[Amazingkatie123]

Housing:
How many gallons is your tank? 5 gallon
Does it have a filter? Yes tetra whisper
Does it have a heater? Yes
What temperature is your tank?78-80
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? No
Does your Betta have tank mates? What kind? 2 black racer nitrite snails

Food:
What food brand do you use? Betta bio gold
Do you feed flakes or pellets? Pellets
Freeze-dried? No
How often do you feed your Betta? How much? Twice a day 3 pellets per feeding

Maintenance:
Before your Betta became ill how often did you perform a water change? One gallon per week.
What percentage of water did you change? 20%
What is the source of your water? Tap
Do you vacuum the substrate or just dip out water? Vaccum substrate
What additives do you use other than conditioner? What brand of conditioner? Stress coat plus conditioner

Water Parameters:
What are your water parameters? Please give exact numbers. If tested by pet store please get exact numbers. "Fine" or "Safe" won't help us help you. Important: Test your water before the regular water change; not after one.

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
pH: 6.4
Hardness (GH): 75
Alkalinity (KH):not sure

Symptoms and Treatment:
When did you first notice the symptoms? Since recieving him in the mail
How has your Betta’s appearance changed? Tears or gaps in back fin
How has your Betta’s behavior changed? He’s great. Swims crazy every now and then
Is your Betta still eating? He loves to eat.
Have you started treating your Betta? If so, how? I have not.
Does your Betta have any history of being ill? Nope
How long have you owned your Betta? 3 weeks
Was he or she ill or suffering some sort of damage when purchased? I believe so before and after pictures


Hello everyone. This is Lil Betta he is supposed to be a half moon dumbo beta. I got him in the mail from California to Georgia on April 16th exactly 3 weeks ago. His left side dumbo fin was torn in shipping as well as a few pieces off his back fin. I have kept the water clean and half an Indian almond leaf in there with him. He seems to be doing okay but more tears keep showing up on his back fin. All the plants are real. The decor O run my fingers over and make sure isn’t abrasive. Just wanted opinions on what everyone thinks. Fin rot? Fin biting? Maybe just healing from shipping?

This is him when I first got him

This is him now and a picture of his tank

 

[FishRMyLife]

Housing:
How many gallons is your tank? 5 gallon
Does it have a filter? Yes tetra whisper
Does it have a heater? Yes
What temperature is your tank?78-80
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? No
Does your Betta have tank mates? What kind? 2 black racer nitrite snails

Food:
What food brand do you use? Betta bio gold
Do you feed flakes or pellets? Pellets
Freeze-dried? No
How often do you feed your Betta? How much? Twice a day 3 pellets per feeding

Maintenance:
Before your Betta became ill how often did you perform a water change? One gallon per week.
What percentage of water did you change? 20%
What is the source of your water? Tap
Do you vacuum the substrate or just dip out water? Vaccum substrate
What additives do you use other than conditioner? What brand of conditioner? Stress coat plus conditioner

Water Parameters:
What are your water parameters? Please give exact numbers. If tested by pet store please get exact numbers. "Fine" or "Safe" won't help us help you. Important: Test your water before the regular water change; not after one.

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
pH: 6.4
Hardness (GH): 75
Alkalinity (KH):not sure

Symptoms and Treatment:
When did you first notice the symptoms? Since recieving him in the mail
How has your Betta’s appearance changed? Tears or gaps in back fin
How has your Betta’s behavior changed? He’s great. Swims crazy every now and then
Is your Betta still eating? He loves to eat.
Have you started treating your Betta? If so, how? I have not.
Does your Betta have any history of being ill? Nope
How long have you owned your Betta? 3 weeks
Was he or she ill or suffering some sort of damage when purchased? I believe so before and after pictures


Hello everyone. This is Lil Betta he is supposed to be a half moon dumbo beta. I got him in the mail from California to Georgia on April 16th exactly 3 weeks ago. His left side dumbo fin was torn in shipping as well as a few pieces off his back fin. I have kept the water clean and half an Indian almond leaf in there with him. He seems to be doing okay but more tears keep showing up on his back fin. All the plants are real. The decor O run my fingers over and make sure isn’t abrasive. Just wanted opinions on what everyone thinks. Fin rot? Fin biting? Maybe just healing from shipping?

This is him when I first got him

View attachment 1030045 View attachment 1030046
This is him now and a picture of his tank
View attachment 1030048 View attachment 1030049

You could try some plain decaf rooibos tea or an Indian almond leaf but it needs to be about this colour or more:

 

[Amazingkatie123]

You could try some plain decaf rooibos tea or an Indian almond leaf but it needs to be about this colour or more: View attachment 1030081

Thankyou so much for the tea input. He loves the leaves floating around so I like to keep them in there. I could make a tea in addition as well. Any advice on his fins? Looks healing? I worry about the fraying not sure if he’s biting them or if that’s how they’re going to be or just regrowing?

