My First Betta

[Tiswas]

This is my fisrt betta. His name is Maserati and I wasn't going to get him but he told me I had to take him home. What else could I do after that? He's red (obviously) with a black outline to his tail fin and white on the rest of his fins. I think he's gorgeous but then I'm biased.

and his home

Does anyone know what tail type he is. He doesn't flare very much yet but i've only had him since saturday. Seems to be settling in nicely. He's very quiet and calm and seems fascinated by the kuhli.

 

[aly_starh]

Lovely betta! He is a viel tail!! I like his tank too!

 

[Haych]

either he has had some fin damage or he could be a comb tail is it?

i spy some spikes... where the black tips are?

 

[Tiswas]

Yeah he does have a few spikes. Not damaged though. Or at least not that I can see and I do spend quite a long time looking at him! His dorsal fin is a little spiked too, along the bottom edge. Dont know if that helps the identification process.

 

[Haych]

sounds like he could be a combtail. flaring pics would help

 

[Tiswas]

I only got him saturday and so far he hasn't really flared other than at my boyfriend while he was still acclimating in his bag!!! Dont want to scare him by putting a mirror in too soon. He's quite a quiet little guy.

 

[aly_starh]

The black fins at the ends would, to me, indicate fin rot. I would looki into that abit more.

Good Luck

 

[loraxchick]

i was also a bit "worried" about the black edging. some bettas naturally have that coloration around the margins, but his fin looks a bit tatty. black CAN be finrot, but id suspect ammonia burns. now that hes in a proper home with clean water, should heal up in no time in either case.

OP-
just keep an eye on those fins for signs of rapid degrading which would indicate fin rot and will require medication. but as i said, whether ammonia burns or finrot, once they get into a nice home with good food it usually sorts itself out without the need for medication. keep a close eye on the tail fin especially. any sign of the fin eroding is bad. if you start to see clearish bits on the end, thats great! will be new growth (ie his fins healing up) and the color will come in over time.
to me ke looks like a nice Veiltail. they are my favorite..not to mention hes RED (red VT=smiles to me).
best of luck with him. hes handsome! glad hes getting along with the kuhli. once hes settled in think about getting a few more kuhlis. they like to be in groups and do not add a lot to the bioload of the tank.
cheers

 

[Tiswas]

oooh thanks for the heads up. I did have another kuhli but he died a little while ago. I was actually looking for more kuhlis when I found Massie. I hope it's not finrot! I'll be very sad if it is! I hope just ammonia burns that I can sort out with food, clean water etc. If it is finrot would this be a reason for him not flaring very much or is that just him?

 

[loraxchick]

prob not flaring much as hes in a new home. bettas are known to sulk for a while after you get them (or even change things around in the tank). is he eating ok? swimming ok? is he active or does he stay in one spot a lot (which is actually quite normal for a new betta until they get used to things). i honestly wouldnt worry too much about his fins. they will heal up with clean water and good food. even if its finrot, chances are with proper care he will be strong enough to fight it off and will be fine with no meds. just keep an eye on him. hes so handsome
cheers

 

[Tiswas]

Thank you. I thought so. He's eating like a pig. He has his corner of the tank that he shares with the kuhli but he swims around patrolling it quite a lot. He seems quite healthy and happy so I'm not too worried about him. He spreads his fins a little bit if one of the neons gets too close especially if he's eating. I'm hoping he'll come out of his shell soon enough.

 

[Tiswas]

Ok, so I've been watching Maserati for more signs of finrot and now I've noticed some splits appearing. I'm thinking this means that it is finrot. I have Interpet Anti-Fungus and Finrot treatment. Does anyone know if this is safe to use with kuhlis and otos?

 

[BettasFanG]

Nice man ;D