alli789
New Member
So my betta has had moderate fin rot for roughly a month now. I just finished Colin's recommended salt treatment: 2 weeks of treatment with aquarium salt, followed by one week of daily 10% water changes and then one week of daily 20% water changes to filter out the salt. Yesterday was literally the very last 20% water change to get the salt out. I've been cleaning the filter media when needed, wiping the glass, and gravel vacuuming thoroughly. (Honestly can't even find spots in the substrate with a lot of waste.) Everything has been kept very clean without crashing my cycle. (Tested parameters today.) Throughout the treatment, his fins didn't get worse and I even saw a tiny bit of new growth. Just yesterday, I noticed that my betta has a large split in his lower tail that I don't believe was there before. The new fin I noticed growing also appears to be gone and frayed. He still has dark edges on his fin around the tears and splits that appear more prominent. (I know this can be a sign of fin rot. He's always had slightly darker edges but these seem like more than just his color.) I'm honestly so discouraged and I don't know what to do to help him. 
He seems very happy and active still but I don't want to feel helpless while his fins just get worse and worse.
Tank stats:
10 gallons, heated around 79-80 degrees, HOB filtered, fully cycled
Silk plants, 3 moss balls, and newly added red root floaters (just went in the tank yesterday, hoping they'll help?)
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: between 10-20 (reason it's so high even after daily water changes is due to high tap nitrates, which I dilute with a blend of distilled water and tap. To my knowledge, my tank never goes above 20 ppm nitrates. It usually remains constant at 10-20.)
No tank mates, just one male betta
I've only had him since September. He doesn't seem to be old or anything. I don't notice signs of other health problems.
Photos attached of his tail as of yesterday. Looks the same today. On one photo I've tried to outline the tears because they're a little hard to see, especially the new one hidden behind his anal fin. I only see rot on his tail fin, his other fins look totally fine.
He seems very happy and active still but I don't want to feel helpless while his fins just get worse and worse.Tank stats:
10 gallons, heated around 79-80 degrees, HOB filtered, fully cycled
Silk plants, 3 moss balls, and newly added red root floaters (just went in the tank yesterday, hoping they'll help?)
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: between 10-20 (reason it's so high even after daily water changes is due to high tap nitrates, which I dilute with a blend of distilled water and tap. To my knowledge, my tank never goes above 20 ppm nitrates. It usually remains constant at 10-20.)
No tank mates, just one male betta
I've only had him since September. He doesn't seem to be old or anything. I don't notice signs of other health problems.
Photos attached of his tail as of yesterday. Looks the same today. On one photo I've tried to outline the tears because they're a little hard to see, especially the new one hidden behind his anal fin. I only see rot on his tail fin, his other fins look totally fine.