 

[FishandBirdLover]

Housing:
How many gallons is your tank? 5 gallon
Does it have a filter? Yes tetra whisper
Does it have a heater? Yes
What temperature is your tank?78-80
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? No
Does your Betta have tank mates? What kind? 2 black racer nitrite snails

Food:
What food brand do you use? Betta bio gold
Do you feed flakes or pellets? Pellets
Freeze-dried? No
How often do you feed your Betta? How much? Twice a day 3 pellets per feeding

Maintenance:
Before your Betta became ill how often did you perform a water change? One gallon per week.
What percentage of water did you change? 20%
What is the source of your water? Tap
Do you vacuum the substrate or just dip out water? Vaccum substrate
What additives do you use other than conditioner? What brand of conditioner? Stress coat plus conditioner

Water Parameters:
What are your water parameters? Please give exact numbers. If tested by pet store please get exact numbers. "Fine" or "Safe" won't help us help you. Important: Test your water before the regular water change; not after one.

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
pH: 6.4
Hardness (GH): 75
Alkalinity (KH):not sure

Symptoms and Treatment:
When did you first notice the symptoms? Since recieving him in the mail
How has your Betta’s appearance changed? Tears or gaps in back fin
How has your Betta’s behavior changed? He’s great. Swims crazy every now and then
Is your Betta still eating? He loves to eat.
Have you started treating your Betta? If so, how? I have not.
Does your Betta have any history of being ill? Nope
How long have you owned your Betta? 3 weeks
Was he or she ill or suffering some sort of damage when purchased? I believe so before and after pictures


Hello everyone. This is Lil Betta he is supposed to be a half moon dumbo beta. I got him in the mail from California to Georgia on April 16th exactly 3 weeks ago. His left side dumbo fin was torn in shipping as well as a few pieces off his back fin. I have kept the water clean and half an Indian almond leaf in there with him. He seems to be doing okay but more tears keep showing up on his back fin. All the plants are real. The decor O run my fingers over and make sure isn’t abrasive. Just wanted opinions on what everyone thinks. Fin rot? Fin biting? Maybe just healing from shipping?

This is him when I first got him

View attachment 1030045 View attachment 1030046
This is him now and a picture of his tank
View attachment 1030048 View attachment 1030049

He is so pretty! Hope that his fins will get better soon! Good luck! 😊

 

[FishRMyLife]

Thankyou so much for the tea input. He loves the leaves floating around so I like to keep them in there. I could make a tea in addition as well. Any advice on his fins? Looks healing? I worry about the fraying not sure if he’s biting them or if that’s how they’re going to be or just regrowing?

Over time they should heal it can take many weeks for it to take full effect. Have you got anything really sharp or anything that could damage them it any way? If he is biting them it could be due to stress. Has been acting normally? Also is he ever swimming around in circles or acting a little more hyper than usual. What type of beta is he because it looks like his fins are meant to be like that.

 

[Amazingkatie123]

Over time they should heal it can take many weeks for it to take full effect. Have you got anything really sharp or anything that could damage them it any way? If he is biting them it could be due to stress. Has been acting normally? Also is he ever swimming around in circles or acting a little more hyper than usual. What type of beta is he because it looks like his fins are meant to be like that.

Nothing sharp unless the cholla log is catching them. All plants are real and I have two betta hammocks. He seems normal but I’ve only had him for 3 weeks no change in his behavior at all. However compared to my other beta he is more active swimming back and forth a lot. But that’s always been him. He doesn’t blow many bubbles at the top. I bought him online advertised as a half moon but I did notice his dorsal fin looked similar to crowntail. But his caudal fin was very half moon when I got him. Is it normal for them to grow into a crowntail fin?

 

[Feanor]

He seems to be a Delta Tail. And I could see some regrowth on the tears of his caudal fin.
His dorsal fin looks ok to me right now. These last 2 rays often look like this and - if at all - seem to have improved aswell.

Overall I wouldn‘t worry too much as he‘s looking fine. No infection and no further tears or recession of fin webbing.
His slight web reduction on the outer rays of the tail looks too symmetrical to be unnatural.

So I would agree on keeping his tank clean as well as provided with either Indian Almond Leaves (Tea) or plain Rooibos Tea.

 

[RussellTheShihTzu]

He doesn't have any damage. He has what is called "reduced webbing."

Notice in the first two photos how neither his caudal or dorsal fins have smooth edges? That is slight web reduction. As he has started growing his web reduction has increased.

It is perfectly normal. I've had several and think it adds character.

 

[Amazingkatie123]

He seems to be a Delta Tail. And I could see some regrowth on the tears of his caudal fin.
His dorsal fin looks ok to me right now. These last 2 rays often look like this and - if at all - seem to have improved aswell.

