Help! betta's fins (pics)

[Thikimo]

Oh no :( Was it worse than this??

[xShainax]

Yes it was :( But now he is in the big rice paddy in the sky

[MollyJean]

Have you been adding AQ salt at all? Or maybe a little stress coat would help.

[ANHEL123]

Originally Posted by wystearya

Halfmoon Bettas are prone to getting holes and rips in their fins. The fins are very fragile, and they can get torn just from flaring. He should be fine as long as the water is clean. He will heal in time.

I agree i think it can be it.
No behavior change right?
Somehow it not doesn't look like tail biting to me. I do have tail bitter, but looks different. It C shape when he bites it. May be i am wrong.

Doesn't look like fin rot either.


Also you i think you wrote that you doing 25%-75% water changes every 2 days for 2.5 gall tank? Are you the one who wrote that he get stressed with 100% water changes?

Because for 2.5 gall i would do 50% and 100% water changes a week. Definitely not 25%.
Or if he stressed with 100% water changes do 50% and 75% water changes.
I would also syphon the gravel regularly since you don't do 100% water changes.

[Silverfang]

I have to agree with anhel.

I have two tail biters.. that isn't biting like I've ever seen. I'm thinking he's ripped his tail on something (however you say there is nothing to rip it on...). My one boy who is not a tail biter has fragile fins. I saw him get pin hole tears in his tail from swimming to excitedly.

His tail doesn't look like it has rot, it does look like the tears are clean. Actually it appears that there is a bit of regrowth in the large tears in his tail. Unfortunately you may not be able to prevent his tail tearing. After speaking to OFL, being all concerned for my handsome boy, she advised that due to breeding, genetics, water movement, etc, some larger finned males will have this problem chronically. Small homes with no water movement, no decor is the only way to keep this from happening.

Please note I am not recommending this!!!! The other option is to keep him in a proper tank with clean water, so that even if his tail does split and tear it can heal without infection setting in.

I also suggest double checking the decor I saw in that picture, just to make sure there aren't any sharp edges.

On the water changes, you mentioned a filter, so you can get away without doing 100% changes. I just want to make sure you are vacuuming the gravel at least one a week to help maintain cleanliness.

[Sakura8]

Bettas weren't meant to have such big fins. In the wild, a halfmoon betta would be lunch in a heartbeat. The big fins that we have bred them to have come with a price: fragileness. Sadly, torn fins are inevitable in halfmoons, especially as they age. My HM whom I've had for just over a year has split, curled, and fringed fins because of his age and his genetics.

Best you can do is what Silverfang suggested, keeping him in a proper tank with clean water.

If you can get Indian Almond Leaf, adding a leaf anytime you see a tear will really help prevent infection. You can also use naturally dried and clean oak leaves. As always API Stress Coat is a great product to have on hand too.

Good luck with him!

[Basement Bettas]

With any fin issue we really need to look at water parameters. What is the pH and the ammonia, nitratIt and nitrAte readings? Keeping water constantly changed out that is really high in ph can still get you frayed fins. Those holes and splits can be the early signs of some bacteria activity in the fins. It isn't always dirty water. Halfmoon finnage is very succeptible to picking up funk that then starts working on it. pH that is too acid is also as bad.

[Thikimo]

I actually didn't use and AQ salt. Instead I used alder cones and Indian almond leaves that I read were anti-fungal and anti-bacterial to help with the splits. The water is a golden color now but my betta seems to really like it.

No behavior change.

I suspected it wasn't tail biting because all the splits are on the white lines of the tail. I guess that's it? What bothers me is that it hasn't healed and is only splitting in more places.

I have a filter and a heater. At the moment I'm doing 50% water changes twice a week via siphoning through the gravel. Anymore and my betta starts getting stress lines.

Ammonia and nitrite is at 0.
Nitrates fluctuate between 5 and 20
pH is around 7.0

[ANHEL123]

How about more water changes. I think you need to do more water changes than 50% 2 times a week for 2.5 gall to make sure he don’t get infection.

[Thikimo]

I really don't think its necessary with a filter and the alder cones.. but I guess I can fit in another 75% water change.