Possible tail rot

[shealynn]

I'm not entirely sure what tail rot looks like, but when I bought my first betta on sunday I bought the one I have because I liked his tail..which the tips were a darker pigment. Now that I have been researching more I'm beginning to wonder if it is tail/ fin rot. He is loosing a bit of color in his face it looks like, but I'm not sure if I'm just seeing things or if somethings really wrong.

If he does have tail/ fin rot how do I fix it?

[Rain Drop]

I like salt baths and bettafix for fin rot.
For some people jungle fungus eliminator and jungle fungus clear works for them.
Maracyn 1 and 2 used together are also good for fin rot sometimes.
Can you post a clear picture of him though?

[shealynn]

I will try and post a picture of him later tonight when I get home.
I went to petco and bought what the worker suggested, it was called Betta fix.
How much is the stuff for the salt baths? I think he is really stressed because his face is a bit pale and whitish. So I'm hoping with my next paycheck I will be able to get a critter cage and heater so he has more water and heat.
Do you think the white scales are from stress or from the bacterial stuff?

[shealynn]

Sorry I have no clue how you get the pictures to be all super nice like you all have. I did a complete water change and added the BettaFix to his water. Tomorrow he will have a brand new tank and hopefully friday a heater. I measured the temperature in his water today and it was 68 degrees in my room and 71 degrees when I had him in the bathroom.

How long does it take for the Betta fix to work? Do the tails grow back?

[Rain Drop]

First of all, here's the thread that shows you how to do a salt bath (btw, you will need to buy aquarium salt for this...and it doesn't cost too much. A few bucks for a container that'll last you a while). I found this thread extremely helpful and I hope you will too.

If the bathroom is the warmest room in the house and the temperature doesn't fluctuate, keep him in there until you get a heater.

I know that when my fish get a fish pale in the face, they're usually stressed. This usually happens to them when I do a water change. He's probably still adjusting to his new home though. But from your photos, he doesn't seem too bad. It'll probably clear up when you get that new tank and heater and when he settles in.

And his tail will grow back. It's still a bit hard to tell in the pics how much of his tail he's missing, but if you keep up water changes and treatment, I'd said two weeks tops based on my own experience. And bettafix is more of a antiseptic, not a antibiotic. It works more for keeping the fins from rotting more. But regrowth of the fins happens naturally, so the bettafix helps keep the tearing from getting infected. Same with salt baths....they work like magic for mild cases like yours.

[shealynn]

Wow that seems easy enough. And this is just the sea salt that most people would use in their salt water tanks correct? Today is day two for his bettafix treatment. I'll probably pick up the salt tomorrow when I go to buy more rocks.

[Rain Drop]

Erm....actually I don't know D:
The stuff I buy is just labeled "aqaurium salt".
I'm just guessing that they're one in the same, but hopefully someone comes across this thread to confirm it.

[okijapan]

I believe the marine salt has additional minerals added to it because most SW keepers use RO water. Aquarium salt is just regular salt, you can also go with epsom salt or kosher salt as they are all the same. Stay away from table salt as most of it is iodized. Hope this helps.

[shealynn]

Thank you! So far a lot of the black has gone away with the bettafix, but I will pick up the salt and give him a little salt bath as well.