"Stretched" Tails?

[BettaMomma]

So I haven't been able to figure out why something happens to ALL my bettas after I've had them for a while. Their long beautiful flowing tails turn into what looks like a curtain draped down onto the floor - it sort of curls up as if it was curled with a curling iron. And the dorsal fin tends to start looking like it's curled like curling ribbon up top of a present.

It's happened to ALL my bettas - some are at work, some are at home.
Anyone else have this?

The other day I had a thought about what it might be from... When I'm doing water changes, I catch my boys in a solo cup and leave them there while i'm changing out teh water. I was wondering if by chance the suction that the cup creates and sucks them into the cup could actually be doing the damage to their tail???

Anyone?

 

[Grim Reaper]

u got a picture of the tail

 

[BettaMomma]

Not very good ones - you can't really see it very well in these photos cuz he's pretty much flaring, spreading out his tail so it doesn't really drape that much...but let's give it a try anyway...

this is probably the best shot you'll see of it. You can see the bottom fin is flipped up on the bottom:

and on this one:

you can sort of see it on his botton fin too

 

[cutechic]

Curling fins are often from poor water quality, although sometimes it's genetic or just coincidence, I believe.

You sound like you're going ample water changes, though. I don't think it's the suction from the cup, either. Do they look stressed at all?

 

[BettaMomma]

Well, Harvey is a freak. He flares like crazy and he blows bubble nests like crazy. He has all sorts of things going on with him - like he's got a big ol' flesh colored spot on his side (you can actually kind of see it on the second photo down below) - it's just behind his gill. It's probably the circumference of a toothpaste tube opening (how about retarded reference of the day award for that one, eh? hehe) He's had that spot for weeks now and it kinda looks like he's got something similar on the other side. gets no better - no worse.

Anyway - besides that, he's got white eyelid things. Yeah, the part underneath his eyeballs - in the sockets - they set out from his head slightly. Always been that way - gets no better - no worse. And, I could swear that his head swells up every now and then because then his eyes sink into his head a little. He never slows down, he's always flaring and blowing nests. I haven't really treated him for anything before because he is always active, happy and always STARVING.

He's the one with the most troubles with the tail.

Then Amos (Before he got onto his death bed recently) used to have the same problem. He was perfectly happy - no signs of stress in any way, same thing with his tail - a bit frayed and curtain-like.

I got Archie several weeks back, and he had perfectly straight fins (althought I thought he had a severe case of fin rot, just turns out he had some black markings on his fins due to his BODY being black (DUH on my part), but I have noticed that since I got him, his fins have also started to curl over. He's extremely healthy, sleek, smooth, active and hungry otherwise (and ALSO a huge hog).

Jasper I am still nursing back to health - his fins haven't really started to curl yet, but I've only had him less than 2 weeks.

After all the mumbo jumbo do you have an answer for me?
The pH in all my tanks is really high, always has been - it's at 8.4, but I've been told not to mess with it as long as it stays consistent, which it does. The water is also really hard but again, that always has been.

 

[Dane]

That happened to one of my bettas, but it happened to be genetic Sometimes with viels their tails just keep getting longer and longer, and it curls at times.. but not severely.

 

[rykitten]

BettaMomma,

This is has happened to two of my three CTs. It is so bad that Cletus's tail actually curls so tightly that pieces fall off I have tried various treatments along with more and less frequent water changes. The only thing I haven't done yet is tried bottled water.

I made a post about it a few months ago. Click HERE

Also, try searching under "curly." There's been a lot of threads on this topic. It seems that no one knows for sure . . . Could be genetics, could be water quality, could be the betta is cramped or has too much room

*Just found another possibility: Aging

 

[BettaMomma]

It's odd, though - how could it be genetic or something like that if I have 4 bettas - none of which are related, and when I get them, their tails are perfectly fine, then as time goes by their tails curl? It must be something to do with their water or something.... hrmph

Ooooh it makes me mad.
Of course I still think they're the most gorgeous boys on the planet, but I'd like it a whole lot better if their tails didn't curl.

thanks for the info - i'll keep researching!