Pls Help! Prob. Fin Rot-betta Looks Like A Small Bite Taken Out Of

[wendyngd]

Hi, nervous betta mommy that I am, was schmoozing with (talking to) my Bettalicious boy tonight after feeding him and noticed that one of his upper fins (they look like little wings) looked like it had a small round bite taken out of it!!! He's alone in his 3 gallon filtered and heated tank so I assumed it must be fin rot!!

Treated tank with Melafix (had put aquarium salt in earlier--forgot to put in during water change few days ago), removing charcoal, but now I'm worried if the care I've given him is enough. Reading on the internet, many seem to suggest that he needs an ANTIBIOTIC right away to stop rot...

Please share your suggestions. He's a happy little guy, swimming around, eating and being very friendly like usual. I really want to catch this fast--he's such a cutie!

Thanks and Happy New Year to all!

-Wendy

 

[Amerce]

Can you provide pics or water readings ?

It could be that if the heater in his tank doesn't have a cover he could have burnt it on there as betta's love to sit on things, but first we need to see the damage to best evaluate the damage.

 

[Wisperian]

Just keep up with the water changes. All I ever do for my bettas with fin rot/bitten fins is just change their water + add aquarium salt. It does wonders.

 

[nemosworld]

melafix is actually quite strong as far as meds go and healed my betta's fin rot pretty quickly. use itin 1/2 the dosage they suggest to you.

 

[wendyngd]

Hi and thanks to all--

Have been giving him tiny doses of melafix daily and doing 25% water change--and adding aquarium salt diluted like I do with all water changes. Bettalicious seems happy and unaware of the newly sculptured shape of one of his front fins (I call them his wings). The important thing is that the fin rot itself seems to have stabilized. Hasn't grown at all, gotten any worse nor appeared on any other part of his body. Other than that little bite out of his fin, he looks fine.

FYI, my heater does have a cover, so it probably wasn't caused by that--and the only new thing in the tank was another silk plant with longish leaves that he seemed to like lounging and sleeping in. Maybe his fin got poked by it...

Hopefully, it'll grown back soon.

Thanks for holding my hand through this and let's keeping hoping and prayin for the best. (Haven't had a chance to get a pic--moved recently and camera's not accessible.)

Love to all and their fishies,
Wendy

 

[liz2]

On bless. as long as he is eating, swimming and generally acting like he usually does I shouldn't worry. Most of my bettas have been rescues and they have bits missing and dont seem to notice.

 

[wendyngd]

On bless. as long as he is eating, swimming and generally acting like he usually does I shouldn't worry. Most of my bettas have been rescues and they have bits missing and dont seem to notice.

Thanks Liz!

 

[hollyp0p]

melafix doesn't actually cure anything despite what it says, it's mainly for healing purposes, when my tank (inc. my betta) got finrot, I was advised pimafix, which can be used with melafix to be even more effective, my betta seemed fine with that, also aquarium salt helps in healing and killing bacteria

*fingers crossed for your boy*

Mine looks tattered but has regrowth, so I am happy

 

[CathyGo]

melafix doesn't actually cure anything despite what it says, it's mainly for healing purposes, when my tank (inc. my betta) got finrot, I was advised pimafix, which can be used with melafix to be even more effective,

It's not MORE effective. It's effective against different things. Melafix is an anti-bacterial. Pimafix is an anti-fungal. Melafix CAN be used to cure bacterial infections. I saw it work several times when I worked at a PetSmart. If you don't see any improvement from Melafix I would jump to an antibiotic but those can stress fish so Melafix is the one to try first. Pimafix is best left for fungus or used combined with Melafix on a problem where you don't know if it is a fungus or bacterial problem or both but you know it isn't a parasite. Parasites of course aren't going to be bothered by either one of those.