Pectoral Fins More See-Through?

[schmee]

i might just be looking too closely, but it seems like my betta's pectoral fins are more see-through than they were, like they are fading away? i do have a situation at the moment with my tank going through another cycle - is the ammonia burning his fins away? Is it fin rot? Is there anything i can do and what will happen? The fins are still there and there is nothing missing, it's just that they seem thinner, as if they are melting away if you see what i mean.
Either that or i'm so worried, i'm seeing things.

i should add, i am doing frequent water changes, but some ammonia (around 0.25ppm) is almost always present at the moment. i can't keep up but am keeping the level at 0.25ppm or lower.

 

[the biffster]

i might just be looking too closely, but it seems like my betta's pectoral fins are more see-through than they were, like they are fading away? i do have a situation at the moment with my tank going through another cycle - is the ammonia burning his fins away? Is it fin rot? Is there anything i can do and what will happen? The fins are still there and there is nothing missing, it's just that they seem thinner, as if they are melting away if you see what i mean.
Either that or i'm so worried, i'm seeing things.

what are the stats on your
tank at the moment

 

[stubert]

most likely the ammonia, ammonia and betta fins don't mix.

 

[the biffster]

what filter are you running
i think you mind might be working over time
the ammonia is not exsessive but it is a problem
keep doing your partal water changes hopefull this will keep the ammonia down
to 0.25 or under when you wash your filter sponges out are you doing it in old tank
water or are you washing them out under the cold tap water

 

[schmee]

Hi, yes, i know the ammnonia is not good at all but this is the situation i'm in for now which is why i'm so worried.

At the moment, i have 0 ammnonia and 0 nitrites, but that is after having done two huge pwc this morning (about 80%). i noticed this a few days ago and have been keeping an eye. It doesn't really seem worse, i'm not sure i ever really looked closely at his pectoral fins before so i have no comparison but one looks more see through than the other, i think that's where the worry stems from.

i am running a Aqua Vital internal filter AVI-600 600l/h which is more than sufficient. Although i turn the output down because betta isn't keen on being swept across the tank. i haven't cleaned the sponges on this one yet as i've only had it less than two weeks and am cycling. i cleaned the old ones in tank water though.

 

[the biffster]

Hi, yes, i know the ammnonia is not good at all but this is the situation i'm in for now which is why i'm so worried.

At the moment, i have 0 ammnonia and 0 nitrites, but that is after having done two huge pwc this morning (about 80%). i noticed this a few days ago and have been keeping an eye. It doesn't really seem worse, i'm not sure i ever really looked closely at his pectoral fins before so i have no comparison but one looks more see through than the other, i think that's where the worry stems from.

i am running a Aqua Vital internal filter AVI-600 600l/h which is more than sufficient. Although i turn the output down because betta isn't keen on being swept across the tank. i haven't cleaned the sponges on this one yet as i've only had it less than two weeks and am cycling. i cleaned the old ones in tank water though.

that sounds ok no two fins are the same your stats
are looking fine now did you test for nitrates fish can
tolerate this in moderate amounts but it not good for them if it high
if your doing a fish in cycle check stats every day and adjust with water changes
to keep your ammonia down

 

[schmee]

Yes, but this morning i had 0.50ppm ammonia. It's not over yet. i haven't been checking nitrates for a while since this cycle re-started as i don;t have any and i'm doing daily or twice daily pwc anyway but i checked today and it's 0.

 

[the biffster]

i am a bit worried about there been no nitrate reading
how long did you say that you have had this filter up and running
sounds like its started a whole new cycle over again
i think we should just treat it as a fish in cycle all over
again no nitrates means that the filter is not processing
any ammonia

 

[schmee]

i know. It's because my old filter broke down and firstly, I didn't realise that the bacteria would die so quickly and secondly, circumstances meant i couldn't get to the shop to buy a new filter quickly enough and i had also, as luck would have it, just changed the substrate and had just taken out (and thrown out!!) the old gravel i had in to ensure i didn't lose my bacteria. So, although i put some of my old media in the new filter, it hasn't done any good and i am cycling from scratch again, except with fish.

i've had the filter running for almost two weeks (12 days) and have been doing daily or twice daily pwc since then. i did have some nitrates about a week ago but none since.

 

[the biffster]

just keep an eye on your ammonia
and do small water changes to keep it in control
stick at it .test once a Day and work from that

 

[keithp]

A picture would help, but I noticed with all bettas, depending on the amount of light and angle, their color and fins change. They look darker in low light, and in front of a light you see right through their fins no matter what color they are.

 

[fluffycabbage]

i wonder if there is someone on here who is willing to donate some filter media to you....

 

[schmee]

i know, but to be honest i don't know how people even photograph their bettas. Mine, although he'll be perfectly still will still come out blurry, i think because the shutter speed is soooo slow, although this only happens when i try to photograph him. Good to know though, maybe i'm just being over-cautious. i'll keep an eye.
Yes, fluffycabbage, that would be ideal, really.