Link has been having fin issues for quite a few months now (since I last posted about it here, which was a long time ago) and nothing I do seems to help. I have tried treating him for fin rot with aquarium salt, moving around the decorations in his tank (in case he was tail biting from boredom), and changing his feeding frequency (in case he was tail biting from hunger). I have never SEEN him bite his tail but I didn't want to rule anything out. He has a ten gallon tank, the temperature is at a constant 78 degrees, the filter is baffled, there are no sharp or plastic decorations in his tank, his water changes are ALWAYS on schedule, and his water tests are fine (no ammonia or nitrite and nitrate is at 5 ppm). I tried getting a more recent picture of him but he is terrified of my camera phone and I didn't want to stress him out. The best I can do really is a description. His fins have lost a good portion of their color, and have chunks missing with red/black coloring on some of the tips. I am at a total loss for what to do. I have tried everything I can think of and nothing seems to make a difference. He still eats, swims, and behaves completely normally. It appears to just be a physical issue of some sort. If you have any ideas, PLEASE let me know.
If you figure it out, please let me in on it! I'm in the same quandary. My Fish Perry is ( was )in a 10 gallon, filtered tank, heated to 79degrees. I NEVER missed a water change, 50-75% with gravel vac each time. Every week. No exception. I read post after post about the care of these fish and try to follow EVERY INSTUCTION! And yet.....my little buddy has suffered from some degree of fin problems since I got him. I'm told the problem is poor water quality, but my test strips and my care schedule say otherwise. Again, if u find an answer , please share it!
I will definitely let you know right away if I figure it out. I can't believe someone is having basically the exact same issue as me, since it seems like it would be uncommon to have this happen when the fish are getting proper care.
Well, in my quest for answers, I have consulted every source I can think of. I have been advised that , I am not changing water enough, I am changing water TOO MUCH, my water temp is too cool , my water temp is TOO HIGH, I'm using too little water conditioner, I'm using WAY TOO MUCH WATER COND, too much salt, TOO LITTLE SALT...ect, ect, ect.
Yesterday I went to the " big cheese" of aquarium specialists in Houston, in order to get Kanaplex for my fish. While there I wanted another castle for his hosptal tank. I picked up one of the ones I have in his 10 gallon ( he LOVES them and sleeps in the tall one every night!), but the guy pointed out how sharp and rough the inside edges are!! He said he doesn't use these for his betta because the edges inside could tear his fins!! Hello! Sure enough, the inside plastic was sharp and rough enough to scrape my skin. It may not be the cause, but im sure it can't help. I chose a more expensive, ( naturally ) ceramic "cave".
Just something to consider.
Yes that is something I have gone over with every single thing placed in my tank. There is nothing plastic or remotely sharp in there, since I know that can be a cause of torn fins. And I feel your pain of trying everything in the book and asking around but getting nowhere. I certainly hope somebody has a solution to this!
Housing
What size is your tank? Ten gallons.
What temperature is your tank? 78 degrees.
Does your tank have a filter? Yes, baffled.
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? Aqueon Betta Pellets.
How often do you feed your betta fish? Daily, three pellets.
Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? Weekly.
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? Dechlorinator.
Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?
Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? Fins with chunks torn off, red/black on some edges.
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? It hasn't.
When did you start noticing the symptoms? A few months ago.
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? Aquarium salt, redecorating tank, feeding changes.
Does your fish have any history of being ill? No.
How old is your fish (approximately)? Had him for almost a year.
Black edges are definitely rot. Do you have a prefilter sponge so that you know his fins aren't getting torn in the filter?
If you're already tried aquarium salt, he may need to be quarantined and treated with an actual antibiotic outside the tank. I suggest Kanaplex or Triple Sulfa.
Well the baffle I have on the filter covers the whole section where the water comes out, so there is no way he could get in there. And he never goes by the filter that I have ever seen since I got him. I mean I could try turning off the filter and see if that makes a difference, but I would be really shocked if that was the problem. I will try treating him again in a separate tank and see if it works. It's been a while since I attempted to use aquarium salt, so should I try that again first?
Oh no poor Link! But, if you are still having problems I would try moving him to a smaller tank, no filter, but a heater and a therm. I would look into actual meds as well, if the aq salt and warm clean water hasn't been helpful. ):
Goblin was a fin-muncher and his fins were always torn up when he was in the 10gal or anything with a filter. Put him in a 2.5 with minimal decor and no filter and he leaves his tail alone.
Check out the eBook Betta Fish Care Made Easy
So Link is still having fin problems...
