OK, I have a male VT, 5g tank, sponge filter, no live plants, temp 78-80F, I've had him over a year, no tank mates, Prime, NLS/omega one/frozen (main diet) & occasionally bloodworms/brine shrimp/daphnia, no illness history, last water test on Friday - ammonia .25, 0 nitrites/nitrates. So back on March 1st his 10g planted fully cycled tank leaked & I came home from work to find him trapped inside one of his cave with barely enough water to cover him, I have no idea how long he was trapped but I'm sure it was for hours. I put him into a Tupperware bowl & floated it in my 46g tank. Next day bought & set up the 5g he's currently in. I noticed mild fin rot went with Aq salt & lots of water changes since this 5g was now fish IN cycling. Fast forward to now - his tail fin is almost completely gone & its only on his tail fin (for now)! I have done Aq salt, Kanaplex (multiple times & currently), metro (if I remember correctly), maracyn & maracyn 2 (2 rounds back to back), general cure & water changes at a minimum of 3 times a week (usually more because the tank REFUSES to complete cycling). What else is there I can do? Its been 4 months now & I'm at a loss. He eats & is his normal self.
Ok........ That is a lot of medication. He is probably building an immune system up against most if not all of those! Can you get a picture? Are you sure he is not tail biting? Tail biting can open it up to getting infections, which then clean water at this point may be your best bet.
The tank refuses to cycle? How many water changes and how big of water changes do you do? What kind of filter / cartridge, ornaments, plants, etc, do you have?
You have my sympathies. Odysseus also suffers from persistent fin rot. Like you, I've done rounds of meds, frequent water changes, getting rid of plastic plants, etc...
From what I understand, there are bettas who suffer from chronic rot and shredding no matter what you do. If he seems happy and active, I suppose he could be one of those.
You might try putting your tap water through a Brita filter before to condition it and add it to the tank. This has helped Odysseus immensely -- it doesn't stop the fin rot but it does seem to make him healthier, which may boost his immune system.
The sticky on common diseases in this forum suggests API Triple Sulfa. If you've medicated him in the last week or two you might want to give him some time off meds, as they are very hard on the internal organs. I've been trying that on Odysseus this week since he's had another flare-up...it did seem stop the receding somewhat. Just an idea.
Just wanted to add: nitrates can poison your fish, so I hope you are doing frequent water changes to keep their level down.
I hope this helps! I know how frustrating this process is!
I know its a lot of meds but they haven't been constant for the last 4 months, I've taken breaks hoping clean water would do the trick but it didn't. I went 2-3 wks with nothing but water changes, it got worse. He is not tail biting, he's never been a tail biter (I know they can start, I have one with heavy fins that recently started tail biting) & after the tank leak he clearly had black edges, sometimes very thick black edges. I've cycled 5 other tanks; 46g, 3 10g & a 5.5g so I have some experience with the fish IN cycle. I tested daily, did water changes when ammonia or nitrites were >.25, sometimes daily, sometimes every other day, it just depended on my test results. I even tried lessening my water change frequency & just dosing Prime thinking the water changes were keeping him stressed as he's taken to hiding during water changes & stays hidden for quite some time afterwards. The meds were NOT simultaneous & as I previously stated there were breaks in between most, days to a week or so. There are only silk plants & one cave from his previous tank. The filter is a purchased sponge filter the same brand & size that's in my 5.5g, its rated for a 10g. All my 10g & smaller tanks have the same brand, but different sized sponge filters, even the 10g started at the same time also with only fake plants which has completely cycled.
Did I answer everything? Hopefully. It'll be difficult to get a pic but I'll do my best & post it tomorrow when I'm on actual computer.
@northernlights I've always been told by experienced aquarists that nitrAtes are not harmful if kept less than 20 while others say less than 40. Mine at their highest, in any of my tanks, was maybe 10 but normally they barely register.
EDIT: Water change size averages 50%, more if ammonia or nitrites required it. I do at least 50% in all of my tanks. I use buckets for the smaller tanks so Prime is dosed in the bucket before its added to the tank.
Well, if it was mild fin rot I may think the same way but I'm concerned it will continue & eventually turn into body rot. Fin rot is not healthy so, I'm going to keep trying things to get it to stop.
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