So, as you can see, poor Peaches tail is starting to shred:
Did I catch fin rot here? And if so, is it early enough salt baths should help him? He's got one plastic plant in his tank, but it doesn't seem to be rough, and he swims around and through it all the time with no problem, so I doubt he ripped it...
This will be a chronic problem unless you get him a bigger tank and a heater. Poor water conditions and a lack of heat will encourage bacterial growth and handicap the fish's immune system.
For now, you will have to clena the bowl every 2-3 days to keep the ammonia at safe levels.
Ok, I plan on getting a 5gal to split with him and another male, I just can't find the materials to make the dividers! lol so once I have those I'll get a tank from walmart and set him up
So keeping him in the salt will help his fins and stop it from getting worse?
Well it is sort of like putting a band-aid on a missing arm so to speak but it will help a little.
You can order dividers online, buy them at a LFS, get plastic canvas at a craft or dollar store, or even pick up some plastic mesh at a hardware/home & garden store.
The one thing that will completely set it in reverse is a warm tank with clean water. For now you should be able to slow it by a fraction by cleaning the bowl every two days and salting the water, but that's only a temporary solution.
Basically the two factors working against you are
Unclean Water
-Better conditions for bacterial
-Easier for open skin to become infected
-Stresses the fish
-Weakens the immune system, making the betta vulnerable to multiple diseases
Low Temperatures - You have probably heard in high school how heat willl speed up chemical reactions. 'Protein synthesis' (aka when tissue cells make new tissue cells) is a chemical reaction, therefore warmth allows the cells to multiply faster (within reason... don't boil him!)
- Antibodies, skin, blood, scales, lymph and all other sorts of good stuff are made from proteins, therefore what you want is for your betta to make proteins faster.
-At optimal temperatures, your betta is more likely to fight the bacteria faster than it can multiply.
-When your water is cooler than optimal, your betta will fight the bacteria slower and heal slower.
Speaking of protein, high-protein foods like frozen (not freeze-dried) bloodworms and tubifex worms (I trust Hikari) will help him beef up again after the infection has been stopped.
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