# How long to use Betta Revive?



## redandpurple (Aug 19, 2014)

Hello there, this is my first post. I'm looking for a little direction with my betta.

TLDR at the bottom, sorry for the book.

I bought him from Petco about 3 months ago. He's a beauty, double crown halfmoon boy red with purple lines through his fins.

I had him in a temporary .5 gallon tank for a month then I upgraded him to a 5 gallon tank with a heater and a filter. I've slowed the filter down with aquarium sponge and provided him with live plants. (Hornwort, anubias, java moss, and a little bitty Ceratopteris siliquosa). I've also added a trapdoor snail and 2 african dwarf frogs. I've been changing the water in the 5 gallon tank 50% once a week or more. (I test the water frequently and will change it out if I see any blip on the nitrates or nitrites)

When I upgraded his tank he started to act differently, lost his color and started to hide. He still ate but not as much. Then he started to keep his fins all closed up. About a week ago I noticed his fins getting ragged. 

I researched and discovered that its probably fin rot, which surprised me as I keep the tank very clean. After beginning the treatment with betta revive he has stopped clamping his fins and I can see how tattered they are at the edges, its so sad :-(

I'm now isolating him in his .5 gallon tank which I've tucked inside of the 5 gallon so that the heater will keep him warm. I'm doing 100% daily water changes in addition to the betta revive. I'm also doing daily 50% water changes on the 5 gallon tank so that it will be extra clean for him when his treatment is done. 

I'm led to believe that it will take a long while for his fins to grow back the tattered bits, so how will I know when to stop using the betta revive? Should I just do a 7 day course and see?

TLDR: He has fin rot, possibly something else too. I'm using betta revive. He's on day 2 and showing much improvement. Fins are no longer clamped, appetite and activity are much better, color is much better. How long should I treat him for? 3 days? 7 days? Will his fins start to grow during the treatment or will that happen after?


Housing 
What size is your tank? 5 gallons
What temperature is your tank? 78-79 degrees
Does your tank have a filter? Yes, Carbon filter with sponges to slow it down
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? No
Is your tank heated? Yes
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? 2 African dwarf frogs and 1 trapdoor snail

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? Tetra Bettamin, frozen or freezedried bloodworms, Frozen brineshrimp, occasionally I will defrost and rinse a cube of freshwater frozen variety and give him a little bit of that. 
How often do you feed your betta fish? 2x a day, I feed very little only as much as he will eat within a few minutes and I clean up after him with a turkey baster when he's done.

Maintenance 
How often do you perform a water change? 1-2x per week
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? 50%
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? Seachem prime, Seachem stability, Tetra plant food (though I only use half what they recommend)

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

Ammonia: ?
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 20
pH: 7.5
Hardness: 75
Alkalinity: 80

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? Lost color, tattered fins, clamped fins
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? Eating less, Hiding more
When did you start noticing the symptoms? Tattered fins about a week ago, other behaviors have been present about 1 month
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? Betta revive
Does your fish have any history of being ill? Not that I'm aware of.
How old is your fish (approximately)? I've had him 3 months, bought as an adult from Petco


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## redandpurple (Aug 19, 2014)

Here are pics of my tank setup and betta


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## mart (Dec 18, 2013)

Try using Seachem Paraguard. It is for Bacterial and Viral finrot, besides ich and parasites. I have been treating mine for 11 days now, and he looks great. It won't harm your tank or bacteria, you just need to remove any carbon or ammonia chips, etc. Leave a sponge in there.
I will be treating mine for 21 days total. Seachem says to treat them 7 days, or 14-21 days if they are tolerating it well.
Also do a water change and vac every two days.


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## freeflow246 (Jul 24, 2011)

I would stop the betta revive. It's methylene blue, which is used to treat poisoning (ammonia or nitrite), fungus, and parasites. Although there are better things for parasites and fungus. Your fish has fin rot, and there are better ways to treat that. Using super general medicines USUALLY isn't the best course of action.

Keeping him in the .5 gal is probably easiest. Dose it at 1 tsp of aquarium salt per gallon and keep up with the water changes. No need to keep changing water in the 5 gal if there's no animals in there producing waste. Give him some frozen bloodworms every day. The protein will help him heal. Let us know if the salt doesn't help him improve.

NOW if the ends of his fins aren't black, he could just be fin-biting. If that's the case, try to give him some new things in his tank to keep him interested and keep his water clean.


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## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

+1 to free flow.

the best way to cure fin rot is daily 100% water changes.


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## mart (Dec 18, 2013)

VivianKJean said:


> +1 to free flow.
> 
> the best way to cure fin rot is daily 100% water changes.


That is not entirely true.
Fin rot is usually caused by bacteria or it's viral. Salt is like putting a band-aide on it. I know I treated mine like that for over a year now, and the fin rot continues to come back, even though the tank is kept clean.
Paraguard is very friendly, and will kill the infection, not just cover it up for a while as so it will return.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

+1 to mart

It's actually not fin rot, it's fin biting. 
http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=346377


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## mart (Dec 18, 2013)

lilnaugrim said:


> +1 to mart
> 
> It's actually not fin rot, it's fin biting.
> http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=346377


+1 lilnaugrim

I think it's a little of both now. It may have started out as biting, which in turn caused fin rot to start.


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