ripped fins overnight?

[ladyhawke]

Ok. My betta male's tail fins were fine yesterday and then today I looked at him and they are all ripped up? Is fin rot that fast? Or, do you think he might have gotten caught in a plastic plant or filter intake or something? He is in a 10 gallon tank with 4 neon tetras and 1 dwarf catfish. I have not witnessed any of the other fish bothering him at all.

 

[GSD]

He could of blown his tail flaring at one of the other fishies but i think the neons nipped him,they can just suddenly do it,or he cought himself what substrate and decoratiions
give him salt baths
add meilfix

 

[BettaMomma]

Does it look like this:

amos had been eating his own tail here cuz he didn't like his environment.

 

[ladyhawke]

amos had been eating his own tail here cuz he didn't like his environment.

Bettamomma: I'm not up on terminology (sp?) for bettas but it looks like someone combed his tail. The ribbons/veins are still there but not connected. How could you tell it was the environment he didn't like? Ghost (my betta) is very active and swims around a good bit while the light is on. Also, I never notice him show any interest at all in his tail...Thanks for the reply.
Also, is there a thread anywhere on the correct way to do a salt bath? Thanks.

 

[BettaMomma]

Here's info on how to give salt baths:
Salt Bath Info
Just make sure you're using aquarium salt when you do it, and keep an eye on him!

If it looks like his fins had a pitchfork stabbed into it then drug out to the ends, kinda like those little fringy things little girls have on their bike handles, my guess is he got them stuck in the intake tube. You can shove some filter sponge into the area where the slats are - that will stop them from being sucked in!

Good luck

 

[ladyhawke]

If it looks like his fins had a pitchfork stabbed into it then drug out to the ends, kinda like those little fringy things little girls have on their bike handles, my guess is he got them stuck in the intake tube. You can shove some filter sponge into the area where the slats are - that will stop them from being sucked in!

Good luck

That's an exact description of it! Thanks for the help!

 

[BettaMomma]

Hope to hear of improvement with him soon

 

[Shaydensmom]

There is some natueral stuff you can get at any store, even Walmart- it is called Melafix and it heals wounds, scratches anything in absolut no time!!!! Some here swear they could almost watch the fins of their fish healing. Today at my LFS they recommended that too!!!

Mine cut his fragile fins on a too sharp edged Plastikplant! The big fin under his belly was toren all the way up to his belly, that was two days ago, it's already healed half way down!

 

[BettaMomma]

BE ULTRA CAREFUL with MelaFix.
You can only put it into betta tanks at 1/5 the strength that's on the bottle... and do water changes before you add more!!!!

 

[ladyhawke]

BE ULTRA CAREFUL with MelaFix.
You can only put it into betta tanks at 1/5 the strength that's on the bottle... and do water changes before you add more!!!!

This is scary! Why are the directions an overdose??? I just put a teaspoon full into a 10 gallon tank. Now I am gonna be up all night worrying and watching to make sure he is ok!

P.S. Trying to get his picture so I can post it here. He is a Wal-Mart rescue. Very pretty white color body with blue and red in his fins. I think I saw someone else call the color "patriotic" maybe.

 

[BettaMomma]

I don't know the exact reason why they can't tolerate the full dosage - that's why they came out with BettaFix which is actually MelaFix just watered down.

I'd do a partial water change if i were you, but the trend seems to be that in tanks with filters bettas seem to tolerate the overdose a little better.