Clamped Fins

[Skylar]

My most recent betta always has clamped fins, whether his water is clean and fresh or a bit dirty. He seems to have no signs of disease at all. He is being kept in a gallon and a half of water (goldfish bowl) with a small castle, polished rocks and a silk plant.

The one thing I can think of relating to a disease would be that he has this large metallic spot under his chin. He also seems a bit skinny but as I have never seen a picture of a well-fed betta from a bird's eye view, I wouldn't know. He may have the starting of fin-rot, but I'm a firm believer that a little salt and clean water can cure almost anything.

Also, there is no heater but his water is kept warm by a light. I am also a firm believer that heaters cause nothing but problems because of fluctuations and heaters make for a sissy betta.


Skylar
Any help is appreciative but I cannot post a picture..

 

[BettaMomma]

I hafta disagree with you on the heaters issue.

I pulled all my heaters on every one of my tanks recently except the big ones as an experiment. They are all DEFINITELY much happier with them. I had several chewed tails - no bubblenests and lot of moping and clamping when the heaters were out. In fact, when they get up in the low 80's, everyone is most active. And the bubblenests are so high they almost touch the inside of the tank hoods.

For the most part, having a silvery metallic spot under their chins is normal, unless it changes over time or looks like a lump.

My first thought with clamped fins is either temperature issues or parasites. Do his fins look really stiff like he doesn't want to wiggle them at all? Sort of just like pointing straight out below and behind him? Can you get a good look at him up close and see if you see any sprinklings of anything? Even a little teeny powdery look?

 

[black angel]

If you get a thermometer then that will tell you if you have a problem with low temperatures. the light itself will cause fluctuations as you will have to turn it off at night.

 

[Prizm]

Easy enough to fix if it is heat-related. Both of my fish's fins opened up after about a month of extra warmth and my third clamped fish is on his way to recovery--Both of the recovered fish also suffered some tail rips, and I wonder if it might be related to the clamping.

 

[Skylar]

The betta is on my desk in the basement and his water never goes cold or close to it. It is always relatively warm.

If it's heat related, they'll have to stay clamped. I will not put a heater into a glass bowl and I can't relocate him into a different tank/aquarium.

BettaMomma, yes, it seems like his fins are a bit stiff.
I don't see any sprinkling..but I did finally notice that one eye is amber and one is blue. And his mouth is permanantly puckered like he is kissing someone.

Skylar

 

[BettaMomma]

I'd almost bet he's got some kind of parasites.

If it is parasites, you will most likely have to try to get the temp of that water up to around 82 - 85 degrees to speed up the lifecycle of the parasites.

Is he rubbing and scratching on anything?
Do you have a thermometer in his tank?

 

[Elisabeth83]

If it's heat related, they'll have to stay clamped. I will not put a heater into a glass bowl and I can't relocate him into a different tank/aquarium.

I've got a small heater in with my betta and he's in a glass bowl. It's been like that for a few months. I don't think the heater gets too hot at the tip of it so I don't think it will cause the bowl to crack or anything.

To me it sounds like it might be heat related. I'd think the temp flucuations would be greater with no heater in the bowl than with. The light might be on during the day time which keeps the bowl warm but at nights I'm sure you turn it off? Then the temp probably drops quite a bit.

 

[OrkyBetta]

My bettas all perked up and 'opened up' once their temperatures reached a steady 80. I would heat the tank, don't worry about the glass, people put heaters in glass tanks all the time! It would be an issue in a plastic tank, though, as plastic melts at lower temps than glass.

 

[Skylar]

Well, next time I'm at Wal-mart or if I go to my LFS to get water conditioner soon, Ill pick up a heater. How many watts should it be for 1 gallon and a half?

Skylar

 

[OrkyBetta]

1 gallon and a half is pushing it for heating. 2.5 is usuall what you need, but it isn't impossible to heat those tanks. I'm not sure of the wattage, something less than 50 watts I'm sure, call all of your lfs's and see if they have something.

 

[Skylar]

Only problem is..I dont have a store around me that specializes in stuff like this. They know nothing. I had to help them once trying to clean algae off an emptied tank because they thought they could use chemicals instead of good ol' elbow grease. xD Then they got mad and told me to go away. But I didn't..

anyways.....
I may eventually upgrade but as of now, I doubt it. My betta in my community tank is about a year and a half old now. He will probably y'know...kick the bucket by next June..Therefore I can move my new betta into there.

Kind of mean...but like you said, a gallon and a half is pushing it with a heater..and the heater will clog up my decor. Haha.

Maybe a 25 watt heater set so it's a low heat but still warm.

 

[OrkyBetta]

the 25 watt set on low will work fabulously. Don't count on your betta 'kicking it' as bettas can live to around 4 years old.