# Fin rot and cut fins getting worse.



## Clee9 (Apr 17, 2011)

Hello,
I bought my betta fish Sam three weeks ago from a local Pet Co. Sam is a male, half-moon double tail plakat (if that matters.) It was my first time getting a Betta fish since I was a child and it didn't take me long to realize that there was something wrong with his fins. I noticed that pelvic fins had a silverish look to them and after a week I was sure that it grew. So I started to read up online about Betta fish and eventually found out about fin rot. I google imaged pictures of fin rot and it looked exactly like what Sam has. 

I found this website http://www.petfish.net/articles/Bettas/finrot.php
and bought the Jungle Fungus eliminator online off of Amazon. 

I have followed the instructions and given Sam three treatments (his third yesterday) every fourth day. At 1 teaspoon for the 2.5 gallon tank. However, his fin rot looks like it is getting much worse and I am getting more worried. His bottom fin that is long and connected now has a split in it and the top fins look like they are rotting also. 

He has two fake plants and a little rock thing to hang swim around in his tank. 

Housing 
What size is your tank 2.5 gallons 
What temperature is your tank - Room temperature (no thermometer)
Does your tank have a filter - No
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration - No.
Is your tank heated - No
What tank mates does your betta fish live with - None

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? - I feed him San Francisco Bay Brand Freeze Dried Blood Worms.
How often do you feed your betta fish? - Every day, for 6 days, for about 2 minutes or until he doesn't eat the food immediately. I have read that it is good to give them one day off to digest the food. So I don't feed him on the seventh day. 

Maintenance 
How often do you perform a water change- Right now every four days, the first two times of medicine treatment I did full water changes, this third time just 25% water change. 
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? - Currently Nutrafin Betta Plus water conditioner but I just switched to Top Fin water conditioner.

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? No.


Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed - Yes (explained above)
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? - He has actually grown fatter and is much more active since I originally bought him from the pet store, regardless of his fin problems.
How old is your fish (approximately)? No idea.


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## turtle10 (Dec 30, 2010)

Clee9 said:


> Hello,
> I bought my betta fish Sam three weeks ago from a local Pet Co. Sam is a male, half-moon double tail plakat (if that matters.) It was my first time getting a Betta fish since I was a child and it didn't take me long to realize that there was something wrong with his fins. I noticed that pelvic fins had a silverish look to them and after a week I was sure that it grew. So I started to read up online about Betta fish and eventually found out about fin rot. I google imaged pictures of fin rot and it looked exactly like what Sam has.
> 
> I found this website http://www.petfish.net/articles/Bettas/finrot.php
> ...


What was the original water change schedule?


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## Clee9 (Apr 17, 2011)

Hey Turtle10, 

Thanks for responding, 

I don't know what the room temperature is, I don't have a thermometer inside and my apartment is very old so I don't control the heat, there is no thermostat. I live in Chicago and it has gone up and down from 70 degrees outside to 49 degrees Fahrenheit. I don't think that is helpful but I have no way to tell you the room temp right now. When I dip my finger in the water it is cool to the touch, a little cold. 

Thanks for the advice on the food. I will cut it down and change to a different type. Originally for the first week that I had Sam I was feeding him the flakey fish food and he would barely eat it. Can I ask why you suggest pellets? I was reading a list of food that Betta's like and are good for them and pellets ranked fairly low. (This was off of a different website and it could be inaccurate though)

The original schedule on the water change was once a week, a full water change.

-C Lee


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## turtle10 (Dec 30, 2010)

Clee9 said:


> Hey Turtle10,
> 
> Thanks for responding,
> 
> ...


Okay the tank really needs a heater. The water should never feel cold.

In a 2.5 you should do two 50% and one 100% percent a week. Once you are done treating him continue on this schedule.

Pellets have the most nutrients densely packed of all the foods. You don't need to feed pellets, but that would require a a large variety of frozen and live foods being fed daily. Frozen food and live food are the only foods that rank above pellets. Freeze dried foods are at the bottom. They are like potato chips for fish. Flakes pollute the water, are too large for bettas to bite whole, and are difficult to feed an exact amount. 

What website was this? It seems inaccurate because freeze dried should never be fed over pellets.


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## Harley (Mar 20, 2011)

You definitely need a heater (25W) and I'm sure Pet Co. will have a decent selection of them. While there, also pick-up a thermometer you can use to test the water's temp on a regular basis, at least daily. I use a thermometer that came with a suction cup attached to it so I could keep it in the tank and easily read it. Good luck!


