[invisibleunicornz]

So I have had my halfmoon tale beta Princeton for a few months now. I keep in a 1.5 gallon tank and clean the take every week, doing a 75% water change. I add the correct amount of water conditioner, and aqua salt. I always keep the water at a normal temp. A week or so ago I noticed his tail looked ragged, like tail rot. I added the correct amount of Pimafix. I have been following the directions on the bottle and everything, I even look out Princeton's cave he liked becuase I was afraid it would hurt his tale if he bumped it. I have been giving him the meds for a week or so now, but it seems he is getting worse. He is so incredibly pale and his colors have faded so much! He ate yesterday but today when I went to feed him he did not want to eat. His Ventral Fins that used to be blue are now almost see through! I am terrified I really want him to get better! I do not know what I am doing wrong. Please help!

 

[SarahandOscar]

I've recently had issues with Tail rot and found Daily 100% water changes with dissolved AQ salt (1 teaspoon per gallon) fixed everything.
My boys were clamped and pale and unhappy for a day or 2 then perked right back up and have been amazing ever since. Do this for 7 full days, AQ salt and conditioned water ONLY, 10 days if it's really really bad and he should be on the mend in no time!

 

[SarahandOscar]

Generally in a tank that size it wouldn't be cycled so you'd require 1 x 50% water change and 1 x 100% water change a week. Do you have a heater to keep the water at a steady temperature? AQ salt should also be used as treatment not the norm, you could ass a little stresscoat every water change to help settle him in fact i used stresscoat with the salt treatment as well. I removed everything but the heater from the 1 gal tank he was in and treated him in that for 7 days. Good luck and keep us posted. Also a pic of him may help just incase it's tail biting. Let me know if we can help any more

 

[ao]

How long have you had him in Aquarium salt? wean him off it, and go back to good clean fresh water. Doing two 100% Water changes a week will probably help immensely. if his fin rot doesn't improve, there is a possibility that it is a symptom of other internal problems he may be experiencing

 

[SarahandOscar]

Yes generally clean water does the trick and Aokashi is right, Betta's shouldn't be in AQ salt longer than 10 days so wein him off it. If you have time to do 100% water changes daily and it'd not too stressful on your boy i'd stick to that to ensure no infection sets in.

 

[invisibleunicornz]

Hey guys! Thanks for all your input and help! I have been putting a pinch of AG salt into his tank every time I clean it. So he has been on it for about 4 months. Someone told me it is good for him to have it in his tank :/ I do have a heater and have been using it only the past couple days though. Usually its warm enough in room temp that the water is between 70/80 degrees. But the past few days it has been crazy cold so I put the heater in to keep it normal. I cant get good enough pictures of him. I am almost positive he isn't a bitter. He is acting so strange, he also has tiny red sore on his tail, maybe from the rot?) Prince is jut really pale...he used to be iridescent blue and green now he is just a dark blue/grey color and under his chin is like almost white.

Aokashi what other internal problems do you mean?! Like a parasite?! I only feed him Wardley Betta food (pellets) with no artificials in it.

Also I will try the teaspoon of AQ in his tank and the 100% daily water changes.

Also where do I buy stresscoat? The Petco near my does not sell it. I was jut there yesterday and looked at everything in their medicine section and did not see it.

 

[ao]

prolonged use of Aquaroum salt can cause kidney damage to fish. sometimes a physical ailment is just a reflection of an internal one. usually it is ok to use aquarium salt. but since you've had him on it for so long, it will probably be better if you took him off it

Oh and stress coat is a water conditioner, not a medicine. Do get some Indian almond leaves off Ebay if you have the money to spare.

 

[invisibleunicornz]

Holy crap. So should I just not do the whole 1 teaspoon of aq in his tank for the week til he gets better?! I just don't know what else to do. The pimafix isn't working and its getting worse. Literally the amount I would put into his 1.5 gallon tank before was like 5 grains of the salt. Is that enough to really damage him?!

 

[ao]

Holy crap. So should I just not do the whole 1 teaspoon of aq in his tank for the week til he gets better?! I just don't know what else to do. The pimafix isn't working and its getting worse. Literally the amount I would put into his 1.5 gallon tank before was like 5 grains of the salt. Is that enough to really damage him?!

what do almond leaves do?!

5 grains, lol, ok that probably did nothing. Indian almond leaves releases tannins that are apparently anti bacterial and promotes generalfish health. Where you at? I'm running out, but I might be able to ship you a leaf or two if you're not too far away.

Take him off the prima fix, infact stay away from anything that has a "fix" at the end

Pause on the aquarium salt and try to do atleast 2 100% water changes a week. if thats too much in a decorated tank, take him out into an empty quarantine with simply a place to hide.

Keep the heater at around 78, not to high so as not to promote fungal and bacterial growth.

 

[invisibleunicornz]

But wont the fin rot just get worse if I do not use anything to treat it?

 

[SarahandOscar]

Stress Coat is an API brand, call around to your local pet stores and ask them if they have it or can get it in. it also conditions the water which is helpful., i'd try the daily clean water, watch his poo (if it's white and stringy that's internal parasites) and monitor his progress, it may be a few days but if it's only rot and water conditions he will perk up in time, especially with the constant temperature =)

 

[SarahandOscar]

Clean water is actually the only thing he needs to heal himself. The salt just reduces any risk of infection. Constant temp, perfectly clean conditioned water, good food and peace and quiet will do the rest. It's easier in an empty tank to change the water daily, i had my 4 boys in empty tanks for a week. It may take him a day or 2 to eat but he will be fine and not starve... take it a day at a time...

 

[invisibleunicornz]

Clean water is actually the only thing he needs to heal himself. The salt just reduces any risk of infection. Constant temp, perfectly clean conditioned water, good food and peace and quiet will do the rest. It's easier in an empty tank to change the water daily, i had my 4 boys in empty tanks for a week. It may take him a day or 2 to eat but he will be fine and not starve... take it a day at a time...

Empty tank, meaning take out his pebbles and leaf hammock and the plants. I already took out his cave. But should I really take everything out? Will that stress him out? I don't want him to feel stressed or depressed and sick :/ But if it is best for him then I suppose it is alright.

 

[SarahandOscar]

I'm not an expert but that's what i did and my 4 boys are great now, literally he had his heater and the hammock (i removed the rusting metal from it too).

BUT

you have to find what works for you... He's already not well and the added stress could be bad, i don't know, at the same time if it's something in his tank making him unwell leaving it there won't help.

I preferred to remove all the variables and start from scratch. i SLOWLY climatised him to the fresh water which you do by gently moving him to a cup and adding 15% of the cups volume with fresh treated water then wait 10-15 mins, then empty a bit out and add another 15% of the cups volume of fresh water and so on till he's pretty much in fresh water, making sure its all the same temperature too. It can be a bit overwhelming with your first unwell fish i know.... read alot of what is on this site and decide on an action you are comfortable with, no matter what opinion you read on this site one that everyone will agree to is fresh water changes so you can't go wrong with that...

 

[Aus]

Prolonged salt/med use can also cause fin melt, is something I've recently learned.. he might not even have had rot to begin with.

Fresh, warm, conditioned water is best. If there's an underlying issue messing with his immune system, that'll become apparent in time. But yeah, try a few weeks just on the clean water, changes twice a week. If he's just got rot, then he ought to pick up soon and show signs of healing.

A bare-bottom tank won't stress him. My boy with chronic fin issues is in a bare-bottom tank with a ball of java moss and some floating wisteria to help him feel secure - he's pretty happy in there. No substrate = much easier cleaning, plus you can keep an eye on what he excretes, in case it's an underlying problem.