He Just Won't Heal

[SELINA]

So I've had my betta since I got my tank about 8 months ago. I did get a couple of dwarf gourami maybe 3 months ago, and they started nipping at him so they had to go back to the shop After that they started healing up quite well, and I thought we were all going to live happily ever after.

Alas no.

A few weeks later they stopped healing. Just stopped getting any better, didn't get any worse mind you, but definitely no better. I did wonder if this was maybe just a phase, and as his behaviour was completely normal I thought he would heal up when he was ready. However a few of weeks ago his fins started getting a little worse and white bits appeared at the edges. I bought some anti-fungus & fin rot, removed the carbon from the filter and treated the tank, and then treated it again a week later.

The whiteness has pretty much gone but they're still not growing (see picture below). Help.

This is what his fins look like, although they almost seem to change daily from getting a fraction better to a fraction worse. I don't know why they aren't healing. He was beautiful when we got him, and although he doesn't seem particularly bothered by the fact he's about a third of the size he was before, I would quite like his fins to grow back.

I've read something about aquarium salt?? If this will help can anyone recommend a brand??

He eats fine, flakes and some frozen bloodworm cubes mainly, along with some frozen mosquito larvae I caught in late summer (and fully cleaned, I promise). I do regular water changes, about 10% a week. Clean the filter every two weeks at least. Very high 02 levels because of the bubble wall along the back wall of the tank. He's not harassed by any other fish. I really can't figure out why he's not growing them back! Any help or advice would be much appreciated

55L tank, planted, with bogwood.

1 picto catfish (non-agressive)
2 bronze corydoras
1 sailfin plec
5 harlequin
1 female killifish (Male died :'( we are awaiting a male in the fish shop)

 

[Brightestdai]

What kind of betta? I've had this problem with crown tails with Gourami's and his fins never grew back. I find with the fancier Betta's there are more problems with them and more up keep. Aquarium salt is great for all fishes, I have a 55g and use a 1 ounce cup to hold the salt. I change it once a week with water change.

 

[Flute]

Hi Selina,

such a shame about his lovely fins! I would start doing a small water change daily, and also soak his food in garlic juice- this will help boost his immune system. Never add salt to an aquarium with scaless fish like corydora- they can't handle it in even small quantities, and it's not needed unless you're trying to treat for something specific. Otherwise if you use it too often you can end up loosing any beneficial qualities from it.

Can I ask what your water stats are please? Especially ammonia and nitrite. Your tank is very heavily over stocked, and the amount of water your changing per week is very low. Sailfin plecos grow to be giants and are really unsuited to any tank under 60 gal. Do you know what species of pictus it is you have? Either way, he is going to be another species that are far too large for a 55 ltr tank. I'm sorry to be the bringer of bad news, but I very strongly recommend you either upgrade your tank to something much larger or rehome the plec and pictus. Large species of fish that are kept in small tanks for too long will eventually become stunted, which can lead to both physical deformities and shortened life spans.

Although I could be wrong, my feelings are that you may have elevated levels of ammonia or nitrite in your tank from how heavily stocked the tank is and how little water you're changing per week. If so this could be why he's not healing and could open him up to secondary infections. With a stocking like this you really need to be looking at changing at least 60% per week. Can I also suggest that you introduce some veg into his diet, especially peas, as although bloodworm and live foods are great treats for betta, it doesn't take much to bloat them or for them to become constipated, both of which can lead to death.

Please keep us updated, would love to know how this little guy gets on

 

[SELINA]

Hey, thanks for the great advice, I should mention I know I'm overstocked, the plan is to upgrade the tank in the next month or two before the fish become large as they're still little at the moment, to a large one in the chimney breast wall in the bedroom.
I've tried feeding the fish chopped peas before, but they just didn't get it. Ignored the food completely.
I'll up the water changes, is a daily 10% advisable over a 60% change in one go?
Ammonia is 0, nitrite and nitrate are both 0 too. I check these weekly, and they haven't changed since I cycled in the tank. I siphon the sand every week and keep the filter clean using only tank water.
In the chatroom MBOU advised some Melafix, which is on it's way. I will try the garlic juice when I feed them, thanks very much, I'll keep this updated

 

[Flute]

I would do 20% water changes daily, and eventually once you go back to weekly water changes it'll be fine to do 60% in one go. Upgrades are always fun Do you know what size you're going to get? If it's a very big tank, then I'd recommend you keep your betta in the 55 litre- they tend to struggle in larger tanks because of how large their fins are. You could have a lovely little set up with your betta as a centre piece, a shoal of pygmy corydora, some ammano shrimp and a shoal of something like chilli rasbora Just a thought!

With the peas, put them in water, microwave them for about 20-30 seconds. Let them cool down and then pop them out of the shells, and then crush them between your fingers into as small pieces as possible. Once they get the idea about peas they'll scoff them down happily

No nitrate readings suggest that your tank has cycled- how long has the tank been set up?

Melafix will help him heal too Some people have said that they've had problems with melafix and betta- something to do with the oil in the medication that causes issues with their labyrinth system. This shouldn't happen, but if you start to worry about him just do a large water change.

 

[SELINA]

I was thinking of moving the tank into the basement (it has got natural light down there) and getting some shrimp and maybe a the corys with a few new ones in there.
I don't know the size of the new tank, the headboard of our double bed is just a little shy of the width of the chimney breast, so somewhere along those lines.
Tank cycled in june/july and we've had no problems with ammonia or nitrite or nitrate since.