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## Silverfang (Mar 25, 2011)

raising the temperature is important, I even have a 10W in my 2.65 gal, it's at a comfy 76 (even that can be considered on the cool side). A thermometer is a must to accompany it.
Also follow turtles advice on the food, they may love freeze dried, but it's not good for them


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## Clee9 (Apr 17, 2011)

*Thanks ^^*



Silverfang said:


> raising the temperature is important, I even have a 10W in my 2.65 gal, it's at a comfy 76 (even that can be considered on the cool side). A thermometer is a must to accompany it.
> Also follow turtles advice on the food, they may love freeze dried, but it's not good for them


Thank you all! I switched to the pellets, and I will head out to the pet store and buy a thermometer and heater. 

Do any of you know how long it usually takes fin rot to go away? I wonder how long I should continue this treatment, and if I shouldn't just wait a week and try a different medicine. Do the silver marks on the fins go away? I think I need to do some more reading on this. 

Thanks for all of your help!

-C Lee


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## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

If you could get a picture, or even link to a picture that looks similar, that would help a lot.


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## Harley (Mar 20, 2011)

I've heard fin rot can take several weeks to a few months depending how far along the fish was before you began treatment. Harley's at just past a month. I would definitely wait in between medications as you don't want to make him immune to the medication. Be sure to follow the medications directions regarding maximum dosage amounts or time limits. I can't remember if you said but have you tried Aquarium Salt (10 days max)?


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## Clee9 (Apr 17, 2011)

*Photos of Sam*

Hey Vaygirl, yes I will post a few pics I took today. 

Harley, thanks for letting me know. The medication I bought (Jungle Fungus Eliminator) does not mention a max dosage time on the bottle. (It says R.I.P. Harley? I am so sorry for your loss  )

Here are two photos of Sam from my Flickr, I can't remember how to post the photos directly on here, sorry! 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sugarloafed/5642653254/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sugarloafed/5642083937/in/photostream#/

When you get to the link if you click on the photo it is larger and more detailed.

Thanks,

-C Lee


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## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

i don't see any fin rot on Sam. looks like a beautiful betta fish to me. o.o


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## Harley (Mar 20, 2011)

Clee9 said:


> Harley, thanks for letting me know. The medication I bought (Jungle Fungus Eliminator) does not mention a max dosage time on the bottle. (It says R.I.P. Harley? I am so sorry for your loss  )


Don't worry yet. He's still fighting it. Thanks though


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## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

That's why I wanted to see pics. I've never heard of silver coloring associated with fin rot. He looks perfectly healthy to me, if a little bit frayed. They commonly change color, especially when we get them from the cup to their homes. 

I would go with keeping him warm by buying a heater, keeping up to date with his water changes (SO IMPORTANT!), and I would stop medicating him. All he needs to heal his fin damage is clean water and heat.


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## Clee9 (Apr 17, 2011)

*Not fin rot, a question for you then*



vaygirl said:


> That's why I wanted to see pics. I've never heard of silver coloring associated with fin rot. He looks perfectly healthy to me, if a little bit frayed. They commonly change color, especially when we get them from the cup to their homes.
> 
> I would go with keeping him warm by buying a heater, keeping up to date with his water changes (SO IMPORTANT!), and I would stop medicating him. All he needs to heal his fin damage is clean water and heat.


Hmm ok that is interesting. What does it mean then that part of his lower fin turned silverish and started deteriorating? It was originally small but got worse over time, as far as I can tell right now it has stopped but I am not 100% sure. It is hard to see in the picture because the flash makes it look like a part of his coloring. This happened on both sides. 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sugarloafed/5644199240/in/photostream

Also I just changed his water yesterday with another medicine treatment before reading all of this great feedback, so should I wait to change his water, or change it immediately to get the medicine out? 

Thanks for all of your help!


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## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

It was a coincidence, that color. His fins were deteriorating because his water changes weren't often enough and he was too cold to heal. Fish are cold blooded. Everything slows down when they're cold. So, wrong diet, too cold, dirty water, = frayed fins. 

The silvery color was coincidental. That's why I wanted to help you with that. Don't wait for it to go away. It won't.  All of my bettas develop light silvery tips on their anal fins. 

Just finish the medication and then get on a good water change schedule (like Turtle suggested, 2 50%, 1 100% weekly.)

Edit, he's beautiful by the way. I love his coloring.


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## Clee9 (Apr 17, 2011)

Thanks so much for your help! I will take all of the advice that I received from the responses on here, I greatly appreciate it! I am so happy to hear that he doesn't have fin rot! I am going to have to do a lot more reading about him (on this site) as soon as I can. So that I don't make mistakes like this in the future. Everything that you said makes sense since when I bought him from petco he was in a tiny, dirty water container that was also cold. 

Thanks, I love his coloring also 

Is that a photo of one of your fishies in your profile pic? So cute!  

I am so relieved, I can't wait to get to the pet store and get Sam all set up


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