Strange Fin Disease

[Korki Buchek]

Hi all.

Someone in the Betta section suggested that I post again here. My fish has a disease which I thought was pretty serious fin rot, but it may not be after all.

The fish has acted sick since I got him abo. He has only eaten about 10 days ago. He has only eaten about 5 times, each time a few worms or flakes and he frequently spits out food. He is also very inactive, he will not flare even when shown a mirror, and is still afraid of people.

When I first got the fish I noticed little tiny pinholes in his fins. At that time I was treating the water with a little Bettafix,wjust to cure whatever he might have had from Petco (where the pets go). When I noticed the pinholes, I increased the dosage to the recommended and added aquarium salt, as recommended on the box. The holes have, since then, gotten larger and larger until parts of his fin appear frayed and ragged. In addition, surrounding each hole is a black circle that looks like the fin has burned. This black stuff is also on the edges of his fins which also appear burned and are getting frayed and disappearing. He's lost a good part of one ventral fin and his dorsal fin has quite a bit of black on it. The stuff is also dotted all over his fins and is getting uncomfortably close to his body.

The fish is now living in a 2 gallon bowl, it has nothing in it except water and fish. I took out the filter because the current seemed to bother him a lot. I have checked all of the levels on the water: The nitrate and nitrite appear perfect, the hardness of water looks soft-medium. The total alkalinity looks too low, but the ph is at about 7.6 (too alkaline)? The water was a little too cold, but I have it warmed up to about 75 now (we're having a bit of a cold streak in LA). It has been conditioned for chlorine, tank has been sanitized with a 20:1 water to bleach solution, rinsed vigorously and allowed to sit in direct sunlight (before the fish went in), etc.

There are two things I'd like to know if anyone can help. 1) What the hell is wrong with the poor little fish, and 2) how do I fix it?

 

[zoekin8yg]

firstly you didnt say you tested the ammonia. Ammonia burns can be black, but so can re growing fins. He might have fin rot, could be ammonia poisoning check the ammonia levels.

 

[Korki Buchek]

Thank you. I will check the ammonia tomorrow. If that is the problem, how should I remedy it?

Also, because I forgot in the first post:

I have been doing 100% changes every other day since he started to get sick.

I am in U S and A.

 

[zoekin8yg]

you are probably stressing him out doing 100% water changes everyday which will lower his immune system. If you are going 100% changes its unlikely to now be ammonia as you are taking all that away with the changes. You are better off doing smaller changes, most people with bettas do 2 30ish % changes a week and then a larger one once a week. Make sure you don't use more than the recommended dose of betta fix as that's not good for him either.

forgot to say ideally you want the temperature a little higher than that as well.

Oh and can you get a photo? That will help a lot

 

[black angel]

Is there a heater in the bowl? If not, how is the temperature maintained? You should try and get the temp up to around 80f and keep it there as this will boost his immune system.
It does sound like finrot and once you get the temperature sorted you can then in a seperate cup dissolve a teaspoon of aquarium salt per gallon and add that to his bowl.
Find a filter that doesnt upset him and do half water changes ever two days remembering to re-add the salt you take out.
Melafix will help to heal the fins but not cure it.
Finrot isnt easy to stop and once it does it takes a while for fin growth to come back so just keep up with the good water quality.

 

[Glod]

I posted in your other thread in the betta section Korki.
Good luck with treatment!

 

[Korki Buchek]

Thanks everyone. One last question: Should I use Maracyn II in there, and if so is it a problem that the tank is unfiltered?