Fin rot?

[Shayebri]

I am a new betta mom. My sister got her betta back in February, a Halfmoon Male. His fins are getting really weird, and after a lot of research, I would say he has fin rot, but I'm not sure.


Sorry for the size!



Whatever this is, could someone tell me how to treat it? Here is his info:

Housing
What size is your tank? 2 gal
What temperature is your tank? Around 74
Does your tank have a filter? Yes
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? Not sure
Is your tank heated? Not sure
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? None

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? Freeze dried bloodworms (I know thats not good for them, I told her to stop, gonna tell her again.)
How often do you feed your betta fish? 6 days a week

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? Once a week, I think
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? Not sure
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? Not sure, I don't think any.

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

Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH:
Hardness:
Alkalinity:

She doesn't have a water tester, I've been telling her to buy one.

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? Fins splitting and getting smaller. If I look close I can see tiny black dots on his tail fin. (Sorry if thats not what its called. All I know is anal fin and dorsal fin.)
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? N/A
When did you start noticing the symptoms? A long time ago, but she said it was "nothing to worry about", but I have read more now...
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? N/A
Does your fish have any history of being ill? Nope
How old is your fish (approximately)? No idea whatsoever.

[Sena Hansler]

Looks like tail biting to me, along with some fin melt.


NO additives? He NEEDS tap water conditioner. Only bloodworms? 74 degrees? That there is the answer. He is stressed, and getting sicker because he is stressed.

[Shayebri]

Okay. I wasn't sure about the additives, but I know his water is safe. Since my sister has had hers for so long, I asked her about temperature, and she says 72 was good. Now I NEED warmer water for my girl, definitely. I hate how she feeds him only bloodworms. Must get her to stop with that..... I've heard about tail biting, and that was my second suspect, as it was specified with the Halfmoons and a few others. What's fin melt?

[Shayebri]

Temperature is now 76, I've read that's good... Is it?

[LebronTheBetta]

76F is fine. Treat with aquarium salt. 1 teaspoon per gallon. Just add the right amount for the whole tank. Dissolve it first into the prepared water when you do a water change. Do 100% water changes daily for 10 days only. Make sure to give him a staple pellet food. I recommend New Life Spectrum. Make sure that he has a heater, proper water changes, around 2 50%s per week, and hope he recovers!

[Shayebri]

Okay, will do, and thanks. The soonest she can get a heater is Monday, I'll tell her to. I use the pellet food, and it turns out she's been using flakes too, but only for the past week.

[LebronTheBetta]

Oh, OK. The heater should make the tank to an at least 78F. Betta fish are best in 78F-80F. :)

[Shayebri]

Okay. I'm not sure about the normal tank temperature, but I think it usually ranges around 76-78.

[LebronTheBetta]

The heater makes sure that the temperature doesn't fluctuate and is stable. If it fluctuates, it would stress the fish. D:

[Shayebri]

Okay. Ill monitor it, see if it generally stays on the same temperature. If it does, can i wait to buy a heater until it starts getting cold? Sorry if that was a stupid question, I'm new to this.