Fin rot?

[Ch0le]

I set up a 10 gallon with plants(I believe this is called a silent cycle when you use plants to keep a healrhy tank) and a sponge filter. I recieved my OHM rose betta from Thailand just about one month ago. He has one clear pectoral fin that no one seems concerned about. He always breathed a little heavy, but he had a long journey. Then a week ago he got lethargic. 2 days ago no eating. He seemed to swim like he had parasites, but I think I jumped the gun on that one because he only moved crazy that one time and I treated it with general cure. I did 2 100 percent water changes this week. He had salt and erythromycin in his tank 2 days ago and today I changed the water 100 percent and added almond leaf tannins. The place I got him said to keep his tank natural and get a mirror. He couldn't care less abouth the mirror. He is white and I noticed some red on the edges of his tail today. He is so lethargic. I think he ate 1 blood worm today. I don't want to stess him out anymore, but I know he needs me to do something fast. I am thinking about putting him in a quarantine tank so I can rinse everything in his 10 gallon. I have fin and body, general cure, Erythromycin, and aquarium salt on hand. How do you think I should handle this?

 

[Colin_T]

Any chance of a picture and short 20 second video of the fish?
If the pictures are too big for the website, set the camera's resolution to its lowest setting and take some more. The lower resolution will make the images smaller and they should fit on this website. Check the pictures on your pc and find a couple that are clear and show the problem, and post them here. Make sure you turn the camera's resolution back up after you have taken the pics otherwise all your pictures will be small.

If the video is too big for this website, post it on YouTube and copy & paste the link here. We can view it at YouTube. If you are using a mobile phone to take the video, have the phone horizontal so the video takes up the entire screen. If you have the phone vertical, you get video in the middle and black on either side.

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What is the ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH of the tank water?

How often are you doing water changes and how much do you change?
Do you gravel clean the substrate when you do a water change?
Do you dechlorinate the new water before adding it to the tank?

What sort of filter is on the tank?
How often and how do you clean it?

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Don't use anti-biotics like Erythromycin unless the fish has a known bacterial infection that has not responded to normal fish medications. Improper use and mis-use of anti-biotics causes drug resistant bacteria that kill people animals birds and fish.

Using Erythromycin once and then stopping is a guaranteed way to make drug resistant bacteria. Any bacteria that weren't killed will have developed some resistance to it and be passing that onto their offspring as they divide and multiply.

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If you're going to use anti-biotics, you use a bare glass or plastic container and use a full dose of anti-biotics for at least 1 week. If there is no improvement after 1 week, the medication is not working and you need to try something else.

The container being used should be cleaned thoroughly each day and all the water replaced, before more medication is added.

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Right now you should test the tank water, post pictures of the fish, and do a huge water change and gravel clean the substrate every day until we identify the problem.

 

[Naughts]

Also it won't hurt to try feeding him a quarter of a blanched shelled pea. The blood worm could have given him constipation.

 

[Ch0le]

I do treat my water with prime. I do weekly water changes at 20 percent. I had my tank cycled and ready while my fish was about to be shipped. I had an issue with a plant that I stupidly put in the tank w/o quarantine. I got tons of Hydra and then changed the substrate and scrubed everything. So now all the levels are at zero and my ph is 7.4 because Of the medication. I do vacuum. Normally the ph is at 7. I added tannins.I have a mini corner sponge filter. I really believe he was sick when I got him because now that clear pectoral fin is almost unable to be seen. I set up s 2.5 plastic tub to quarantine him with almond leaves that I have been steeping. I checked the plastic and it is number 5. I'm led to believe this is safe. I did not put him in quarantine this morning because the ph was ridiculous at between 8 and 8.4. The best images I get to you are from my phone. No PC at this time. Yesterday he moved periodically around the tank to rest. Last night he chilled at the surface and this morning in his betta log. His fins do look like they are starting to rot on his tail I can try and send a youtube Video from 2 days ago and then after work I can do more. Thank you for all your help.

