Betta Tail: Flaking And Falling Off In Splinters?

[Natalie79]

I've noticed a change in my betta since this morning:
1) Tiny little bubbles all over his body... so small u can barley see them but they're there.
2) His colors look darker, this started since yesterday

By the time I got back from work this afternoon I notice:
1) The tank is full of little black splinters which then I realized are bits of his fins. They look so frayed and torn, and patched with black (he looks like a wilted leaf)
2) He's staying around the surface quite a bit rather than sleeping in his shelter, and breathing looks harder.

The water is clean, not murky, temp. is 78 ... i can't think of anything else that could be causing this other than a viral/bacterial infection? Has anyone of you ever seen this?

If yes ad you got your fish through it, what should I do? I added some anti-fungi /bacterial medicine into the tank... i hope it's not too late to save him

Help me save Jack
~Nat

 

[joycould]

To low of ph will damage the tail, just as to high of ammonia will. If those are stable then I would think either fin rot or tail biter. Plastic plants will rip up a tail also.

 

[lilfishie]

what size tank is he in? what decore, as said plastic plants will tear his tail? is he eating still? last water change?

 

[SoCalMom]

Oh goodness, that's not good

Do you have a water test kit?

Do you use water conditioner?

 

[Natalie79]

Unfortunately in my town, in this part of the world, we don’t have luxuries of fish tank tests and a lot of the medicines mentioned here on the forum. I even avoid pet shops since they are in horrible conditions and depressing for me! I got Jack as gift from a friend, and it took all my guts to go downtown to the petstores to get the tank. But despite none of this available to me, i styill want to try and make this fish happy!

I’ve used regular drinking water, treated with Aquadene: anti-chlorine. I’ve added Aqua media anti-fin rot… but I am afraid that is all I have available to me! this is horrible!!!

If the ammonia is low/high… is there a way I can figure this out and treat it?

I have also noticed this post on someone else’s thread: http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showto...t&p=1649793
“I'm going to second ammonia burn.. You need to immediately change his water and add some salt or IAL or BWE to assist in healing, and give him a bit of a warmer temperature to make him comfortable..â€

Adding salt? How much salt? Could that really help? My tank is 18cmX14cm and 24cm high (is that too small?) water filled to top save for 2 inches. I’m going to try with the salt, as I’ve already added a drop of anti-fin rot medicine. There were plastic plants, but not sharp, and he never went near them. I have removed them now just incase. The bed of his tank is covered with smooth pebbles… nothing sharp and jagged.

Any more suggestions?

 

[SouthernCross]

The little bubbles on his body - do they look like tiny grains of salt? If it does then he has ich, and you need an ich medicine. I'm surprised no one picked up on that and asked you already. I'm pretty sure there's a pinned ich topic in the Emergency forum.

Just because the water looks clean doesn't mean it is - ammonia builds up if you don't change his water, the smaller his tank is the more changes needed, especially if its an unfiltered tank. Is it filtered? If so did you cycle it? I calculated your tank size to be a 6 litre/1.5gallon ish tank (when full). Small tanks like that need at least second day changes if they don't have a cycled filter.

At this point, determine if he has another disease (perhaps ich like I suggested in relation to what you describe as bubbles) and treat accordingly. In addition, change at least some of his water everyday - no matter what the disease, this will be beneficial, but in particular for ich. If it is ich too, raising the temp helps.

Ammonia you can only figure out if you have a test kit - but if you don't and can't get one - then regular large water changes are the best way to deal with it.

As for salt - you can't just add regular table salt, its not the right stuff. You need aquarium salt which any pet store would have, regardless of how much you hate them, you should make the trip, especially if u need more meds. The instructions for dosage will be on the carton. On my carton, it recommends about one rounded tablespoon for 5 gallons. So calculate accordingly. Also, make sure you dissolve the salt fully in a cup of his tankwater before adding it - if you add it straight in the crystals will burn him, and it sounds like thats the last thing he needs atm!

Good luck.

 

[jollysue]

Any salt will do. No iodine or additives, just straight cooking salt, rock salt or livestock salt. It will disolve faster in hot water.

 

[Natalie79]

...You need aquarium salt which any pet store would have, regardless of how much you hate them, you should make the trip, especially if u need more meds.

Sorry, SC, but you misunderstood: The pet stores ARE the problem: They don't have any of the supplies you mentioned above! NO tank tests, no PH/Ammonia tests, non of the special betta food mentioned... People are neither compassionate nor knowledgeable about animals here, and the least of all would be for fish. The pet store owners would think me insane for even trying to save Jack, after all just flush him down and buy another one for a buck is just so much easier, no?

And I'm not kidding. sad but true, and yet not what i want to talk about right now.. i can't change the way things are here, but i CAN learn and do a better job. instead i want to get as knowledgeable about bettas as i can, and if i can afford to, i'll order the needed things online.

