Pet Information > ASK Experts > Pet Fish > Fish > Beta fish has holes in fins and tail

Beta fish has holes in fins and tail

23 14:10:58

Question
My beta has clearish gaps between the veins in all his fins. His fins are also getting holes in them. Is he sick and what can I do to fix it? He has been healthy with clean water and BettaMIN tropical medly fish food.

Answer
Holes in fins are not a healthy sign. Unfortunately for fish, when they are unhealthy, they cannot tell you. Even if they could, they wouldn't. Fish hide all signs of illness for as long as possible. So the only way to make sure a fish isn't suffering is to test the water quality for high levels of ammonia, nitrites or nitrates. Ideally, your ammonia and nitrite levels should never go above 0, and nitrates should never go above 20.
I would recommend doing more frequent water changes. All the toxic chemicals that can kill fish are invisible, so even if your water looks "clean", that doesn't mean it is. You could also start adding aquarium salt, as it help reduce stress and prevent illness.
Prevention is the best medication against illness.

You can simply buy a nitrate/nitrite test at any pet store that sells fish. There are no drops that will help - just clean more often and he should be fine.