# Rotting Fin or Not ??



## blue moon (Aug 8, 2012)

*Rotting Fin or Not ?? QUICKLY PLEASE*

ok so on my last 2 fin threads the fins were getting shorter and shorty and i don't know y but i moved him in a small tank to clean out the 5 gallon and to do stuff to it after i was done (his in the small tank still only been 1 almost 2 days) i was on my computer and i saw my betta chasing after its fin i interrupted twice and he stopped as far as i know until i fell asleep so now i see brown on his fin just a tiny bit im guessing its his fins rotting or is it something else what can i do to treat it ??? and he has a big split on his back what do i do >< :blueworry: but his bottom fins got better from the last time thank goodness  everything is growing back since i put him in the small tank but im more worried about the brown now 

plzzzzzzzzzz answer quickly


----------



## Sapphoira (Jul 16, 2012)

Fill the below out so people can better determine the situation 


Housing 
What size is your tank?
What temperature is your tank?
Does your tank have a filter?
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration?
Is your tank heated?
What tank mates does your betta fish live with?

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish?
How often do you feed your betta fish?

Maintenance 
How often do you perform a water change?
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change?
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change?

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?

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

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed?
How has your betta fish's behavior changed?
When did you start noticing the symptoms?
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how?
Does your fish have any history of being ill?
How old is your fish (approximately)?


----------



## blue moon (Aug 8, 2012)

Housing 
my tank is 5.5 gallon
usually around 79 
yes 
no
yes
non yet 

Food
AQUEON betta food 
twice a day once in the morning once at night 

Maintenance
twice in one week (fish cycle)
50%
Aqua Safe water conditioner/ Dechlorinator

Water Parameters:

non

Symptoms and Treatment

fins getting shorter and one split on his back but fins growing a little after i moved him into 1 gallon until i know whats going on with him 

besides moving him to a different tank nothing

when i started doing water changes for the first or second time tail got tinnier and tinnier then short then split and brown a tiny bit by the time i was on my second week of water change but he then stopped after i moved him its still brown a tinny bit 

nope 

1 week and a half


----------



## Sapphoira (Jul 16, 2012)

Well your setup seems to be solid, and you mentioned you did catch him chasing his tail? If he is biting his tail he could have gotten an infection which could account for the brown spots. I would make sure there are no rough edges in the tank to irritate his fins or tear them further, and make sure the water is kept pristinely free from ammonia. Also make sure the temp is staying pretty regular, and raise it to more like 80. You should also add some aquarium salt to help with the regrowth. Limit any other stressors your fish might have, such as bright lights or being able to see nearby fish. But in the case of him just being a tail biter, make sure you have plenty to keep him occupied in the tank such as diverse decorations, a betta log, etc. One of the stickied posts on this section of the forum about treating illnesses has a list of types of medications to use in severe cases, but yours seems to be pretty mild so I would treat it conservatively with the warm, clean water and aquarium salt!


----------



## Sapphoira (Jul 16, 2012)

Oh and also you might want to test the params of your tap water, and use Seachem Prime to treat your water instead of aqueon.


----------



## blue moon (Aug 8, 2012)

what if his not biting his tail just wondering what else can it be ??


----------



## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

He's biting, no rot. Baffle your filter and see what happens. The spots and the end is probably blood but just keep your water clean and it'll heal. Don't treat with Aquarium Salt as he's just going to bite while in treatment.


----------



## blue moon (Aug 8, 2012)

could it be fin rot, or ammonia burns because im secretly like spying on him and his not biting his tail and i asked on yahoo and they said it was that i would 2 ask to make sure i would need stress coat and some bacterial infection treatment (meaning aqua salt right) ??


----------



## blue moon (Aug 8, 2012)

i don't think his biting it


----------



## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

No... He's biting. You can tell from the marks.


----------



## blue moon (Aug 8, 2012)

ok so just keep the water clean and he well be good as new :3


----------



## blue moon (Aug 8, 2012)

ok so i just keep his water clean and he will be good as new :3


----------



## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

Yep. As long as he's not lethargic or there are red or black edging against his fins, it's not fin rot. Baffle, though. DT's have a harder time swimming than other types because of all their finnage.


----------



## blue moon (Aug 8, 2012)

:3 ok how long do you think it will take till his tail grows back like a few weeks right ??


