# HELP! His is tail is shrinking?



## Carlos31594 (Jun 9, 2011)

Please help! i just got my betta less than a week ago and he still acting and eating fine so far, but his tail is doing this weird thing where its looks like its almost sticking together then shrinking at the end into 1 long piece. As this piece get longer the ends almost look kinda shiny at the tips like theirs possibly a light film covering them. 

It has progessed over the last few days and its making it harder for him to swim. Im not sure but i believe my tank is a gallon so i've been changing the water out (50%) more often and tomorrow im running out to get a heater since i've heard they're essential. Also as a last attempt when this started getting much worse I've tried putting bettfix in for the last 2 days but i havn't noticed a difference.

Im not sure what to do? thanks in advance for your help!


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## Carlos31594 (Jun 9, 2011)

my avatar shows his tail... sorry this is the best picture i could get my comp wont let me load others


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Hi Carlos and welcome to the forum. It looks like you're off to a good start because you're going to get a heater - bettas are tropical fish so they need waters around 78-80 degrees farenheit. In a 1 gallon tank, you'll want to change the at least 50% of the water 2 times a week and 100% or close to that 1 a week. It seems like a lot but in such a small tank it will go by fast. Clean water is the best thing you can do for your betta. Be sure to use a water conditioner that detoxifies chlorine and chloramines. Some suggested brands are API Stress Coat, Seachem Prime, and Tetra AquaSafe. 

Now as for his tail . . . do you know what kind of tail he has? Take a look at the link and see if you recognize what kind of tail your betta had before he started having his problem. Or even better, if you can take a pic and post it that would be great. It will help us tell if what you're describing is his normal tail or something abnormal. 

http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=29868


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## Carlos31594 (Jun 9, 2011)

thanks!and good to know im on track! the water treament i have is called Nutrafin? should i keep with the same or try to find one you listed?... also do you think this is caused by the cold water?

thanks alot!


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## turtle10 (Dec 30, 2010)

Yes clamped fins can be a sign of being cold. They try to keep their fins close to their bodies to retain heat. Judging from your avatar, your betta is cold. I would do a 100% water change to remove the bettafix and see how things go with the heater. How often do you do water changes and how much of the water do you change? Also, this is random, but I noticed you had a bamboo in your tank. That is not a problem, but if you leave the area where the first leaves start under water the bamboo will die. It is not a fully aquatic plant.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

No, I think NutraFin is good. If you want, you can use up your NutraFin and try a different brand after that. 

Cold water shouldn't cause his tail to fuse together. It will cause him to be lethargic so he doesn't swim around much though. But I guess that depends on how cold the water is.


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## turtle10 (Dec 30, 2010)

Sakura8 said:


> No, I think NutraFin is good. If you want, you can use up your NutraFin and try a different brand after that.
> 
> *Cold water shouldn't cause his tail to fuse together.* It will cause him to be lethargic so he doesn't swim around much though. But I guess that depends on how cold the water is.


If his fins have fused together that is one thing, but fins clamped together like that _is_ a sign of being cold. 

The cold can cause one or more of these symptoms:
-clamped fins
-slowed metabolism
-loss of appetite
-lethargy


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Yeah, that's true. Cold water will make him clamp up. That's where he'll tuck all his fins as close to him as possible. But what you're describing with his tail sounds like there may be something else going on as well.


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## turtle10 (Dec 30, 2010)

I agree with you Sakura, it seems like there might be more to it than just cold water, especially since Carlos said there might be a film at the end of his fins.


Carlos, can you describe the film more?


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

I was thinking if I could identify the tail, I could tell if he was just a veil tail with a lot of point to his tail but you're right, Turtle, that film sounds suspicious. Even a veil tail shouldn't have a film there.

Carlos, does the white film look like the clear parts that my betta has on the ends of his tail in my avatar? Was the film always there?


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## Carlos31594 (Jun 9, 2011)

ok thanks so much to both of you! i just did a 50% water change since its late, but im definitely going to get a heater, since I'll need it either way, then do a 100% water change.

Hes already moving around a bit more after that water change! thanks alot!


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

That's good.  They always love fresh water.


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## Carlos31594 (Jun 9, 2011)

Sakura8 said:


> I was thinking if I could identify the tail, I could tell if he was just a veil tail with a lot of point to his tail but you're right, Turtle, that film sounds suspicious. Even a veil tail shouldn't have a film there.
> 
> Carlos, does the white film look like the clear parts that my betta has on the ends of his tail in my avatar? Was the film always there?


Hes a veil tail


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## Carlos31594 (Jun 9, 2011)

Sakura8 said:


> I was thinking if I could identify the tail, I could tell if he was just a veil tail with a lot of point to his tail but you're right, Turtle, that film sounds suspicious. Even a veil tail shouldn't have a film there.
> 
> Carlos, does the white film look like the clear parts that my betta has on the ends of his tail in my avatar? Was the film always there?


No its more of a filmy covering, very lighly, only on the fused part and it wasn't there previously, but it has only jsut begun to show this last day or so.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Thanks. That helps because even a veil tail doesn't have that pointed of a tail. It sounds like he's got some fin rot or fin erosion starting up. I would stop the bettafix and start up an aquarium salt treatment.


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## Carlos31594 (Jun 9, 2011)

Ok sounds good! i really appreciate the help and i'll update tomorrow after we make some needed tank adjustments!


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## turtle10 (Dec 30, 2010)

Hope he gets better!


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