fin rot or deformity?

[laur3namb3r]

I just changed Copernicus's water again tonight, and while watching him in his cup, his dorsal fin seemed to bother me a bit. I've added pictures below, and he has stress stripes because he always freaks when it's water changing day...as soon as he's back in his tank they go away. Also, the edges of his dorsal fin have always been discolored, but I'm not sure if th raggedness is fin rot?


Housing
What size is your tank? 5 gal
What temperature is your tank? 80
Does your tank have a filter? yes
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? bio gold pellets and occasional brine shrimp
How often do you feed your betta fish? still 3x a day

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? every 2-3 days
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? 25%
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? water conditioner

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

Ammonia: just changed it so 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
pH: 7.4-8.0
Hardness:
Alkalinity:

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? dorsal fin curled...slight ragged edges
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? he hasn't changed behavior
When did you start noticing the symptoms? today
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? haven't yet
Does your fish have any history of being ill? no
How old is your fish (approximately)? 11-12 weeks?



This is him when he was younger...

[aemaki09]

Looks normal to me. Just keep an eye on it. If it is, then it's really minor and all you will need to do is keep the water clean and he'll be fine :)

[callistra]

I see the fin rot on his dorsal.

He's also a little bloated.. Hikari tend to do that because they are so high in wheat and fillers. I would look for a pellet whose first two or three ingredients are whole fish, now fish meal or wheat is the worst. I would also cut down to two small meals a day and make sure to give one fast day a week. I'd fast the next couple of days and monitor his poop. I expect it to be the color of his pellets, but ballish. If it's wheat, clear, segmented or mucasy he has an infection.

What were your water parameters before a change?

Are you using a siphon to clean the gravel with changes or just taking off the top?

How long has this been set up with your fish in it?

What filter are you using and how do you maintain it?

Do you have any live plants?

[laur3namb3r]

I don't feel comfortable fasting him because he's still so young, and the reason he looks bloated was because I took these pics right after I fed him...so he had a full tummy :] Also, his poop is always normal.

Here's the answers to your questions:


What were your water parameters before a change? ammonia: .25 nitrate: 0 nitrite: 0 ph: 7.4

Are you using a siphon to clean the gravel with changes or just taking off the top? I am using a siphon

How long has this been set up with your fish in it? since I got him...about 3 weeks ago

What filter are you using and how do you maintain it? the filter that comes with the fluval spec...I haven't had to maintain it yet

Do you have any live plants? yes, two. an onion bulb and some type of lily.

[Shirleythebetta]

Do you have hard water? if so that can cause a slight curling. He could just be developing. If it isn't black or basically looking like it's melting I wouldn't worry to much. A good option is always to PM a Mod and they will give you better direction. Remember don't medicate until you are sure he has a problem.

[callistra]

The ammonia is why he's getting fit rot. In a fully cycled tank a once weekly 50% change with siphon should be all that's needed but it does not appear you are very far along on this since ammonia will spike first, then nitrites. then ammonia will stick at 0 followed by nitrites.. you have ammonia and no nitrites so it's still not very well developed. I would test daily and do a 50% change any time you see any ammonia + the weekly change.

You can't treat him in this tank because meds will crash the cycle and salt will kill your plants. Also the ammonia he is being exposed to is keeping him from getting better and the tank doesn't look even close to cycled.. For these reasons I would continue cycling it fishless: http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=47838 And QT and treat his with aquarium salt at 1 tsp per gallon for up to 10 days, along with daily 100% water changes.

The QT can be something as simple as a 2 gallon critter keeper filled half full and floated in the main tank for warmth. The water changes should be done like this to avoid shock

In the 50% I would suck through the gravel with a turkey baster to remove poop and half the water. I would refill it with same temp water (use tank thermometer to match running tap water) that already had conditioner added to it. I use 1 gallon water jugs like you can buy at the grocery store - rinse thoroughly before using with hot water but not soap or chems).

For the 100% he'll need to be removed. I would cup in an opaque plastic solo type cup and wrap a towel for heat. Thoroughly rinse the tank, gravel and decor but don't use soap or chems. Refill with same temp water, add conditioner, stir it up a bit then float him in the bowl an hour while slowly adding a couple tablespoons of new water to his cup every 10 minutes. Finally release, keeping as much of the old water in the cup as possible. He shouldn't show any signs of shock this way.

ETA: The gray on the top of the dorsal fin is what the concern is. It's not bad but he can't heal in a cycling tank.

[laur3namb3r]

Thanks, Callistra for the information. I don't think the small amounts of ammonia would affect him in any way, as I'm always changing his water. He's always had the grey outlining on his tail, I'm just concerned with the way the fin is growing.