Ranger Can't Swim!

[Bluesand1313]

THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT PLEASE HELP ME.
My betta Ranger has the majority of his fins basically GONE. The water is healthy and the cycle is fine, so I don't really know why, I think he might be nipping them.
But now he can't swim. I went to feed him yesterday and he could barely swim to the top. Now he just lies on the gravel all day and looks at me sadly.
I want to help him but I don't know what's wrong! Does anybody here know what's wrong?​

 

[redskygrave]

Is he by himself or is there other fish?

 

[techen]

Why must you use text that is insanely hard to read.
 
Apart from that, Give us what else is in the tank?

 

[Bluesand1313]

Sorry, usually when I copy and paste things it reverts to it's normal black text.
 
He's by himself other then four snails, but I don't think that they are the culprit.

 

[fluttermoth]

How big is the tank and what are the actual numbers from your tests?

 

[Bluesand1313]

The tank is a 3 or 3.5. It has a filter and a heater. I can't remember the tests (since it was yesterday that I did them and I have bad short-term memory) so I'd have to do them again, which I can't do until Thursday due to my job, I won't be back until 10 at night and I'm going straight to bed, the same thing on Wednesday. 
 
I'm really worried about him, his fins were so beautiful and it's only been recently that they've been going down. I haven't seen him nip them and I also haven't seen the spider-like strands that would suggest it's fin rot so I don't know what it is.
Also not sure how that would affect his swimming, I know he needs it to turn but it seems like he can't even swim straight.

 

[fluttermoth]

All you can really do is as many large water changes as you can fit in around work. On a tank that size, it shouldn't take you more than five or ten minutes, so you won't be too late to bed

 

[Bluesand1313]

Yea, I do have to go to school tomorrow later then normal, so I should be able to stay up an hour later then usual.
It does have a filter that works exceptionally well, though.
Should I hospitalize him in the meantime?

 

[Bluesand1313]

I'm adding pictures. Hopefully you can identify what it might be. He's gotten a big better now, he's chilling in his plants now instead of on the gravel.
 

 

 

 

 

 

[fluttermoth]

There's not much point hospitalising him, if he's the only fish in the tank
 
I would get some treatment for fin rot; that's what it looks like, although you're quite right; he could be nipping them himself (bettas are daft, bless 'em!). 
 
Do a big water change before you add the treatment; and keep a bit of the old water back so you can test it and post the numbers
 
Good luck!

 

[JellOh]

I second fluttermoth about fin rot. The cause of fin rot is poor water quality, which is a result of having 4 snails in such a small tank. Snails are A+ waste producers even though they are so small. I would take all four of them out and rehome them or get them their own tank. The treatment for fin rot is warm, clean water, daily 100% water changes (no matter how tired you are or how late you worked), stress coat, and 1tsp/gal. of aquarium salt. Don't continue the aquarium salt past 10 days. An Indian Almond Leaf is also always helpful. When you add the salt make sure you dissolve it in a small glass of tank water before adding it to his tank. Never add more than the amount of new water you just put in. So, every time you do a water change add 3 tsp of dissolved salt. Don't keep adding it if you don't do a water change, as it builds up. Make sure he's warm enough and don't add the snails back. If you absolutely must have tank ages for him get a few ghost shrimp.

 

[Bluesand1313]

Finally gave away my snails to somebody who wanted them, so they aren't in his tank anymore.
 
I got some medicine (bettafix, I think it's called?) and he's got his colour back, but not much improvement other then that. I hope getting rid of the snails (finally) and the medicine together will help. He looks so sad

 

[Bluesand1313]

Oh dear, I used the medicine and it looks like he's gotten worse! I could see chunks of his fins floating around the tank as I was doing a water change. All he does is lie on the gravel and look at me sadly, all I want is my old Ranger back! 
 
Anything else you can suggest? I tried medicine, i've tried water changes, what else is there? He's barely got anything left now.

 

[the_lock_man]

The best thing for betta fin-rot is lots of water changes. Can I suggest 3 per day - once before school, once when you get home from school, and once before bed - say 40-50%ish at a time.

 

[DoubleDutch]

I would help him out of his misery (sorry).
Maybe I often take this decission (too) fast, but when a fish is in such a state it is suffering.
 
Aad