Thank you SO much for the replies everyone, but he just died.

I have cared for bucket loads of all kinds of animals, birds and fish all my life. this is my first betta, i have had him for a few days, and have NEVER seen anything deteriorate so fast! Just like that and he was gone!

At a closer glance I found more problems on his skin: there was some murky, brownish-red blobs. almost like red mud. there was also a film of transparent stuff all over, like a second transparent layer of skin. I realize now that he must have already been quite sick before i got him. He would flare up at his reflection the first few days, then since yesterday and today he's been dull. I noticed that he hardly ate, but i thought that was normal since i read on a couple of online pages that they don't eat much and i should feed them every other day. Today i found a page that said healthy betta eat like "little pigs".

I have question: with my betta are two small zebra fish, and they both are in perfect condition. does this mean my water is fine? or are betta affected differently by PH levels and ammonia than the other fish? are they more senitive? I have taken them out of the tank and cleaned everything so that hopefully they haven’t caught what Jack had.

And to answer your question, SC: The water was clean, i clean more than 50% of it every two days.

Jack was my first betta, and now i am determined to do better with the next. i just hope the next will be healthier.

 

[SoCalMom]

...You need aquarium salt which any pet store would have, regardless of how much you hate them, you should make the trip, especially if u need more meds.

Sorry, SC, but you misunderstood: The pet stores ARE the problem: They don't have any of the supplies you mentioned above! NO tank tests, no PH/Ammonia tests, non of the special betta food mentioned... People are neither compassionate nor knowledgeable about animals here, and the least of all would be for fish. The pet store owners would think me insane for even trying to save Jack, after all just flush him down and buy another one for a buck is just so much easier, no?

And I'm not kidding. sad but true, and yet not what i want to talk about right now.. i can't change the way things are here, but i CAN learn and do a better job. instead i want to get as knowledgeable about bettas as i can, and if i can afford to, i'll order the needed things online.

Thank you SO much for the replies everyone, but he just died.

I'm sorry to hear that. RIP little guy

If I were you, I would hold off on getting another betta until you can find a lfs that sells the supplies you need. Are there any cities/towns close to you that have a Petco/Petsmart or a nice lfs?

 

[Natalie79]

If I were you, I would hold off on getting another betta until you can find a lfs that sells the supplies you need. Are there any cities/towns close to you that have a Petco/Petsmart or a nice lfs?

Sadly, the best stores ARE the ones around me, and yet they still are negligent. The better ones with people who do care for the animals are do not sell fish or tank supplies, but only animals and birds. My only chance is to order online! Shipping costs might be high, but I will see. If this all is going to prove too much of a hassle and unpractical and risky, I simply won't get another betta.

I am amazed by how attached i got to him though in just a few days. It's really an amazing fish!

 

[SoCalMom]

Sadly, the best stores ARE the ones around me, and yet they still are negligent. The better ones with people who do care for the animals are do not sell fish or tank supplies, but only animals and birds. My only chance is to order online! Shipping costs might be high, but I will see. If this all is going to prove too much of a hassle and unpractical and risky, I simply won't get another betta.

I am amazed by how attached i got to him though in just a few days. It's really an amazing fish!

That does suck. You can try Aquabid.com. It's like an Ebay for fish and fish supplies. If you get another betta, get at least a 2.5 gallon. The betta will enjoy the extra room . You don't have to get it (obviously), it's just a suggestion


I know what you mean about getting attached. I had a betta for one night before it died and I cried all day about it.

 

[jollysue]

If you shop a bit, and buy up the supplies at once, it can actually be cheaper to buy on line. I buy most of my fish supplies online, and it is much cheaper. Actually if you get a supply source that doesn't charge sales tax, in CA it is a pretty good trade off for shipping.

There are also some nice fish online. You don't say your location.

 

[joycould]

A lot of people cycle their aquariums with zebra fish. They are hardier than bettas when it comes to ammonia. Zebras do nip fins and the fin damage could have started the ball rolling for fin rot. My bettas are by themselves unless it is a mystery snail or trumpet snails in with them. Fish have slim coats is that what you were looking at? The spots could have been velvet also since they weren't white spots (ick). I do know what it is like to live in an area where the pet store carries the bare minimum for pets. I am sorry for your loss.

 

[Natalie79]

Zebras do nip fins and the fin damage could have started the ball rolling for fin rot.

I've noticed and i was so mad! I've read online on several sites that these fish could live in peace with with a betta. An hour after I bought them and put them in with Jack, the didn't attack him, but he was annoyed as they pecked everynow and then, so i removed them into a seperate bowl. I used the same water source for their bowl as I did the betta's.

As for Jack's problems, i've taken pictures! i'M going to upload them on a seperate thread so we can maybe discuss them. I want to know more, and learn what was and what was not normal so if i go back for another betta, i will know what to look out for.

Will check the pictures now! Be back in a bit.