Betta care - fin rot

Question
QUESTION: Hi, Karen!

I've written before about my betta - water temperature, torn fins. You've been so helpful.  Thank you!

He has continued to end up with torn fins and now he does have fin rot - jagged tail fin with holes at the end (as of today) and maybe one small brown spot at one tip.  He does have some white, too, (healing?) but one little spot looks a little fuzzy.  This is all on a very small scale except for the jagged edges.

I have kept the water clean - just checked the ammonia, nitrite, nitrate levels - and relatively stable temps (78 - 80 but with one mishap where the temp went down to 72 over night), and have been changing 25% of the water every 3 - 4 days and adding TLC.  I just switched to Amquel Plus on the last change at a friend's suggestion even though I use bottled water.  I use a siphon to change the water and try to keep the temps stable and use the same brand water.  The tank gets turbulent.  It seems that the tearing incidents occurred at least some of the time very soon after the water was changed.  So I'm fearful that the water changes stressed my betta.

I changed the water (25%) four days ago and added 1Tbsp of salt - diluted and over the course of two days.  I was hoping that his fins would improve with this.

I have Pimafix, