# Blood-Red Splotches and Reddening Ventral Fin?



## goldentryst (Dec 13, 2011)

So... my betta had developed these bloody red patches on his dorsal and anal fin about 1-2 month(s) ago. I assume if it was something as serious as Septicemia he would be behaving very strangely by now or even worse dead. He's acting remarkably and boasting a voracious appetite to boot. Just relocated him from a 1.5gall to a 10gall about 2 days ago. When he was in the 1.5gall I was treating him with BettaFix for about 11 days before I stopped because I read some scary things about BettaFix.

He's super active in his 10gall at the moment and as hungry as ever. Very happy little fish. However today when I got home at night I noticed he had tear marks at the end of his caudal fin. He was left in the dark for the first time at about 5PM until 9:45PM. Usually he doesn't even see the lights go out until 12AM or even later. 

Could he have been stressed and nipped at his tail? He wasn't sleeping by the time I came home and I imagine it might have been frustrating to try to navigate inside his tank in pitch black for several hours? (I don't even know if they can see in the dark.) Or maybe he was just pissed because he's not used to having nighttime arrive so early.

Anyways, I filled up his 10gall all the way with 40% clean water (leaving the 60% water that was in there). I dissolved and poured in Aquarium Salt (2 rounded tablespoon's worth as it said on the carton). I then noticed that his right ventral fin looks pretty bad.

A portion of it is separated from the main right ventral fin and going in an odd direction like it's barely attached. It also has something that looks like an open wound; that part is red. 

Sigh. I don't want to have to resort to buying medicines of this and that, especially since after all this searching I'm still not sure what could be up with my Fishy. But I'm hoping the AQ salt for now will do some magic maybe. 

Any words of wisdom, anybody? :-( I'm so lost here. Sorry for the lengthy post but I just want to give all the details possible! 

PS. Merry Christmas ~


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## goldentryst (Dec 13, 2011)

Pictures taken from last night/this morning:

i43.tinypic.com/24nehd1.jpg (in this one you can see his 'weird' right ventral fin)
i40.tinypic.com/sgk4g0.jpg
i39.tinypic.com/rkddvr.jpg
i44.tinypic.com/23mx0jt.jpg
i39.tinypic.com/zk0mcx.jpg (in this one you can see his 'weird' right ventral fin)
i41.tinypic.com/5afb82.jpg



note: In the pictures it looks like part of the right ventral fin is sticking out in the opposite direction; it really is like that)


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Hmm. I don't think you told me about his right ventral, is this a new thing? Poor boy. The ventrals do split sometimes, especially on large-finned bettas like halfmoons and deltas, but it's odd for it to have something that looks like a wound. In this case, definitely keep up with the salt treatment for a week to 10 days, no more than 14 max. The extra slime coat he produces because of it should help to keep infection away. 

As for the patches of red . . . the only thing I can think of is natural coloring. Anything else that would cause such redness would also cause significant behavior changes, especially after such a long time.

I hope the salt works for the little guy.


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## goldentryst (Dec 13, 2011)

Sakura8 said:


> Hmm. I don't think you told me about his right ventral, is this a new thing? Poor boy. The ventrals do split sometimes, especially on large-finned bettas like halfmoons and deltas, but it's odd for it to have something that looks like a wound. In this case, definitely keep up with the salt treatment for a week to 10 days, no more than 14 max. The extra slime coat he produces because of it should help to keep infection away.
> 
> As for the patches of red . . . the only thing I can think of is natural coloring. Anything else that would cause such redness would also cause significant behavior changes, especially after such a long time.
> 
> I hope the salt works for the little guy.


Ah, I totally forgot to elaborate on the right ventral fin with you! I'm sorry. XD

And I see! My betta is a Delta-tail, so that is something of a relief to hear. His fins actually look pretty darn heavy on him, so I can see how accidents may happen here and there. And well, the wound... The only way I can describe it is that a portion of his right ventral fin looks cut from the main portion and is twisted in the other direction. It kinda just dangles whenever my betta swims.  As for the 'blood' wound, it looks like something if you pricked flesh with a tiny needle. Not a lot of blood or anything, just a wet looking speck. (But it's gotten better today!)

I will do the salt treatment for a week ~
And sorry but could you tell me how often I should change the water (replace the salt)? Like... if I'm supposed to change 50% of the water every day, or every other day, etc? I'm not sure if there's a set procedure for that.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

For a full 10g with only one betta, you can change the water twice a week, maybe about 2 gallons each change. Replace the water as usual and then add 2 tsps of salt. Since the dosage is 1 tsp per gallon, however many gallons you take out, replace that many tsps of salt. Salt doesn't evaporate so if you aren't sure of the exact amount to put in, err on the side of caution and add less than you think you need so he doesn't get an overdose. 

