Male betta with black tips of tail

Question
I have a male betta who has fin rot. But I have recently seen the tips of his tails turn black. Is this part of fin rot? And is there any way to help it. He has also not been eating lately. What is wrong with my fish?
                   
                     Thanks,
                     Alexis B.

Answer
Hello Alexis-

What kind of treatment are you using to fight the fin rot? I treat my bettas with a few drops of formalin; it's a very strong medicine that kills off almost all bacteria. I try to lure my bettas to the surface, and aim the drops right onto their tails. WalMart has a medicine called QuickCure that works great, or you can find some at most pet stores. To stimulate your little guy's appetite (and fight infection,) try to raise his water temperature to near 80 F.
As for the black on his fins, that's a key symptom of fin rot. Sometimes it will disappear after the fish is cured, but sometimes the edges will remain black. Usually, once the infection is killed, the fish's color returns to normal.

Hope your little guy gets well soon!
-Amber Worman