# Bettafix? Betta fish with fin rot



## lynx (Jul 19, 2020)

Hello everyone! 

I have a betta who I believe has fin rot, and I recently got betta fix to help out with that based on all the good reviews on amazon. After reading on here though some people are saying it's dangerous? Should I do something instead of bettafix? I don't have an aquarium salt on hand but would regular salt work for my betta? I'd be moving him to a 1 gallon quarantine tank (the only other tank I own) for his treatment. Here is a picture of him--I'm mostly worried about the tail fin. I don't have anything sharp in the tank and it's planted and I do 20% water changes twice a week. I have a heater(76-77F), filter, and a snail (the tank is a 5 gallon one). Thanks for any help! Oh, the white specs on the glass are just eggs from my nerite snail btw.


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## lynx (Jul 19, 2020)

lynx said:


> Hello everyone!
> 
> I have a betta who I believe has fin rot, and I recently got betta fix to help out with that based on all the good reviews on amazon. After reading on here though some people are saying it's dangerous? Should I do something instead of bettafix? I don't have an aquarium salt on hand but would regular salt work for my betta? I'd be moving him to a 1 gallon quarantine tank (the only other tank I own) for his treatment. Here is a picture of him--I'm mostly worried about the tail fin. I don't have anything sharp in the tank and it's planted and I do 20% water changes twice a week. I have a heater(76-77F), filter, and a snail (the tank is a 5 gallon one). Thanks for any help! Oh, the white specs on the glass are just eggs from my nerite snail btw.
> View attachment 1024572


I was hoping good water changes would fix his tail but I've had him for about 5 months and it's just gotten worse. The tank has also been cycled.


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## COsm0 (Dec 16, 2020)

lynx said:


> I was hoping good water changes would fix his tail but I've had him for about 5 months and it's just gotten worse. The tank has also been cycled.


Hi, 
I to had this problem and did use this product on my betta and he seemed to be fine with it. I only treated him once and waited even though I thought I would have to treat him again I did not and I am so thankful for those who told me to wait before treating him with a second load. Treat him and wait as his fins will slowly grow back but if it does not work use aquarium salt and usual salt is not the same! 😀 good luck and hope he gets better.


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## KekeTheBettaDoc (Dec 3, 2020)

Hi there! I am not a huge fan of bettafix as I find it is not the best medicine-there are mixed feelings on it and in my opinion not enough research has been done on the medicine-I will let you make the desicion for yourself Melafix Dangers; Betta, Labyrinth Fish, Pencil Fish . For salt, I would avoid it in the regular tank and only do salt baths (there are youtube videos online) as salt in the regular aquarium can build up to dangerous amounts unless you have something to test salinity. Personally, I would treat him with Indian Almond Leaves or Roobios Tea as they have antibacterial and will help the rot and to reduce infection. If you want to go the medication route, API Erythromycin is a good choice.


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## lynx (Jul 19, 2020)

COsm0 said:


> Hi,
> I to had this problem and did use this product on my betta and he seemed to be fine with it. I only treated him once and waited even though I thought I would have to treat him again I did not and I am so thankful for those who told me to wait before treating him with a second load. Treat him and wait as his fins will slowly grow back but if it does not work use aquarium salt and usual salt is not the same! 😀 good luck and hope he gets better.


How did you treat them? Did you follow the instructions on the bottle for dosage amount? I was going to put him in a different hospital tank, and am not sure if I should dose him once and leave him there for 7 days or dose him once and then change the water throughout the week? Or if I should dose him multiple times during the week and change the water?


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Please fill out this questionnaire. We ask members posting in this section to fill out this form so we have quick reference to the most important information. Without it we can only guess. Also, please copy and paste into in separate post; not in quote.Thank you.









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Many thanks to BF/TFK Member Mike for developing this questionnaire. It is the same form with a few additions. Please copy and paste into a new message and complete this form when seeking help for your Betta. This information and a clear photo posted directly into the thread will help us give...




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## lynx (Jul 19, 2020)

RussellTheShihTzu said:


> Please fill out this questionnaire. We ask members posting in this section to fill out this form so we have quick reference to the most important information. Without it we can only guess. Also, please copy and paste into in separate post; not in quote.Thank you.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Ope, I'm sorry! I just figured it was fin rot, and had already boughten betta fix. 
Housing:
How many gallons is your tank? 5 gallons
Does it have a filter? yes
Does it have a heater? yes
What temperature is your tank? 76-77
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? it has a filter that does a waterfall effect? but other than that no
Does your Betta have tank mates? What kind? just a nerite snail

Food:
What food brand do you use? tetra bettamin
Do you feed flakes or pellets? flake 
Freeze-dried? no
How often do you feed your Betta? How much? every morning I'll feed him a pinch or less of flakes 

Maintenance:
Before your Betta became ill how often did you perform a water change? twice a week about 15-20%
What percentage of water did you change? 15-20%
What is the source of your water? RO water
Do you vacuum the substrate or just dip out water? vaccum
What additives do you use other than conditioner? What brand of conditioner? I use betta safe conditioner 

Water Parameters:
What are your water parameters? Please give exact numbers. If tested by pet store please get exact numbers. "Fine" or "Safe" won't help us help you. Important: Test your water _before_ the regular water change; not after one.
*I am not sure on any of these since I don't have a test kit for it, but I would assume it is all pretty low with the amount of water changes I do every week? *
Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH:
Hardness (GH):
Alkalinity (KH):

Symptoms and Treatment:
When did you first notice the symptoms? I think he's had a minor fin rot since I've bought him but I've started to notice it more now. 
How has your Betta’s appearance changed? His tail fins look really ragged and the ends are black
How has your Betta’s behavior changed? it hasn't really, he's always been a pretty active and curious fish
Is your Betta still eating? yes
Have you started treating your Betta? If so, how? Yes, I put him in a one gallon hospital tank and did half of what Bettafix recommends for a gallon (1/4 teaspoon)
Does your Betta have any history of being ill? no 
How long have you owned your Betta? since august this year
Was he or she ill or suffering some sort of damage when purchased? I'm starting to wonder if he didn't have fin rot when I got him, but it would have been minor enough I wouldn't have noticed.


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## KekeTheBettaDoc (Dec 3, 2020)

Hi! So first off, it is very hard to tell what is causing this without knowing the parameters. I know several pet stores do free water testing if you call them, and if you could get us that it would help a lot 

Second off, this is a bit unrelated but I would switch him over the a different food as unfortunately tetra betta flakes are very low quality. Omega One Betta Buffet, Northfin Betta Bits, and New Life Spectrum are all great options.

As for the fin rot, I would use some Roobios Tea or Indian Almond Leaves boiled in the tank to create the nice tan water color that will help with stress and has antibacterial properties. I also would advise small, daily/every other day water changes as clean water is what is going to help better than any medicine.

I hope this helps


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## lynx (Jul 19, 2020)

KekeTheBettaDoc said:


> Hi! So first off, it is very hard to tell what is causing this without knowing the parameters. I know several pet stores do free water testing if you call them, and if you could get us that it would help a lot
> 
> Second off, this is a bit unrelated but I would switch him over the a different food as unfortunately tetra betta flakes are very low quality. Omega One Betta Buffet, Northfin Betta Bits, and New Life Spectrum are all great options.
> 
> ...


Thank you a ton for the advice! I am very new to fish keeping and am hoping to get a water test kit and new food for Christmas for him


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