Betas tail splitting

Question
QUESTION: Hi Nick, We have a single beta in a 2 gallon tank.  I change 3/4 the water once a week (and complete water change and scrub down every 3 weeks) because there is no filtration.  We have had Jean Philippe (the fish) about 2 months and he looks great!  He acts, eats, swims normal, but this week I have noticed his tail has begun to split in half.  It doesn't look like fin rot because no fins are getting shorter; I don't want to treat him for fin rot if it isn't, but also don't want to let it continue if it is indeed fin rot.  Can you advise please?  Thanks!

ANSWER: A lot of bettas have duel caudal fins. It is likely that you just did not notice it before. Or he is growing and developing a second tail.

If there is a white or black tinge around the broken piece then you should worry about it, if not, nothing to worry about. If it was damaged some how it will grow back.

Oh, and the full tank scrub is not nessesary, and is actually very harmful to the fish. You should never take the fish out of the tank or take all the water out, it destroys the colonies of beneficial bacteria. Instead, just do a 85% water change once a week using a gravel vac to suck up any waste, and use an algae magnet to get rid of any algae on the glass.

-Nick

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QUESTION: Thanks so much for your help and guidance.  One more question: If white or black does start to develop around the split, is that the time to start the fin rot medication? Thanks again!

Answer
IF black starts to develop, that means that it is time to double your water changes.

If extreme whitening and obvious deterioration occures, then you start the medication. Make sure that you are sure of the diagnosis, as some fish have a normal white lining around the fins.

-Nick