Sick Betta. HELP!

[Fisharefriends2]

My betta fish, Clifford, is in a 3.5 gallon tank with a heater and filter (and two moss balls). Last week I noticed blackish fin edges vs. his normal white fin edges. I suspected fin rot so I put him on tetra lifeguard and have been doing 50% water changes every day, at the end of treatment he still has some black fin edges (not as bad as they were). However, this morning he has developed holes in his fins ( pictures included below) and what appears to be a fin tear. Is this fin rot? What should I do? I really don't want to put him back on tetra lifeguard. Is there something else that would help?

Average Tank Parameters Over the Last Week:
Ammonia/Ammonium: .25-.5ppm
Temp: 74 f
Ph: 7.5
Nitrate: 20ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm

 

[Aesthetic-fish]

I think that you should just leave him be for a couple of days. If he starts to deteriorate more, than I would suggest some fin rot treatment , including aquarium salt, and bettafix. I know there are some concerns about bettafix about the labyrinth organ in bettas, but I have been using it for a long time and no problems. Are the tears really big? Usually, tears in Betta fins would heal and grow back naturally if they aren’t severe. Just do frequent water changes and keep the water clean and water parameters stable, to prevent infection and rot. Also, I don’t think this sounds like fin rot. Good luck!

I have done some research, and this sounds like some water parameter problems and or ammonia poisoning. Keep up the water changes. Also, how old is your tank? If it’s new and you didn’t cycle it, this might be the problem. Another case may be due to the aging of your fish. How old is he?

 

[Fisharefriends2]

The tears aren't big, they are sort of wedge or triangle shaped areas of missing fins. The part I was worried about is the long holes in his tail fin you can see in the picture. They're probably a 1 or 2 mm long. The tank is fairly new, so that may be part of the problem. I don't know how old he is as he is a rescue from someone in my building who was going to throw him out (still alive) because they didn't want him anymore. Do you have any tips for getting the tank to cycle with him in it? I added tetra safe start bacteria but don't know if that helped.

 

[Aesthetic-fish]

Tetra safe start should be helpful. https://www.allpondsolutions.co.uk/fishkeeping-advice/5-steps-to-cycle-your-fish-tank.html. check out this link i sent you, it should be helpful. if it doesn't tell you what you want to know, contact me on this thread so i can help you out more. if i dont reply fast enough, try searching some links and send them to me so i can secure that the info is true. Basically, adding the starter bacteria (tetra safe start) should KEEP your fish safe while you cycle the tank. If your fish starts to slowly deteriorate again, then put him back on some kind of med or bettafix. Btw, try to get some aquarium salt made specifically for aquarium https/www.ibcbettas.org/aquarium-salt-the-healthy-preventative-v-2-0/. see this link for info about salt in fw aquariums. but basically, cycling a tank with fish in it would go something like this. the fish poop, uneaten food and plant waste would build up into some bacteria and some would turn to nitrites and nitrates. but do follow the instructions on the tetra safe start carefully, you dont want to be keeping bacteria as pets instead of fish. api is a reliable and cheap brand when it comes to aquarium salt. i like to KEEP my betta's tank slightly salted at all times, try doing that. Also, if i am missing any info that you would like to know about please contact me quickly on this thread, i want to help you get your little one up and running again! Btw, last question, have you noticed any stress in your fish? signs would be sluggish, lethargy, no appetite etc. anyways, reply soon! good luck!

 

[Fisharefriends2]

Okay, thank you!

 

[FishGuest5123]

Can you get some used filter media from a friends tank or pet store? If you can, keep it in tank water until you get home then immediately place it in your filter behind your existing media. This is called “seeding” the tank and usually gives you an automatic cycle. Good luck!