Stubborn betta fin rot and maracyn two- next step advice needed!

[alli789]

My betta has been struggling with fin rot for months now, and I haven't been able to get anything to really vanquish it. I tried aquarium salt and catappa leaves for two weeks, followed by two weeks of daily water changes to filter the salt out. He had some new growth, but as soon as I finished the daily water changes, the new growth fell off and his fins started to get worse again. Now I am just finishing two rounds of Maracyn 2 treatment. I am once again seeing small amounts of what appears to be clear growth on the two largest splits/tears in his tail. However, after what happened upon finishing the salt treatment, I'm skeptical if his fin rot is really gone. He still has dark edges around the tears in his fins (photo included). I don't know if those take time to go away or if this means his fin rot isn't gone. I'm afraid that as soon as I do the final water change tomorrow, the progress will be erased and his fins will continue to retreat. As you can see, the main tear is getting kinda close to his body and I don't want body rot, as I know that's nearly impossible to cure.

Some basics:
10 gallon tank, HOB filter (adjustable with very slow flow), heated around 79 degrees
Ammonia and nitrite have been steady at 0 throughout the salt and Maracyn 2 treatments
Nitrate is between 10-20
Silk plants in the tank
Usually I have red root floaters and moss balls in there as well, but they've been temporarily removed so the meds don't affect them.
The tank is fully cycled with at least one water change a week, 25-30%.
No tank mates

The fish is active and seems happy, and has a normal appetite. He really shows no symptoms other than the torn fins and dark edges.
I have two ideas here:
1. Finish the Maracyn 2 treatment and water change tomorrow as planned. Plant the tank (I have live plants ready to replace all silk ones) and hope that his fins continue to improve with the plant filtration and increased oxygen.)
2. Try another medication. Maybe Maracyn 1? I think it's more effective against fungal infections, and I thought my betta's rot is bacterial, but I'm very new to this hobby so I'm not sure I suppose.
Or if anyone has other advice, that'd be great! I could of course plant the tank and try maracyn 1, but I'm concerned about killing all my new plants.
Advice from experienced fish keepers is greatly appreciated! I'm curious if you guys think his fin rot is healing or if it isn't fully.
(excuse the fuzzy looking stuff floating on the surface in the pic, it's from the maracyn 2!)

 

[Colin_T]

2. Try another medication. Maybe Maracyn 1? I think it's more effective against fungal infections

Maracyn is an anti-biotic and does nothing to fungus.

Anti-biotics should only be used on known bacterial infections and do absolutely nothing to any other type of infection.

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If you are going to use anti-biotics, use a bare tank with no substrate and no filter. Clean the tank each day and replace all the water before re-treating the tank.

Make sure there is no carbon in filters if you use medications to treat fish.

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I don't think the infection has gone yet and would continue treatment for 1 more week.

You can use salt and the medication together.

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In future, try to do bigger water changes and gravel clean the substrate whenever you do a water change. Small water changes do nothing to dilute nutrients and disease organisms.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.

If you do a 25% water change each week you leave behind 75% of the bad stuff in the water.
If you do a 50% water change each week you leave behind 50% of the bad stuff in the water.
If you do a 75% water change each week you leave behind 25% of the bad stuff in the water.

 

[alli789]

Maracyn is an anti-biotic and does nothing to fungus.

Anti-biotics should only be used on known bacterial infections and do absolutely nothing to any other type of infection.

--------------------
If you are going to use anti-biotics, use a bare tank with no substrate and no filter. Clean the tank each day and replace all the water before re-treating the tank.

Make sure there is no carbon in filters if you use medications to treat fish.

--------------------
I don't think the infection has gone yet and would continue treatment for 1 more week.

You can use salt and the medication together.

--------------------
In future, try to do bigger water changes and gravel clean the substrate whenever you do a water change. Small water changes do nothing to dilute nutrients and disease organisms.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.

If you do a 25% water change each week you leave behind 75% of the bad stuff in the water.
If you do a 50% water change each week you leave behind 50% of the bad stuff in the water.
If you do a 75% water change each week you leave behind 25% of the bad stuff in the water.

Ok, thank you! So you think I should just continue what I'm doing with the maracyn two for one more treatment, maybe adding salt as well? I think it's a bacterial infection which is why I started an antibiotic, do you agree?

 

[Colin_T]

If the water quality is good, then it isn't caused by poor water.
It does not appear to have fungus or protozoa.
It has not been bitten, so it is most likely caused by bacteria.

I don't know the directions on the medication, but most anti-biotics should be dosed daily in a clean tank.

I would definitely keep treating the fish for 1 more week though.