# Water temperature for betta with fin rot



## Luminous (Mar 5, 2013)

I'm worried sick that I'm overheating my betta. He has slight fin rot, I believe from the plant I had in the tank having somewhat sharp edges (I removed the plant). I read up on the best cures and it seemed the salt water was the best way to go. Because it needs to be changed daily I moved him into a 1 gallon tank until he's better. I have a heating stick which I put into his temporary tank and it slowly went up from 78 degrees to 88. I'm afraid he's going to overheat and die but I'm also afraid that if I take his heater out it will become too cold (probably mid 70's), and at a quick rate as he is now in such a small container. I was looking things up hours ago when it was 84 or so and felt relieved when I found a post somewhere about the water being better off in the upper 80's when being treated but I don't recall the maximum temperature posted and I can no longer find the website. Can someone with experience give me the best course if action?


----------



## Kanra Chan (Feb 8, 2013)

It is recommended for the water to be AROUND 80 with the use of salt, in order for the salt to be used more effectively. 
Bettas are more at risk from overheating than low temperatures, because of the reduced oxygen, dependance on the labyrinth organ, and stress on the body. 
But lower temperatures will depress the immune system.
I would say, use your judgement.
Whatever temperature you can keep consistent is the one you should go with.


----------



## Luminous (Mar 5, 2013)

I ended up moving him to a larger tank again so I don't have to worry about him overheating.


----------



## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

Anything over 85F is too much. Glad you moved him! Too warm speeds up the biological process and they die faster, the same as if the temp is too low and their processes are slowed.


----------



## Luminous (Mar 5, 2013)

I switched him to Bettafix since the full tank takes more work to redo every day. Will this work?


----------



## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

Best temperature is 78F-80F. 
When you mean saltwater, do you mean aquarium salt? Marine salt and aquarium salt are two completely different things.. Bettafix is a dangerous medicine. You should do a 100% change right away. It contains an oil called "tea tree oil" which coats the labyrinth and suffocates them. 

Stay to the temperature that's consistent. Fluctuations are much more stressful than high or low temperatures. Stick with the *aquarium salt *treatment, too.


----------



## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

I would no longer use bettafix. That shouldn't even be on the market. Kanaplex would be your best bet for aggressive treatment. If you're concerned for any other fish, remove the betta and keep him in a small bowl or something. 

*eta* thought this was a different thread, so I cut out some things.


----------



## Luminous (Mar 5, 2013)

Thank you for the help. I had no idea the bettafix is harmful. He's used to 80 degree temperature and I have it at 75 in my room. Will that be okay for him to go down until he's cured? It doesn't seem that the heater will be safe in the smaller 1 gallon tank and changing a two gallon constantly is a lot of work.


----------



## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

Bump the heat in the bedroom then if you can. Or get a space heater. 75F is slightly too cold for any betta. He will much prefer 79-81F.


----------



## Kanra Chan (Feb 8, 2013)

Any medication is harmful if you use it incorrectly.

BettaFix is not inherently harmful, there are lots of horror stories about MELAFIX though, and that one definitely should not be used with bettas.

BettaFix is specifically formulated for bettas. Knowing the risk, you should only use it in amounts prescribed and in small tanks.

I use BettaFix, and my fish react very well to it. It definitely depends on the fish, although the risk of coating the labyrinth is low to none with BettaFix, most fish have an immediate stress reaction to any medication. 

It wouldn't be on the market if it was responsible for copious amounts of betta deaths, as projected by some people. Of course, your judgement is best, and there are countless alternatives. If you feel there is a risk, you are correct in not wanting to take it.


----------



## Luminous (Mar 5, 2013)

I switched him to the 1 gallon tank and raised my room temperature to 77 but his temperature is only 70. It went down very slowly so hopefully he's going to be okay with that. He seems fine though. I switched him back to the salt. Any ideas of when I should notice changes?


----------



## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

Well I doubt you will see any growth without warm water. Very little. My sister keeps cold water bettas and one bites its fins, never to regrow. And her VT succumbed to some fungus which warm water would have killed off easily. 
I cannot stress enough the importance of a heater right now. Without one, your fish can live but he won't be very active. Like polar opposite of what he should be. 

If it is true fin rot, the cold water will only allow it to progress- not really getting better 100%. The salt won't do much except prevent it from spreading so he might remain in a sort of miserable limbo.


----------



## Luminous (Mar 5, 2013)

Do you know of anything offhand that can be used to keep the smaller tank warm? Do you think it would be safe to put a heating pad for people under the tank?


----------



## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

Actually it might. I tried wrapping the hospital tank I'm using now for my mom's fish but it did not have a significant effect on the temp of the water. Water heats up and cools slower than the air around us... I would suggest a human heating pad, a desk lamp or placing the tank on a table over a radiator (but not dangerously close, to harm the tank or fish)


----------



## callistra (Jun 29, 2010)

No a heating pad is not okay. it has no off and the on and off would create fluctuations that are hard on bettas, maybe even lethal. same reason you don't want to use a heat lamp.


----------



## Luminous (Mar 5, 2013)

I just raised my room tempurature to 80 so hopefully that will warm his tank enough to make him healthy again.


----------



## Agility4fun (Nov 16, 2012)

Luminous said:


> He's used to 80 degree temperature and I have it at 75 in my room. Will that be okay for him to go down until he's cured? It doesn't seem that the heater will be safe in the smaller 1 gallon tank and changing a two gallon constantly is a lot of work.


I'm battling fin rot/clamping with mine right now and he showed some improvement yesterday and then we found him near death in the corner of his tank this morning. We discovered the water was cold and the heater wasn't working consistently. I put him straight away into another container with warm water and he perked up a bit but he's not recovered to his condition he was yesterday. I ran out and got another heater. This will be a set back to his recovery and I hope he can make it. Sooo, I think a proper heater is of utmost importance and slightly warmer than not.


----------



## Luminous (Mar 5, 2013)

His temperature went up to 73 but I was thinking of getting a heater that will work in the one gallon tank. I'm worried about it not being a good product though. Any experience with heaters that are good for one gallons?


----------



## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

You can use a 25 watt heater just set it really low and watch it for the first few hours. The safest heaters in my opinion at the lowest watt is 25. I tried both 7.5 watt and 10 watt. While they all worked without ever burning the water, they last about a year and slowly start going down. 

If you want to put 16$ down on a heater, get a 10 watt one for now but you will have to get a 25w anyway when you move him back to the larger tank.


----------



## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

Can you float him inside the larger tank? Or, if you want a heater for a one gallon, you can try getting a preset one that's between 7.5 to 10 Watts. They cost about $12. Or, as suggested, you could get an adjustable 25W one for about $5 more.

Edited to add: Or, I could have just written +1 on what Laki wrote above! LOL


----------

