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Major Fin Rot? - help request!!

150 views 1 reply 2 participants last post by  RussellTheShihTzu 
#1 ·
Housing:
How many gallons is your tank?
I am currently cycling a 10gl for him (fishless), but his temp home /QT tank is about 1gl.

Does it have a filter?
not his QT

Does it have a heater?
Yes but i'm not sure if it works very well - its a 10 watt but it doesn't help too much!

What temperature is your tank?
currently its 79, and depending on the weather (i dont have control over my apt.'s temperature since the tenants above me have the thermostat control in their place) its usually between 76-79 (but i had a bad case of temp fluctuation from a heater i was using before the cheap 10 watt i have now)

Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration?
no

Does your Betta have tank mates? What kind?
none - hes my only.

Food:
What food brand do you use?
bettabits i think its called.

Do you feed flakes or pellets?
pellets

Freeze-dried?
no

How often do you feed your Betta? How much?
daily about 3-5 pellets since they're on the smaller side compared to other brands. fast day every so often.

Maintenance:
Before your Betta became ill how often did you perform a water change?
25-50% every other day. picked out any waste whenever i saw some, and did at least one 100% water change and tank scrub every week.

What percentage of water did you change?
25-50%, now i do 100% every day for his treatment

Do you vacuum the substrate or just dip out water?
no substrate right now.

What additives do you use?
none besides stresscoat and AQ salt for his fin rot.

Water Parameters:
What are your water parameters? Please give exact numbers. If tested by pet store please get exact numbers. "Fine" or "Safe" won't help us help you.

Ammonia: (0 ) i test to make sure since he's in an unfiltered tank! ^
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH:
Hardness (GH):
Alkalinity (KH):

Symptoms and Treatment:
When did you first notice the symptoms?

about 3 weeks ago i noticed some slight fraying on his fins. i am new to owning fish and i didn't realize what it was until it had progressed and i began freaking out. i had just got him from the pet store at that time too!

i was keeping up with daily water changes at this point and his rips weren't really noticeable, no changes in behavior and plenty of bubble nests!

about 2 weeks ago i left for a vacation i had planned a few months back and i left my betta with a friend that assured me they were great with fish. yea... they weren't. i came back and his fins were all ripped!! i was furious withmy friend and devastated that all my hard work in keeping him healthy was basically gone. i went to 3 fish stores (we dont have many in my town and they're far apart) and they suggested melafix and bettafix and/or to just "buy a new fish" (outrageous!), but thankfully i googled everything first and saw that these were really harsh products so i didnt use them or buy them!

How has your Betta’s appearance changed?
yes!!! his fins are so short compared to what they used to be and im really scared for his health.

How has your Betta’s behavior changed?
he's a bit lethargic compared to his usual bouncy self, he's VERY docile for a betta so im not always sure how hes feeling, but he always perks up when i come to the tank to feed him or just hang around his bowl.

Is your Betta still eating?
yes!! healthy appetite.

Have you started treating your Betta? If so, how?
yes, i use 1-1.25 teaspoons of AQ and just begun using stresscoat since i have to do so many big water changes. i was told by a fish store rep that i should only put 1/2 a teaspoon, so he was on that for about 5 days and nothing was happening, so i searched online and i saw needed to up the dose, so hes been on the 1 teaspoon dosage for 2-3 days now, and i might stop because i heard its bad to use AQ salt for more than 7-10 days! (is this true and what should i do!!)

Does your Betta have any history of being ill?
not that i know of, he seemed healthy when i got him (for a pet store fish that is).

How long have you owned your Betta? Was he or she a rescue?
owned him since around mid December


please help!! i dont know what to look for, if he's getting better or not, and should i continue with his treatment?

pic on the left is current, pic on the right is before i left him at my friends place.
 

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#2 ·
That's fin biting.

If he were mine I would stop the fishless cycling and get him in that 10 ASAP. I would follow this tutorial and do a fish-in cycle. I've been doing fish-in for 40-someting years and haven't harmed a Betta yet. If do them right fish-in cycles are perfectly safe and humane. You will need a bottle of Seachem Prime. I use Seachem Stability to jump-start cycling but that's optional.

http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=555434

Do not use AS for more than 7-10 days; that is correct.

Fin biting: There is no definitive "cause." Two pretty common denominators seem to be a tank that is too bright and one that is sparsely planted. Both of these lead to stress in shade and cover-loving fish.

I prefer live plants but some are okay with silk and plastic as long as there are no rough edges. Anubias are good as you can float them so he has shady spots to rest near the surface.

Hope this helps.
 
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