Help! Holes in tail!

[Julio1983]

Hi everyone...
My fish Julio has two little holes and a tear in his tail :(
How do I fix this? I noticed one little hole about two weeks ago and they gave me melafix (which I didn't end up using!) and I thought they had gone away but now I notice a bigger tear.
I have attached a pic.
I got him to flare and I noticed the two small holes :(
How can I help my boy?

[Fishybitty]

Is there any plastic plants in the tank, does that jar have any sharp edges?

[Julio1983]

The plants are silk but the have a little bit of plastic on the bottom which I have tried to cover with the gravel.
The vase has some rough parts but again I've got the smoother side facing up.
Gosh it's such a worry!

[Fishybitty]

I can't tell, do you have a heater?

[SharkyTheBetta]

Every time when I confronted with holes in the tails they were caused by over flaring. Some bettas simply like to flare more than others. Anyway, make sure he's not seeing his own reflection in the glass of the tank and that there isn't any object which is to colorful (like red, orange, magenta and so on) near his tank. Stop using the mirror for a while. He needs to relax a little bit. :) Holes in the tails can also be caused by ammonia burns, but as I read from your other threads, I don't think is your case because you keep Julio in good condition. Anyway, make sure his water is warm and clean. Glad to see he has a bigger tank now. I am sure he enjoys it a lot. :)

[Julio1983]

I've never really noticed him flaring that much and there is nothing reflective near his tank. There are some colourful jars however. I don't often use the mirror on him but I did today to see the holes. The hole is in the back tail near his bum (sorry I don't know the technical names)

Omg he loves his new tank! It's nice to see him so happy.

I thought maybe I wasn't feeding him enough as the new pellets I got him are really small. I might have to bite the bullet and get the new life spectrum ones

[Julio1983]

Oh and yes he has a heater

[callistra]

More info is needed: http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=49233

Holes are either tears or ammonia burns. He's clamped.

[Julio1983]

What size is your tank? 15 litres
What temperature is your tank? 24-26 degrees
Does your tank have a filter? no
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? no
Is your tank heated? yes
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? none

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish?hai feng pellets
How often do you feed your betta fish? a few pellets in the morning and a few in the eve with sunday fast day

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? twice a week
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? 50% on fridays and 100% on tuesdays
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? prime conditioner

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

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: didnt test
Nitrate: didnt test
pH: 7.3
Hardness: didnt test
Alkalinity: slightly alkaline

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? noticed a tear and two tiny holes in fin
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? hasnt
When did you start noticing the symptoms? last night
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? not yet
Does your fish have any history of being ill? not since i have had him
How old is your fish (approximately)? ive had him for a month so not sure

ive noticed he gets that clamped look when he is swimming at the top of his tank, whereas when he is deeper in the tank his top fin pops up

thanks guys!

[callistra]

It looks like your water change routine is ok. How do you acclimate during the water changes? Do you use preheated and preconditioned water?

Those 4 degree F temp swings are too wide. (75-79). Why is his tank swinging? A good heater should not allow this. It could account for him being clamped.

Have you used pantyhose to test everything in the tank to make sure it doesn't snag? Sometimes even silks have parts that can snag.

What ingredients are in your pellets? what is "a few"? - you should count, not just throw a bunch in. If you're not watching to make sure he eats everything the water quality will gain ammonia much faster than normal.