# clamped fins after water change



## aWitch4Harry (Jul 14, 2014)

Hello,

I have a split tail half moon betta fish named Legolas that I purchased last week. He has been doing well in a 3 gallon tank that has been fully cycled. A water check yesterday showed 0ppm for chlorine, ammonium, nitrate, nitrite and the pH was around 7.8. The temperature is always between 80-82F. Yesterday I performed my weekly 50% water change as well as gravel siphon. My water replacement was a little warm at 84F, and was treated with Prime and about 7 granules of aquarium salt (this is the same process I use for anther 3 gal betta tank that contains a crowntail betta, Loki). I did not remove the fish during the water change process because my other betta doesn't seem to mind the interruption at all, he is generally very curious about the siphon. Immediately after the water change I saw a noticeable difference in Legolas. His fins were clamped down tightly. He was still swimming all around and ate his dinner as normal, but the fins are still clamped shut even this morning. 

I have inspected him obsessively for signs of ick or velvet but he isn't showing me any disease symptoms. I am hoping that maybe he was just a little traumatized by the water change and will bounce back in a few days. If not, what are my next steps? Also, should I consider removing him from the tank during all water changes or only those involving the "scary" siphon? I have put some pictures below of the before and after, the "after" picture makes his coloring look weird but that is because I took it this morning and it was still dark out. He is a beautiful fish so I hope that I will get to enjoy his amazing fins again soon


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## obiordi (Jan 31, 2014)

I don't see any symptoms of fin rot or tail biting or ick either... I would wait a few days and see if it gets any worse. If it does then I would treat him with AQ salt and daily 100% water changes, but for now just wait and watch him. See if it gets worse or better. Maybe removing him would help during water changes or maybe he got shocked from the temperature change.


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## aWitch4Harry (Jul 14, 2014)

After a few days my little guys seems to be over his water change trauma-drama. On Friday I let him swim back into his original cup so that I could add a betta log to his tank so that he had a little more shelter if he wanted to hide. I put him back into the tank and he quickly wanted to investigate the betta log and hide out in there. By Saturday morning he was back to his old self with no more clamped fins. I think that for all future water changes and gravel cleaning I will let him swim back into his cup and remove him from the aquarium so that he is not affected during the process. Hopefully that will alleviate this problem in the future ~ it figures I would pick the drama-queen fish.


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