dusting" clearly, even when the lights in the room are on? What color is it?.....
Turn the lights off, and view him with a flashlight. Does the "dust" look gold?

Gold colored dust visible with a flashlight can indicate a condition called "velvet."

If it's a white colored "dust" - is it "fuzzy" or more spotted? Can you get a better picture of it? I
 
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