 

[Ch0le]

This is yesterday morning. He has less energy as of last night when the red spot was on the eges of his tail. Now it looks a little frayed.

 

[FishGuest5123]

Hi, Chloe. Byron asked Essjay and myself to do take a look at your betta. First thing you need to do is sit back, take a deep breath, and relax. You have a very beautiful betta who does appear to be breathing a little fast and has some frayed tail. Please do this:
1). RELAX!
2.) Check his gills for me and tell me if you see any redness (his gills will naturally be dark pink). Check the gills for possible gill flukes(worms).
3.). If gills look good then do daily water changes of 75% for the next 2 weeks. Since you have plants in the tank, only add one teaspoon of aquarium salt for every 5 gallons of water. The salt helps improve gill function. Each time you do a water change, add that much aquarium salt back in. Example: 50% water change then add 50% salt back in.
4.). Continue to monitor your parameters, including PH. Add your tannins but be sure the PH doesn’t drop too low.
I think he will be fine. Not worried about the red spot. He probably broke a little vessel. The clean water and salt will treat the fraying. My bettas get frayed tails if my PH goes up. That’s why I want you to watch the PH.
I think your beautiful betta will be fine. @essjay May have more to add when she comes on. Until then, stay calm. You could be stressing him with all of the meds and moving you’re doing. Your stress is affecting him. Just do the water changes and salt for now. Be patient. Quit staring at him.

 

[Essjay]

The only thing I would add to Deanasue's comments is to buy some Indian almond leaves and add one to the tank. It will float at first, then sink. Replace it when it just before it disintegrates. While you can use leaves collected from trees, they must be dry and this is too early in the year for dead leaves so buying IAL will be quicker.

 

[FishGuest5123]

Thanks, Essjay. I mentioned the tannins but wasn’t specific about IAL.

 

[Ch0le]

Thank you all soooo much. I do need to relax. His gills are bright pink and seem a little swollen, but I don't see anything else, but his fins are definately worse than this morning. A piece came off while swimming and outlined with red. I am using almond leaves.

 

[FishGuest5123]

Can you get another pic of his fins?

 

[Ch0le]

I tried but I can't get close enough. Basically there is a red outline and then some dark dying tissue behind it. The outer fin is black. Nothing fluffy or mucusy. I changed his water and did the salt. My tap ph has gone up some and I don't know how to handle that. I checked it before the water change and it was 7.6 and now it just jumped to 8.4. I addded tannins from the almond leaf. I have been steeping it. My main tank is doing really well with ph.

 

[Ch0le]

I will try to lower my resolution tomorrow. All I have is my phone. Also, I don't know if I mentioned that he is skinny. But he is not eating yet. He looks at it and just doesn't go for it. Seems like he wants to.

 

[FishGuest5123]

I tried but I can't get close enough. Basically there is a red outline and then some dark dying tissue behind it. The outer fin is black. Nothing fluffy or mucusy. I changed his water and did the salt. My tap ph has gone up some and I don't know how to handle that. I checked it before the water change and it was 7.6 and now it just jumped to 8.4. I addded tannins from the almond leaf. I have been steeping it. My main tank is doing really well with ph.

My tank is also going wacky on PH in the heat. Keep it sing the tannins and place a leaf in the tank too. If the tail continues to rot hastily then get some Tetracycline or Furan-2. It may be a bacterial infection. How long since he had any meds? They put a lot of stress on the kidneys so don’t want to rush into meds if we can help it.

 

[Ch0le]

It has been 2.5 days. I'm worried it could be columnaris. Do you think that is possible? His fins are definately rotting quick. It has spread to the tip of his dorsal fin.

 

[Ch0le]

I'm going to try and locate some Furan 2 today. His gills are moving less rapidly, but I see more of a red outline and flesh whisping off of his tail. I did the 75 percent water change and added Aq salt and tannis with leaves last night. My 2 LFS are opening within the next couple of hours. How should I ready his tank for meds at this point? He's been free of medicine for almost 3 days. Thank you for all the great info. I realy appreciate everything.