# I think my betta has finrot



## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

Hello everybody
I think my betta fish might have finrot. I keep him in a 5g with plenty of plants, diy co2, heated to 78, and running a filter. I do partial water changes once a week (about 40%). Yesterday I saw some of his fins have turned a light grey/brown colour and was wondering if this is finrot. Anyway heres a pic

http://www.fishforums.com/forum/album.php?albumid=709&pictureid=5471

Any suggestions what I should do? I'm thinking about putting him into my hospital tank with some aquarium salt, bettafix, and nutrafin cycle.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

My definition of fin rot is fins getting shorter with nothing nipping them. 

Not sure about the nutrafin cycle. I prefer to keep "cycled" extra filters running that I can move to hosp. as needed. Some of the "seeding" products can be high in ammonia or can have so many bacteria they deplete the oxygen in the water. I would use the Cycle in the tank, but a few days before adding a fish. Trying to "cycle with fish" in a small tank with an already ill fish is asking for trouble. Better to assume an "uncycled" tank, use a product that "detoxifies ammonia and nitrite" chemically and change water everyday. IME, extremely clean water is the best med for finrot anyway.


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

ok thanks,
once I get home I'll do a waterchange in his regular aquarium and see how things go. I have an extra filter running in my 5g so that wouldn't be the problem, I also have a small heater I can use in the hopital tank which gets the temperature to about 76 - 78. I've heard some bad stuff about Bettafix out there. Anything your aware of?


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Don't overdose bettafix. Bettafix is oily and can hurt the air-breathing organ of a betta.


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

Don't use bettafix. Try betta revive. It has malachite green and methlyn blue in it.


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

I just put him in his hospital tank (half gallon critter keeper) with a heater and filter. I also added aquarium salt to the water. I will do daily water changes until the fin rot is gone. I also stacked up items around his tank so that he doesn't get as stressed. I;ll keep you guys updated.


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

ok so Today is day three of him being in his hospital tank. Its a 2L critter keeper that I'm keeping heated to 76f and filtering. As treatment I'm doing a 100% waterchange wach day, in the water I put some aquarium salt and betta fix. I use one teaspoon of aquarium salt per 2.5g of water. I'm using 25 drops of betta fix for his 2L cage which is a bit underdosed. The problem is that his fins have gotten worse and that more fins are now affected. I'm clueless to what I'm doing wrong. Any help?


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

Do 50 percent water changes. Try raising the temp to 80-84 degrees. Does your betta flare a lot? His fins could be bursting from overuse. My site has info on fin rot. http://bettacare.webs.com/diseaseandsickness.htm


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

I can't raise his temperature that high in his hospital tank since it isn't adjustable. He isn't flaring at all because I covered his hospital tank so that he isn't as stressed. Why would 50% changes be better in this tiny cage?


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

products like melafix and bettafix are pretty good for treating fin rot..amongst a few other problems...but they are made from an oil...the mistake that people make when treating bettas is that they don't create enough turbulence on the water's surface...an air diffuser will break up the surface and disburse the oils throughout the tank and not let it lay on the surface of the water...
and NO !!!!! your betta will not drown from all of the motion of the water...only idiots drown their fish...how the heck do you drown a fish anyhow....sheeesh..


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

By not having enough circulation in the water without an air hole at the top. Try doing bettafix baths which should be only a couple hours long.


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

I think theres a missunderstanding here, there is circulation since I got the filter. And it does brake the surface because the water drops from pretty high down (which also keeps me awake at night but oh well). I'm going to keep using bettafix because it appears to me that if you don't use too much it's fine. I guess you got the whole no circulation by me saying his cage is covered which I guess I used the wrong wording because I didn't actually cover it up, but sorta constructed a baricade around it with cardboard. I will keep this u and do daily waterchanges of 50% like Betta Man suggested, and if it doesn't get better in a week I'll take him to a fish doctor.


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## mdoran11 (May 7, 2012)

Is there such a thing as a fish doctor? Hopefully it gets better, sounds like a rotten disease. You better believe there was pun intended haha.


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

lol, I hope there is. I just don't want to amputate the fish myselve if it comes to that. Awiously as a last step. Today marks day 4 and still no sign of improvement. At least the shrimp enjoy having a 5g for themselves without having to hide all day


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

I didn't. Chard56 coached me in a chat room while I did surgery. All you need is clean, sharp scissors and cut off the infected area.


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

I'll still wait with the amputating untill it gets much worse since right now all there is are the tips of the fins getting disuloured. I just did a 50% waterchange and my betta seems as happy as ever, swimming around as much as he can in his 2L. Still No improvement to his fins sadly though  Another problem is that I'm gone starting thursday for 1 week and I don't really know how well my parents will take care of my betta even after I tell them how to.


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

he doesn't appear to have fin rot.


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

What is it then?


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

if you broke your fingers ; should we cut them off...
amputating finnage id for idiots and butchers..


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

Well I think it is something you can do as a last step if the roting almost reached the body


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

first off i don't think that your betta has finrot.....it looks more like parts of his fins are changing color.....they do do that you know...(info from my wife..she is the betta expert)
if finrot gets so close to the body that you feel you have to amputate fins ; you haven't been treating...or at least not treating properly...
since i am not real familiar with all of the 3,847 different types of bettas i am only going to try to guess what kind yours is...to me it appears to be a crowntail ; or some variation thereof...fintips often look a little off color...

maybe you might want to leave him alone for awhile and just watch him...
good luck...and enjoy your fish.


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

Argue with chard, he's the one I listen to. My fish is alive right now. that's all I care about.


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

He is a crowntail (acording to my Lps), and thank you and thank you to your wife for that information. Tommorrow I'll clean the 5g and put him back into it. I really love this forum, thank you everybody.


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