# Fin damage or fin rot?



## newfiedragon (May 25, 2010)

While I'm pretty sure it's not (I'm fairly certain my poor fish is getting his fins caught in the intake of his filter, which I've turned off since I noticed this), I'm just making sure that this isn't fin rot.

Here's a pic before (sorry about the slight blurriness)...









And here's a pic from today...









His tail is completely shredded, and his bottom fin is ripped. If it's fin rot then I'll pick up some medicine for him, but if it's fin damage, what would be the best way to help him regrow his fins?


----------



## newfiedragon (May 25, 2010)

Does anyone have an opinion on this? I really don't want to medicate Goober if I don't have to...:-(


----------



## Terranariko (May 6, 2010)

I'm not a expert on this...so don't go with what I say...but my opinion it kinda looks more like fin rot, but I'm not completely sure...I'd watch him for a day or two and if it gets any worst with out the filter on, it's most likely fin rot. if not it's most likely just a rip...

I think another clue may be how active he is...has he become less active? or looks bad in any other way? like he's sick?

I think you'll need to wait till a more experienced member posts.


----------



## LennonJohnX (Apr 25, 2010)

OldFishLady is really good with fish care and identifying diseases. She helped me with one of my sick fishies.


----------



## JKfish (Apr 8, 2010)

Finrot is relatively slow, and it would take a while of neglect to get like that. It looks like fin damage, or fin biting. His fins will regrow with plenty of clean water. To be sure, turn off the filter for a while, and do water changes. If the damage continues, and it drastically changes in a day or two, he is fin biting. If it slowly gets worse, it is fin rot.


----------



## newfiedragon (May 25, 2010)

Well, other than the fin damage, he seems really happy. He's been building bubblenests non-stop for the last few days and he's been really active swimming around his tank. I'm thinking that it's fin damage caused by his filter (an Elite mini that came with his tank and that I'm planning on replacing) because I've seen his fins get sucked into the intake a few times. It's just a sponge filter, and there are no mechanical parts near the intake, but I guess the sponge is still hard enough to do some damage. I did notice in the second pic that there are some white spots on his tail so I looked a little closer at his tail, but they don't seem to be a fungus or anything...just spots. And there are no other spots anywhere on him. *sigh*


----------



## newfiedragon (May 25, 2010)

His bottom fin already looks like it might be healing up...so I'm really hopeful that it's not fin rot!


----------



## Sarada (May 11, 2010)

It doesn't look like fin rot to me. BUT I noticed you also have plastic plants in your tank. My betta ripped his fin good on those too...he had a few holes in it so I took them out and bought silk plants. 
If I were you I would add some aquarium salt to his tank and do daily changes for ten days and see if there is a difference. Also soak his pellets in garlic.


----------



## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

Tango's tail looks like that after he's been flaring non-stop for days. Does he flare a lot at his reflection?


----------



## newfiedragon (May 25, 2010)

The plant was labeled as silk, and he was fine for the longest time with no problems at all with his fins, Sarada. It's possible that he is cutting his fins on the plant, but I (hopefully) would have noticed it before now. I've already changed his water and added aquarium salt. As for the flaring, Vaygirl, that's also possible. I was on vacation for a week with my husband taking care of Goober, and when I came home, my husband told me that he would turn on the tank light and turn off all of the other lights (the tank's in my bedroom), so he probably was flaring a lot at his reflection that week. I've considered that as a source for the raggedness and ripping.


----------



## newfiedragon (May 25, 2010)

I came home today and his tail fin was really raggedy and looked like it had chunks taken out of it!!!! :shock: What do I do? I turned off the filter, and the plant is supposed to be silk! Could it be tail biting? The bottom fin looks fine now, and you can't even tell that it had been ripped. I've been using Bettafix, but if it's tail biting, is there a way to get him to stop? :-(


----------



## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

Yeah, if that's what it is, it's called a 'blown tail'. It happens to Tango almost monthly now. I've heard it described as a flag that's been whipping in the wind too long? If you can picture what I mean? Tango's heals up just fine. He can see his reflection a lot better when there aren't any lights outside the tank, so there you go.

Edit - I just saw your last post. I don't know anything about tail biting. But I know that sometimes rearranging their environment and giving them more hidey holes can help with stress so I guess it stands to reason it might help with biting? But others around here know more about it.


----------



## newfiedragon (May 25, 2010)

Do you have to treat him for it every month, vaygirl?


----------



## Sarada (May 11, 2010)

Oh ok, they really look like plastic in the photo, especially the stems.


----------



## newfiedragon (May 25, 2010)

Goober was healing up nicely. But after getting him a new plant and a new filter, I changed his water last night. When I put him back into his water, his tail was raggedy again!!!!!!!! :shock: :frustrated:  

Since there was nothing in the container he was in, it must be either tail biting or flaring that's causing this.
I don't understand!!!!!!! :dunno: What am I doing wrong? And how can I get him to either stop flaring or stop tail biting until he's at least healed up a little better?


----------



## newfiedragon (May 25, 2010)

Just an update on Goober!

He seems to be doing well. His tail is healing and growing, and even though he still gets a bit of blown tail, he seems fine. :-D


----------



## Sarada (May 11, 2010)

Glad to hear it. Keep up lots of water changes till his tail heals.


----------



## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

I know this replay is LONG in coming but... I stopped treating Tango at all. I just make sure his water is clean and it grows back. I watch him for infections of any kind. It's a constant thing with him. I've learned to live with it.


----------



## newfiedragon (May 25, 2010)

I'm guessing it's gonna be a constant thing for me to, vaygirl. 

A day or two after I posted saying that he was doing better, his tail went all raggedy again. :roll: He was fine in the morning, and about 3 hours later his tail was bad again. I don't know if it's tail biting or flaring too much, but I do notice that he does flare quite a bit at himself. 

Tonight when I checked on him, his top fin seemed to be shorter too, which makes me think tail biting. I really can't figure out what it is. 

ARGH! :-(

If it's flaring too much, does anyone know how to correct that behaviour?


----------



## Sarada (May 11, 2010)

sounds like my Bob...just after i posted about his back fin his top fin was missing some of the long pieces near the front. Bob only flares if I bring him a mirror though, or another fish. 
It could be fin rot or old age I guess, I have no idea how old he was when I got him in the store. I'm doing daily water changes now with salt...he's happy and his fins actually looks healthier where the pieces are missing then the rest because its now straight instead of all curly.


----------

