help what is this ???

[treefrog]

Help, I came home today and looked at Sinbad and his fin was gone. He was fine this morning and yesterday. He is in a 10gl tank divided 3 ways with 2 other male bettas and they seem fine. Is this Fin rot? He does like to swim around the heater alot could he have burned it ? I don't know what to treat for.
Before

After

Any help is greatly appreciated I have only had bettas a few months and have never had 1 get sick. thanks

 

[treefrog]

Well since no one replied I have followed my instincts and done as follows:

-Taken all 3 bettas and jarred temporarily
-Stripped entire tank bare and cleaned it with a weak bleach solution, vinegar rinsing, and extensive water rinsing.
-Replaced substrate with new (was planning on changing soon anyway)
-Refilled with clean water treated stress coat, salt, and melafix(left carbon out of filter)
-Removed heater as tank is stable at 76F without it and I'm still not sure it didn't cook tail
-Replaced all 3 bettas in tank

Although the other 2 bettas have not yet shown sign of fin damage, I wanted to go ahead and treat them as well with the Melafix since they have been exposed to whatever ails Sinbad. Was this the right course of action? From everthing I have read fin rot is usually the results of poor water quality. This is not the case with my tank, I change 20% weekly with a 50% change once a month. I also change the filter cartridge every month. The levels all read right when I test. And I am careful not to over feed. Sorry to go on and on but I don't know what wrong with him and I'm worried. Any ideas or help would be appreciated.

 

[glamermaid]

it seems like his tail more than shredded, i think you might have trouble seeing the "burnt edges" of fin rot because of his color. i would say its fin rot. im highly assuming you have no plastic plants? it could be fin shredding (as in from swimming past a plastic plant) but i would strongly think its fin rot. (it looks like too much tail is gone and not just ripped) i initially had both of my bettas in a divided tank, mr teal got fin rot, but mr purple didnt. (and hes still fine (knock on wood!)
at first i treated with jungle fungus eliminator 1/4 tsp per gallon and aqua salt (1 tsp per 1 gallon) hes in a 1 gallon betta tank. whatever you do dont stop the treatment early, i did that thinking he was ok and he had 2 relapses! (i think giving whatever medicine your using 1-2 weeks minimum) i have now moved onto kanacyn. (i have been told its great for stubborn cases of fin rot) the actual rot has stopped but there is some shredding going on, but its happening where the fin was bloodied a bit (both my bettas are pastel colors BTW so its easy to see anything like this on them)
i think the melafix will help but dont over medicate as the tea tree oil can have adverse effects on the labyrinth organ (or so some people say) i have only used bettafix as far as a tea tree oil treatment is concerned (thats the metacula (sp?)stuff in the "fix" products) its a natural antiseptic etc, but its used a lot for people. (for cuts, acne healing etc) but it is supposed to assist in fin healing and regrowth. my water change schedule (while using kanacyn, but im sure you could do something similar)
day 1- 50% water change add meds, day 3- 50% water change add meds, day 5- 100% water change add meds and then begin again on day 7 with 50% and so on. this is in a 1 gallon tank BTW, but im assuming you have moved him to a hospital tank (that would probably be small). i also use amquel (for ammonia removal) and novaqua.
the first place mr teal got the fin rot in does have some new regrowth, in the fin and ray this is about 2 weeks later. so since youve started with the melafix keep on with that and see how it goes.
good luck with him!!

 

[treefrog]

Thanks glamermaid, no I took out all plastic plants after the 1st week I had them as soon as I found out the could get torn by them.

 

[iloveyou]

thats tail rot... ive had it on like 5 bettas... not been able to save any of them... happens with petcetera bettas for me.... i havent been able to get rid of it on any of my bettas... everyone thats gotten it has died... i have one now that has it also...

ill say good luck even tho things dont look good

 

[treefrog]

Well I haave been treating with Melafix and water changes since Sunday, and he seems to be doing a little better. He hasn't regrown a lot of finnage yet but it has stopped disintegrating.

 

[glamermaid]

it will take awhile for the regrowth, but my mr teal has had just about (but not quite) 1/4 of an inch regrowth in about 2 1/2 weeks. (ray and fin)
best of luck to you!