Shredded Fins

[Tortea]

I don't think he would of shredded his own fins, because he had another better nearby to flare at.

 

[Anna Robinson]

The only active ingredient in Melafix is a type of Tea Tree oil - Melaleuca cajupti oil. It has been extensively tested on Bettas and all ornamental labyrinth fishes and there are no problems. It can be used at full dose.

Melafix in fact has a very wide safety margin, so it cannot be said to be risky.

 

[woodstock]

Anna, where did you get your info? I received mine from various owners online. Personally, I would not even attempt to risk it, but to each their own.

And I forgot, is the divider clear? Like completely see through? It would make sense seeing another betta, getting angry, and having nothing to vent it on could lead to self aggression.

 

[GuppyGoddess]

Anna, where did you get your info? I received mine from various owners online. Personally, I would not even attempt to risk it, but to each their own.

And I forgot, is the divider clear? Like completely see through? It would make sense seeing another betta, getting angry, and having nothing to vent it on could lead to self aggression.

Anna is a fish product representative. She posts only when to promote her products

That said, I used a small amount (like honeythorn said) of melafix before I knew it was a problem and my betta was okay. That said, I would NOT use it again just to be on the safe side. I have more trust in frequent water changes and IAL. You can get IAL on ebay for under $6.00.

 

[woodstock]

Ah, I see then.

Water changes, for the win. Always the first step for me. I need to get me some IAL as well... anybody know where else besides online? Doubtful, but worth a shot

 

[Always Learning]

Mine did this and it was on the filter intake. It didn't feel that strong, but for his fins, it sucked him in. He really liked resting there as it was effortless and he's a lazy so and so... it was just everytime he decided to go for a swim, he ripped his fins a little. Over the course of a couple of days, he shredded it so much, there was barely anything left!

I moved the filter and covered it so that he couldn't get near it and his fins grew back to their former glory.

Here's hoping the little fella gets better soon. Mine didn't appear to be unhappy with this, but he was certainly a sight for sore eyes

 

[natalie265]

Yes, he can see the other betta through the divider, but it has never seemed to cause him any stress. In fact, they usually hang out side by side without any flaring. They have a pretty well planted tank if they ever do want to get away from one another.

Well, there seems to be little consensus, so i am not ruling anything out at this point. In fact, i AM leaning towards changing to a sponge filter just in case the filter is the culprit. I might never know for sure what happened, but thanks for all of your thoughts

 

[Honeythorn]

Sponge types are really good for bettas, No casing on them of course so nowhere to get fins trapped and caught, and since breeders use them in fry tanks they are a surefire safe filter for your fish. If it can't suck fry in or damage them it won't harm your betta .

 

[Inchworm]

The only active ingredient in Melafix is a type of Tea Tree oil - Melaleuca cajupti oil. It has been extensively tested on Bettas and all ornamental labyrinth fishes and there are no problems. It can be used at full dose.

Melafix in fact has a very wide safety margin, so it cannot be said to be risky.

Anna, where did you get your info? I received mine from various owners online. Personally, I would not even attempt to risk it, but to each their own.

Anna Robinson is indeed the representative of Mars, but I've never seen her give wrong advice to one of our members.

As for avoiding Melafix with labrinth fish, I don't know where that idea got started. I have an old gourami that breaks out in ulcers at the drop of a hat. A good tank cleaning (there are BN plecos in the tank) and a dose of Melafix always gets her better again.

If I had a betta with fin rot, I would use a salt dip to clean it up and then a dose of Melafix to heal it.

 

[woodstock]

Personally with fin rot, if it's not a major case - like a newer outbreak or whatnot, I treat it with food soaked in garlic. Never failed me. And I'm talking uber natural garlic, or garlic juice (it's the garlic juice that soaks the food, not food pressed up against garlic ). It's not until I see something so definitely wrong do I even begin using medications. And needless to say, water change.

I'm curious though, who here uses garlic?

 

[Honeythorn]

I've also never experienced problems with melafix on any fish I've kept, bettas included. I've used it with great success on a female who arrived in a sorry state after being beaten up by her husband Her fins grew back very well.

 

[woodstock]

How often do you use medications though? This is just a personal insight for me. Like, i've never used Tylenol or sleeping pills or the like. I don't like the idea of medications for every use. I'm not saying anybody here over uses, but it's probably where I get the "I'd rather not medicate my betta if I don't have to." But if starts to show symtoms of an actual disease, I won't hesitate on the medications. But, thankfully, in the year I've had my first betta, he's only suffered velvet, and that was from the Petco.

 

[Honeythorn]

I've only had one betta with fin rot thus far and he had it when I bought him ( he was so pitiful I couldn't stop myself ) . He was a sickly boy and suffered bouts of it - suspiciously always after I'd been away on a trip and someone else had to care for the tank...I have always suspected mother of doing something wrong because he never had it when I was home <_<

So for him I used a half dose to heal him after taking a weeks break when healed with medication. Then the melafix until his fins were pretty much grown back and always keeping the water in top form. It did get him in the end though sadly.

Other than him I've only had that female who arrived in a tattered state but quickly healed up.

As for other fish, I once attempted to add another gourami to my tank as a companion to my original one, who took a massive exception to the newcomer and beat the poor thing up. So that fish was moved to a hospital tub and treated with Melafix, then I returned it to the LFS once healed.

 

[woodstock]

I wouldn't allow my parents within arm's length to my tank. Never! Lol... you can guess why, right?

Well I won't shoot for using it or anything. Good it works for you. I'm a paranoid type, soooooo.... lol

Ah. I really, really want to add tank mates to my betta tanks. But it just won't happen. One will eat 'em alive, and the other will BE eaten. Lol

 

[Anna Robinson]

Anna, where did you get your info? I received mine from various owners online. Personally, I would not even attempt to risk it, but to each their own.

I got my info on this product from talking to the scientists who developed it and tested it over many years. I trust what they have told me about it, and about how they tested it. I don't expect other people to necessarily take my word just on that basis, but I think most people can see that a medication of this kind, patented in the US and used in many countries, would have to meet certain standards. But I do also understand that if people are at all worried about something they have heard, they may prefer not to risk it.

I also have a wider overview of the hobby than most other posters, as I work in it and know many other people who do too. I also use many aquatic forums in my professional capacity and I can clearly see how there are 'fashions' on them according to the ideas of major contributors. For example there is a forum devoted entirely to Bettas that I am a member of (although I don't post) where Melafix is considered a completely problem-free medication, as all the users like it. There is another where Ammo-Lock is considered harmful, because one of the regular posters says so frequently, and so on. I do think it's important to officially contradict these things, or they develop a life of their own, as Woodstock's first post demonstrates.

Guppygoddess's point is very valid: for what it's worth, when I started posting on forums under the Mars name I posted in threads with no connection to Mars to answer general queries, as I wanted to make a contribution to the forums in return for any benefits. But I found posting under my real name and as a professional sometimes attracted a lot of aggression from other posters, and disrupted threads, with people picking apart every thing I said, from my interpretation of fish genetics to my ideas about tank sizes. So now I simply post basic facts about Mars products, which people can't really object to my knowledge of, and offer help to people who are confused about dosing or haven't been able to contact the company. If people want to talk to me about other things they are very welcome to PM me, and some do.