Fin rot?

[Lcc86]

Just looking for some advice here, this is the first time I've had a betta with such long fins and I'm pretty sure we have some fin rot going on.

Picture 1 is from 22.09.25 not long after I got him. Picture 2 is from today. The area by his dorsal (I think) fin has lost its metallic colour and the dorsal fin itself looks scraggly. His tail fin has never fully grown in since I've had him, it's always been short on top.

Tank size - 6g, heavily planted with tannins
Routine - weekly 60% water change, last done yesterday.
Ammonia - 0, nitrite - 0, nitrate - 5? I use RO water so no nitrates from the tap.

I've dosed kanaplex this morning but just want some other opinions and advice if possible. He is a little lethargic but still has a good appetite.

 

[GaryE]

There's a tiny poem I keep in my head for the forum and fancy Bettas. It goes "Fin rot? Probably not".

He has torn fins, probably from moving. He was raised in a cup, barely able to move, largely to safeguard the sales value of those fins. Once they're in use, they split and tear. These aren't natural growth, and the push for bigger and bigger fins is commercial - fins sell. The consequences don't matter to many.
Watch if they clump or become solid pieces, as that can be fungus. But with your water changes, unless he arrived really battered from the store, it's unlikely. Long fins lie down a lot in cups and fungus can get into the folds if the store is slack on water changes. Most farms change water daily to grow them for market. Stores? Not so much.
Transparency appearing on the ends of fins is new growth. When it has a little colour kicking in, it scares people. It also sells treatments, which pet stores do like. I'm ertain significant amounts of money are spent annually treating Bettas that are as fine as longfins can be.
Others may have better eyes than me, but I see no fin rot. It's actually very rare in clean water set ups.

 

[Lcc86]

There's a tiny poem I keep in my head for the forum and fancy Bettas. It goes "Fin rot? Probably not".

He has torn fins, probably from moving. He was raised in a cup, barely able to move, largely to safeguard the sales value of those fins. Once they're in use, they split and tear. These aren't natural growth, and the push for bigger and bigger fins is commercial - fins sell. The consequences don't matter to many.
Watch if they clump or become solid pieces, as that can be fungus. But with your water changes, unless he arrived really battered from the store, it's unlikely. Long fins lie down a lot in cups and fungus can get into the folds if the store is slack on water changes. Most farms change water daily to grow them for market. Stores? Not so much.
Transparency appearing on the ends of fins is new growth. When it has a little colour kicking in, it scares people. It also sells treatments, which pet stores do like. I'm ertain significant amounts of money are spent annually treating Bettas that are as fine as longfins can be.
Others may have better eyes than me, but I see no fin rot. It's actually very rare in clean water set ups.

That's good to know. He does lie down a lot (I've recorded this in another thread about this tank setup) and seems a bit lethargic so I am unsure if there is something going on. I had actually got the kanaplex in anticipation of any issues so I thought I would try in case he does have fin rot as I lost my last betta to fin rot. There is nothing sharp in his tank although it is pretty heavily planted and the water lettuce roots are very long. Could he be getting entangled in those? I try and avoid thinning them out too much as he likes resting in the roots.

 

[GaryE]

If he is viable, he can't get tangled. But he may have been raised in an antibiotic soup to accelerate his growth, in which case like a lot of Betta splendens, his gut flora is lacking. If he's recently out of the cup, he may also be terribly out of shape. It can take them a few weeks to build muscle tone and be able to swim as they want. The longer the fins, the more drag, so that can take longer.

I no longer keep Betta splendens as a result of all this, but given time to build muscle tone and gut flora, with a healthy diet, he should rally. Kanaplex would be counter productive. If you don't see an identifiable, certain infection kanaplex is indicated to treat, then it just knocks out his guts more.

 

[Gertrudae]

Never wrong - some Catappa leaves and/or alder cones.

 

[Innesfan]

Kanaplex would be counter productive. If you don't see an identifiable, certain infection kanaplex is indicated to treat, then it just knocks out his guts more.

Agreed. As I'm given to say, reach for the siphon, not the meds.

 

[MuddyWaters]

I bought one recently. Once I got it home I had no idea why. He's doing fine, but as has been mentioned above, he mostly sits around. He will swim around if he sees food, and to find another spot to sit. Kind of like my cats- it's an exhausting day of looking for a place to lay down....

 

[Lcc86]

I've had him since September so he's not new to me, I've tried to keep a close eye on his fins generally as I was a bit paranoid after losing my previous one back in 2024. He is a nightmare to find as the tank is so dense and he is copper/blue so blends in very well with the tannins.

I do always have catappa leaves in the tank as well, and his diet is a mix of frozen food, live food and pellets. Hopefully I am just paranoid, I'll knock the kanaplex on the head and keep monitoring and keep up with my water change schedule (I'm pretty sure he doesn't "need" such regular changes but it just works for me as I do both tanks when I'm off work).

 

[Lcc86]

I bought one recently. Once I got it home I had no idea why. He's doing fine, but as has been mentioned above, he mostly sits around. He will swim around if he sees food, and to find another spot to sit. Kind of like my cats- it's an exhausting day of looking for a place to lay down....

Yeah he spends most of his day sitting round, my previous bettas haven't done so quite as much but he's my first true long finned betta. Makes me feel bad for how they are bred. Due to various health issues I only keep nano tanks as they are easier for me to keep on top of but it does limit what you can buy.