Damaged Female Betta

Spader

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Well I noticed yesterday my female betta in my community tank has really badly ripped fins, all the other bettas in the tank though are looking better. heres some pics of her iin a 5 gallon with a damaged platy too

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any suggestions? shes pretty old now
 
What other fish are in the tank? It looks like she and the platies are being picked on by something. Another betta, perhaps? How long has she been in the community?
 
is it just me or does it look like the end of a crowntail male's tail at the bottom of the last pic :/
 
no, i believe it's a plant... unless she has a crowntail with a 5" tail. lol
 
First off, im a he :good: secondly, i dont own any male bettas. the other damaged palty came like that form the store, so they arent being picked on because the other fish are all perfect. shes been in the community for 4 months, and before that was with the 2 other bettas for 4 months.
 
Is the community tank only 5g, or is she in a 5g holding tank? If the community is only 5g, I should say it is terribly cramped to have 3 females and some platties (unless I've misread - highly possible). Females do best in groups of 4-6 in very heavily planted 10g tanks with caves; when too cramped or not sheltered enough, they can randomly snap and start attacking each other, even if they've been together for months on end. So, if this is truly a cramped 5g community with the wrong proportion of females, I'd say that is your problem.
If the community tank is not this 5g, but something larger, she could be bullied by any number of fish in that tank. Simply because the fish have gotten along so far does not mean they will continue to indefinately, so do not assume it could not be nipping. The large chunks almost suggest it, but I also see some discoloration, which would mean some vicious rot. Can you look at the fin tips and determine if they are blacked or bloodied?
Either way, I would pull her and put her in a small tank you can clean every other day. Sometimes aquarium salt and melafix is all you need to fix nips or rot, and keeping her good and clean, and without the stress of the community, can only help her. She also appears underweight, especially for a female. Clean water, salt, melafix, and enough good nutrition to fatten her up sounds like a good remedy to me. Good luck! :good:
 
back when i joined, the advice was to get 3 females or more together. there is plenty of space for ehr to hide, and shes gottena little skinnier, but im feeding her plenty. i monitor the tanks often, and i think the current might've ripped her a bit, and maybe another betta nipped her. she doesnt have fin rot. anyway, ill keep feeding her and when shes healed ill put her back in the 20 g.
 
I won't argue the advice you got here, though I do find it interesting, because the general consensus I've always seen with members and on the site's FAQ say 4-6 (or more in some cases, but not less) per 10g. But if it doesn't seem to be causing you big issues since the tank is large, glad its working out. :good:

It would stand to reason that if something is being fed plenty, it wouldn't lose weight. ;) But I'm sure you'll have time to fatten her up while she recovers.

I'm not sure what you mean by the current. Current alone shouldn't do too bad a number on a female's fins if they are reasonably short, which hers seem to be. However, if you mean that she's been getting her fins snagged on the input of the filter, there are a few ways to correct that, protecting her and the other fish. If you use filter sponge or pantyhose, you can cover the outside of the output, permitting water to flow through, but saving fish from getting fins trapped. I warn that it does reduce the current (not so much the foam, but the pantyhose) sometimes, and the biggest complaint I see with it is that it decreases the amount of debris pulled directly into the filter, so you need to gravel vac. more frequently. It may not be ideal for your tank, but it is a thought if it becomes an issue for her.

Before you put her back in the 20g, especially if there is even the slightest concern about nipping between the females, you'll want to pull the other two girls and re-arrange the decour a bit. When a female betta is removed from an established group for any length of time, the group will see her as a newcomer, and will bully her (or worse). By re-arranging the decour, you confuse everyone into thinking they're in a new territory, so while there may be some agression, it won't be the severe territorial agression you'd see if you left the two females in. After all, it'd be a pain in the butt to get her fins all healed, maybe do something about the filter, then put her back and have her old "roommates" beat her up. :X
 
thanks for the help :) \

Well i was thinking it was the filter currents, but i really dont know how she got so hurt. I put her in her own bowl, becasuse the other tank is being used for new fish (bday present today :/). I gravel vac everyday anyway, and i feed alot. i would get 1 or 2 new female bettas to reduce aggression, but now im fully stocked with the new fish. I am goign to redue the decor anyway, and i am buying new plants tomarrow, so it works out nicely. thanks again!
 
Cool. I hope she makes a speedy recovery, and good luck with the new fish! :good:
edit: OMG, you have a triops tank?! How fricken cool is that! Might I ask where you aquired them?
 
I bought them at walmart lol!! and thanks! also i found the culprit, the betta i rescued from walmart (it was a baby, i guess they tried to breed them :crazy: )
 
just damaged :good: Im goign to buy bowls for my bettas, although i need to sneak it past my mom somehow (only can have 2 tanks) and i dont really like bowls i dont think they have enough room. thanks everyone! :D
 

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