# White/grey slime on his fins. Is it fin rot?



## smilingbat (Mar 11, 2013)

Tohru is my male fish who I think Is a crowntail.
*Housing *
*What size is your tank?*
I'm not sure. It's about the size of a milk gallon. I plan on getting a bigger one soon.
*What temperature is your tank?*
I heard that heaters in tanks under 2.5 gal cold kill them, so I don't have one. The house is usually at 75 degrees Fahrenheit. 
*Does your tank have a filter?*
No. I plan on getting one when I get a new tank.
*Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration?*
I've never heard of this actually. I'll look into getting something.
*Is your tank heated?*
No. I plan to get a heater when he gets a bigger tank.
*What tank mates does your betta fish live with?*
He's alone.
*Food*
*What type of food do you feed your betta fish?*
I give him betta pellets, with the occasional dried blood worm. 
*How often do you feed your betta fish?*
Once, sometimes twice if he looks hungry. 
*Maintenance *
*How often do you perform a water change?*
I do a 95% water change and scrub down of rocks and tank every month (Never with soap, just hot water), and a 50% after 2 weeks. I just read that this is no where near enough and i will try to increase it to 50% twice a week.
*What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change?*
I add some type of water conditioner i got from petco. I think it removes chlorine.
*Water Parameters:*
*Have you tested your water?*
I have not.
*Symptoms and Treatment*
*How has your betta fish's appearance changed?*
He has this slime on the tips of his tail. Its greyish and is clear enough I can still see his fins. But I just looked at pictures of him from when I first got him, and it looks like his tail is not as full. There are also a couple of blood red dots on the tips of his tail.
*How has your betta fish's behavior changed?*
Not at all. He's still blowing bubbles and swimming around looking at everyone who comes in. He's eating the same.
*When did you start noticing the symptoms?*
Last Night I noticed the slime. I never noticed the tail until I looked at a picture a few minutes ago. 
*Have you started treating your fish? If so, how?*
No, I don't want to accidentally kill him with meds for something else because I can't diagnose him.
*Does your fish have any history of being ill?*
I haven't noticed any illness before.
*How old is your fish (approximately)?*
I got him a little less than a year ago.

Is it possible for fin rot to be so slow that It's not noticeable until you look at a picture from before? Or am I just blind?
My mother says the slime might be because of his plant, but would that cause slow fin decay? A few weeks ago he was rearranging his rocks, and I didn't know why. I checked him for the signs of parasites and I couldn't find anything. He stopped as soon as he had them all on one side of the tank and he had uncovered his plant (causing it to float).
I put him in a temporary tank with clean water as soon as I noticed the slime like stuff, and he seemed to be a little sad last night to be away from his plant. But this morning he was back to his old self.
I'm now aware that my poor water changes could have caused fin rot, but I was not aware it could be such a slow process. 
I would just like to be clear if it is fin rot and I'm also wondering how I should treat the slime, or if it will go away on its own? Any help would be appreciated. I really love him and I would hate him to suffer any more due to my stupidity.


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## callistra (Jun 29, 2010)

Can you share photos? 

Bettas need to be kept in 2 gallons minimum. In these twice weekly water changes of 50% and 100% are needed. Bettas kept in 1 gallon containers live an average of about 2 years compared to double that+ in larger containers. The 1 gallon would need 3 weekly water changes of 50%, 50% and 100%, and even then they will be subjected to ammonia.

The 50% changes the betta can be kept in the bowl and use a turkey baster to remove half the water and as much of the debris as possible. For the 100% you need to remove him - scoop him out with a plastic solo type cup and set aside while you thoroughly rinse the bowl and gravel to remove the debris. Then he should be acclimated to the new water by floating for an hour while you slowly add a couple tablespoons of new water to the cup every 10 minutes. When you release him, try to let as little of the old cup water back into the tank as possible. All water changes should use same temp water, matched to running tap using the in tank thermometer and the water needs to be premixed with conditioner before adding it to the betta tank. If you don't already have anything, you can use gallon water jugs from the grocery store - rinsed thoroughly in hot water but no chems. 

Bettas are tropical fish and must be kept at a temp between 76-82, with 78-80 being ideal. The temp must be stable and not be dipping or jumping around. In a 2 gallon you can get an adjustable 25w heater. Any new heater should be tested for 24 hours in similar size container with in tank thermometer to make sure it will hold a constant appropriate temp between 78-80F. Then the betta must be acclimated to higher temp either by floating in a cup inside the main already fully heated tank for an hour, or by adjusting the heater to increase the temperature of the tank no more than a degree per hour and 5 degrees per day. 

You should look for a good quality pellets whose first two or three ingredients are whole fish, not fish meal or wheat. He should be fed two small meals a day (how many depends on the pellet you pick up) and one fast day a week.


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## smilingbat (Mar 11, 2013)

callistra said:


> Can you share photos?
> 
> Bettas need to be kept in 2 gallons minimum. In these twice weekly water changes of 50% and 100% are needed. Bettas kept in 1 gallon containers live an average of about 2 years compared to double that+ in larger containers. The 1 gallon would need 3 weekly water changes of 50%, 50% and 100%, and even then they will be subjected to ammonia.
> 
> ...


Yes, thank you for clarifying, I am aware of this. I had originally bought him a 2.5 gallon tank, but I returned it because there was a space he would be able to jump into and get stuck (luckily he never did). Since then I have been looking for a tank that does not have this, and has a filter that won't eat his tail.
But my main question is the slime and what should I do to treat it. 
I looked into the fin rot, and because it's barely started, I was planning on trying aquarium salt to see if it helps without having to risk hurting him more with harsh meds. I heard other people use it to treat slight fin rot, is this true? And if so, is there a certain type I should use?
I am unable to get any pictures because he's moving around too much, and the temporary tank is a cylinder so if he moves an inch it distorts his look.


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## callistra (Jun 29, 2010)

The best thing you can do is to get his water quality under control, including a heater. Without it his immune system will be shot and he can't recover.

Without photos I can't really diagnose him.. but you can try aquarium salt. It's this: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produ...25376707&catargetid=1570169900&cagpspn=plaNot people or marine salt. You dissolve 1 tsp per gallon in separate cup with some of his water and it. You only add more with a water change and then only add as much as water you actually replace, keeping the same ratio of 1 tsp per gallon. You can do this up to 10 days safely.


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## smilingbat (Mar 11, 2013)

Thank you.
I never realized anything because his behavior never changed and he was blowing bubbles and eating properly.
I guess some fish's behavior doesn't change with illness?


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## smilingbat (Mar 11, 2013)

I'm sorry to bump this up, but I have another question.
I looked up pictures of other crowntails and his fins actually look just like theirs, so I'm not as concerned about that part (I added some aq salt to his tank just in case).
But, I have a question regarding the slime. I read something that said water conditioner with aloe in it can cause an opaque slime to show up on things in the tank, including their fins. Is this true? because this is also present on my plants as well, and a little at the bottom of the tank. I use Splendid water conditioner from petco (I believe its called that) and it says there's aloe in it.
And if it is from the water conditioner, is it harmful? will the slime kill him if it doesn't go away soon? I'm sorry for asking so many questions and double posting.


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