Overall I wouldn‘t worry too much as he‘s looking fine. No infection and no further tears or recession of fin webbing.
His slight web reduction on the outer rays of the tail looks too symmetrical to be unnatural.

So I would agree on keeping his tank clean as well as provided with either Indian Almond Leaves (Tea) or plain Rooibos Tea.

Thankyou so so much! I had been going back and forth with if he had a fin problem or that was growing. I love the way it looks! Just don’t want it to be a concern! Thankyou so much for your reply! This has helped so much!

 

[Amazingkatie123]

He doesn't have any damage. He has what is called "reduced webbing."

Notice in the first two photos how neither his caudal or dorsal fins have smooth edges? That is slight web reduction. As he has started growing his web reduction has increased.

It is perfectly normal. I've had several and think it adds character.

I’ve never heard of reduced webbing!! But I looked it up and that’s very similar. Since you’ve dealt with this, will the webbing reduce more or is it the fins growing out that way? So basically he’s growing into his fins more or less?

 

[RussellTheShihTzu]

The reduced webbing is permanent. Webbing may become more pronounced or it may not. This is Spike.

 

[Amazingkatie123]

The reduced webbing is permanent. Webbing may become more pronounced or it may not. This is Spike.
View attachment 1030113

Spike is so beautiful! I love love his fins. And I cannot Thankyou for your advice coming from a fellow experienced betta lover. It’s been challenging to watch his fins separate and not really know what’s going on when he doesn’t seem sick. This was one of the most informative and nice forum. I cannot wait for him to fully grow into his fins and webbing. Will post updates in a few weeks. Again Thankyou. This has put my mind to rest over countless hours of research.

 

[BettaloverSara]

I'm also a fan of reduced webbing. I am not much into crown tails but this I like

 

[Amazingkatie123]

I'm also a fan of reduced webbing. I am not much into crown tails but this I like

Thabkyou Sara you have been such an amazing help from the moment I joined this site!! When I got him he was advertised as a Halfmoon. I thought he had come crowntail in his dorsal fin. But with what everyone has said here I do believe he is growing into a more crowntail. Which I’m enjoying!! I’m just so surprised their fins can change so much like this! And the reduced webbing is turning so beautiful. Thankyou both for your input and help on all my posts.

 

[FishRMyLife]

Nothing sharp unless the cholla log is catching them. All plants are real and I have two betta hammocks. He seems normal but I’ve only had him for 3 weeks no change in his behavior at all. However compared to my other beta he is more active swimming back and forth a lot. But that’s always been him. He doesn’t blow many bubbles at the top. I bought him online advertised as a half moon but I did notice his dorsal fin looked similar to crowntail. But his caudal fin was very half moon when I got him. Is it normal for them to grow into a crowntail fin?

He may be a crow tail fin but they named him a half moon. I have 3 half moons all in a 10 galleon tank and one of them was like yours but then he went into a half moon again. It could be that it is just part of how some of them grow.

 

[FishRMyLife]

Nothing sharp unless the cholla log is catching them. All plants are real and I have two betta hammocks. He seems normal but I’ve only had him for 3 weeks no change in his behavior at all. However compared to my other beta he is more active swimming back and forth a lot. But that’s always been him. He doesn’t blow many bubbles at the top. I bought him online advertised as a half moon but I did notice his dorsal fin looked similar to crowntail. But his caudal fin was very half moon when I got him. Is it normal for them to grow into a crowntail fin?

It is normal for them to sometimes have. A large or small spikes (webbing)

 

[Amazingkatie123]

Hey everyone!! So last night I changed his heater because it’s been regulating weird...or so says my thermometer. (Which was my problem in his tank) Turns out the thermometer I got for the tank reads bad. I had to stick my food thermometer in there last night to check the temp and my thermometer for the tank is off by 5 degrees. I’m so glad I reached out to everyone because without all the advice and changing conditioners it would have never made me think about this. Always check the temp 2-3 times with different thermometers or one you know works! I got him a self regulating heater now and he is much happier. He’s swimming slower and can calm down much more. Thankyou everyone and I will send updates in a few weeks. He should make a full recovery and his upkeep will be much better Thankyou to everyone here. I’m so very greatful!

 

[BettaloverSara]

Tank thermometers are notoriously wrong. I haven’t used one in years. Before I came to this forum I used a kids under the tongue thermometer which worked ok but the meat one is a little better.

 

[Amazingkatie123]

I had no idea! And here I’m thinking I’m doing something wrong! I’m so greatful you guys made me look at every aspect of my tank or I would not have found this nasty culprit! Sara Thabkyou for always being wonderful and helpful!

 

[BettaloverSara]

I had no idea! And here I’m thinking I’m doing something wrong! I’m so greatful you guys made me look at every aspect of my tank or I would not have found this nasty culprit! Sara Thabkyou for always being wonderful and helpful!

Thanks you are too sweet