Tail Splitting Up

[octuppy]

My betta whom I rescued is doing better however his tail is starting to split up now. He can still swim okay but its very worrying. I have taken the best pictures I can. Thanks.

Housing
What size is your tank? - 1 gallon half full
What temperature is your tank? - Don't know, its been very hot here, no AC on though
Does your tank have a filter? - No
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? - Bettamin
How often do you feed your betta fish? - Twice a day

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? - Everyday
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? - Half
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? - I have put a drop of Stress Coat a few times

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters? - No

Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH:
Hardness:
Alkalinity:

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? - Tail splitting up.
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? - Seems okay otherwise.
When did you start noticing the symptoms? - Today
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? - Put in 3 crystals aquarium salt
Does your fish have any history of being ill? - Seemed okay, just really skinny, in bad water and not fed much before I got him.
How old is your fish (approximately)? - Don't know

[bettafish15]

There is a sticky in the top of the diseases forum, could you please fill it out so we can get the information we need to help you?

[DarkMoon17]

Welcome to the forum! :)
Is there a reason the gal container is half full? Are the rips affecting his swimming?

I can't really see because of the image quality but I'm guessing it is water quality related due to his prior housing... Perform daily 100% water changes and add 1tsp/gal Aquarium Salt and a full dose of Stress Coat to aid tissue repair. If you keep his water nice and clean the fins should repair.

Good luck and keep us posted!

[octuppy]

Hi, thanks, it is half full because he couldn't swim very well due to being confined to a tiny amount of water for a long time I think. He can swim pretty well now, the tail splitting up doesn't seem to effect him right now at least. I'm sorry for the picture quality, its like his tail is breaking up into thin sections but still attached at the end. How much salt and stress coat do I add to about half a gallon of water? I don't want to add any more water with the tail problem and all now. I know I am supposed to be changing the water completely every few days but I can't catch him. He is really skinny and gets away from me with a net or a cup, I don't know what to do. Thanks.

[octuppy]

I tried to outline the area where the fin is split to better show what it is like.

[DarkMoon17]

You'll need 1/2tsp Aquarium Salt. Remember to dissolve it in dechlorinated water before adding it. I don't know the amount of Stress Coat though since I can't remember the dosage. What does the bottle say?

If you have two containers then you can prepare the clean water and salt in one container and catch him by pouring him and his old water through a net... Then you can prepare his old tank for the next day and repeat. I hope that makes sense...

[Silverfang]

IF you want him to get better, then follow darkmoons advice. For any damage to fins like that he needs clean water to keep from developing rot. Also in a half gallon you'll want to change his water daily for treatment. Since the usual dose it 1 tsp/gal for the AQ salt, use 1/2 tsp, but you might want to mix it up in a bit of his water first, before you add it into the tank. The undisolved grains of salt can harm their scales.
As for the API stress coat, feel free to use up to 1mL, I believe the dosing is 1mL per gallon for a dechlorinator, and twice the dosage for repairs.
Nutrition is important, try to start him on a pellet with a high protein content, or if possible, live or frozen (not freeze dried) food. It can be icky, but it is good for them.
You didn't mention the temperature of the tank, but that it was hot. Even in hotter climates a thermometer is a wise investment, you may not need a heater, but for 2-3$ you can gauge the temperature. I didn't realize it, but bettas need warmer temperatures, 78-80 degrees is ideal for them.

Hope this helps.

[octuppy]

Yes, I do want to do whatever I can to help him. I'm sure I can manage to eventually catch him. Thank you for the dosage instructions.

[Luimeril]

looks like he ripped his tail on something, or blew it by over-flaring. are there any plastic plants in his tank? or, does he flare alot?

[octuppy]

I've never seen him flaring much but I don't watch him very often. He doesn't have any plants because he got stuck at the bottom of the one he had. Its kind of hard to explain what happened but it was the day after I got him and there wasn't any harm done at the time. I have taken the plant out since.