----------



## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

It depends on the water conditions. Clean water, 1-3 weeks or so for a full tail. If he keeps on biting, there's a small chance it'll ever be full lobes again.  Tail Biting is annoying, but harmless unless they bit too far.


----------



## blue moon (Aug 8, 2012)

aw  do you think getting a snail would help him get his mind off the tail ?


----------



## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

It might but they produce a lot of ammonia so it's kinda a risk. D: Maybe some shrimp? Just put in some more decorations or plants for extra cover. Bettas tend to eat them so start out with 2-3.


----------



## blue moon (Aug 8, 2012)

would a ADF be fine or i don't have enough from ? and what kind of shrimp is best


----------



## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

Well, an ADF needs 3 gallons per frog. I'm still not sure it's fine in a 5 gallon tank. Well, there are tons of shrimp! Ghost shrimp, red cherry shrimp, amano shrimp, etc. Red cherry and ghost shrimp are better.  Lebron ate all 4 ghost shrimp that I put in my tank so good luck!


----------



## blue moon (Aug 8, 2012)

because im looking at pet smart and pet co and they don't have any shrimp


----------



## blue moon (Aug 8, 2012)

and lol poor little things at least you tired :3


----------



## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

Yeah, and QT them! They may have parasites in their heads!


----------



## blue moon (Aug 8, 2012)

how do you take the parasites out does pet smart or pet co not check for this ><


----------



## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

I have no clue actually. Lebron doesn't seem to have parasites. I was just lucky.  Just look at the shrimp and look at their heads, I'm not sure, though. D:


----------



## blue moon (Aug 8, 2012)

how long do i keep one in a tank by its self


----------



## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

Well, 1-2 weeks is best.


----------



## blue moon (Aug 8, 2012)

i think i should get the ADF but i hope they don't fight  that my only fear if i get one but im sure if i get enough hiding places and stuff they will be fine


----------



## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

Oh, OK. Remember to get an African DWARF Frog. Not clawed. Check their hind legs and if it's webbed, it's an ADF.


----------



## blue moon (Aug 8, 2012)

i would do shrimp and a ADF and betta but wont that over stock the tank  even though all of them are small and i would start out with shrimp to see how liam acts but the prob is i can't find any shrimp at pet co and pet smart


----------



## blue moon (Aug 8, 2012)

ok thank you for the advice :3


----------



## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

No problem, I think the Betta and Frog is a better idea compared to shrimp, QT everything that may share the same water!


----------



## blue moon (Aug 8, 2012)

ok sounds good should i only get one ADF or can i get 2 if not what else can i do ? or would i be over stocking if i did liam a ADF and something else that is small


----------



## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

1 frog is fine, 2 frogs are killing it. 3 gallons per frog!! A nerite snail or shrimp is all.


----------



## blue moon (Aug 8, 2012)

sounds good to me :3 i can't wait till liam has new friends to keep his mind off the tail but i hope they don't fight ^^;


----------



## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

I guess so. Be careful, he might not pay attention to them so take chances! :L


----------



## blue moon (Aug 8, 2012)

ug i hope luck is on my side ><


----------



## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

It sure is! You got a tail biter!


----------



## blue moon (Aug 8, 2012)

lol true i will make sure to message you when i get the frog and snail and upload pics when everyone is in the same tank  im so excited :3


----------



## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

OK! Best of luck~!


----------



## blue moon (Aug 8, 2012)

thank you so much for all you help


----------



## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

Your welcome.  As long as you're on my good side, I'll help as much as I can. You don't wanna get on my bad side! > Lol.


----------



## blue moon (Aug 8, 2012)

lol :3 i promise i wont be on your bad list and what live plants are good for betta and ADF and snail ? that does not need much care ?


----------



## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

OK. Good.  Java Fern, Java Moss, etc. These are the easiest ones to take care.


----------



## blue moon (Aug 8, 2012)

i don't think i can get these at pet smart or pet co :/ and i check and nope there are non


----------



## Sapphoira (Jul 16, 2012)

Petsmart carries Java fern and Water Wisteria now, which are great. Just watch carefully with your ADF, they have been known to be aggressive towards bettas!


----------



## blue moon (Aug 8, 2012)

ok will do and thank you


----------