One way to make treating with salt easier is to put him back in his smaller tank, which can be his hospital/QT tank. Get a 1 gallon jug, like the kind spring water or milk comes in, and fill it up with dechlorinated water. Add the 1 tsp of salt. When you change the tank, empty it all out and pour the contents of the jug in. The tank won't be completely full but you'll always know the exact amount you took out and the exact amount you put back in.

If you do decide to switch him back to a smaller tank, the water changes would be every other day or every two days, something like that. 

I think I understand what you mean about the wound. Sometimes when a betta nips his fins or otherwise damages it, it will bleed and there will be like a little drop of blood that pearls up at the end of the fin. That happened to one of my boys quite a lot because he either bit his fins or got them caught in the gravel, I never could tell. He never came to any harm because of those blood drops and his fins always healed back up with clean water. But it always looked really alarming.

Right, my halfmoon's ventrals split that same way. His never got bloody tips but it's the same thing where the split part just hangs there. The larger the fins, the more fragile they are and the more likely they are to just split for the heck of splitting. It could be your guy started flaring at something while you were away and suffered "fin blowout" where he overextended his fins showing off.


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## goldentryst (Dec 13, 2011)

Sakura8 said:


> For a full 10g with only one betta, you can change the water twice a week, maybe about 2 gallons each change. Replace the water as usual and then add 2 tsps of salt. Since the dosage is 1 tsp per gallon, however many gallons you take out, replace that many tsps of salt. Salt doesn't evaporate so if you aren't sure of the exact amount to put in, err on the side of caution and add less than you think you need so he doesn't get an overdose.
> 
> One way to make treating with salt easier is to put him back in his smaller tank, which can be his hospital/QT tank. Get a 1 gallon jug, like the kind spring water or milk comes in, and fill it up with dechlorinated water. Add the 1 tsp of salt. When you change the tank, empty it all out and pour the contents of the jug in. The tank won't be completely full but you'll always know the exact amount you took out and the exact amount you put back in.
> 
> ...


I have decided to keep my betta in the 10gallon tank, seeing as how he seems really happy being in it compared to the 1.5gall. :] Today I've done a 50% water change and replaced the AQ salt as well. I plan to do one more AQ salt'd water change in a few days and leave my boy in the treatment for about 7 more days.

Question, though! Um, after the salt treatment, do I have to drain the entire 10gall tank of all the water? Because technically the salt is everywhere in the water, right? And if so, does this mean that I must rinse the gravel, heater, thermometer, ornaments&etc. as well to get rid of any AQ salt residues?

And thank you for your input on the ventral fin; that's super reassuring! My boy's ventral fin seems even BETTER today. The stark redness has paled off and all I know is I'm glad for a speedy healing! It makes sense that the larger the fins are, the more delicate.

Thank you~


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## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

it's just coloring, like said. :3 some bettas randomly change colors on us. just to freak us out, i guess.

as for the ventril, don't worry about it. i have a betta who's ventrils stay near his body. they used to flail around uselessly, but now they stay by his body, even when he's just floating there in the water.

as long as you change the water regularly, you really don't NEED to add ANYTHING to the water. the boy i spoke of, is a delta and a tail biter. i keep his water clean, and his tails' healing up nicely, without added anythings.


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## goldentryst (Dec 13, 2011)

Luimeril said:


> it's just coloring, like said. :3 some bettas randomly change colors on us. just to freak us out, i guess.
> 
> as for the ventril, don't worry about it. i have a betta who's ventrils stay near his body. they used to flail around uselessly, but now they stay by his body, even when he's just floating there in the water.
> 
> as long as you change the water regularly, you really don't NEED to add ANYTHING to the water. the boy i spoke of, is a delta and a tail biter. i keep his water clean, and his tails' healing up nicely, without added anythings.


Well that's great to hear; thank you. :] After this salt treatment (which is more so to insure than anything else) I do hope I'll never have to use AQ salt for a very long time. And gah, it sure did freak me out...  Betta fish are little troublemakers...!


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

They are, aren't they? And they say fish are relaxing!


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## goldentryst (Dec 13, 2011)

I knoow, right!? Oh well, what can we do. These guys bring just as much joy as heartbreak. :]


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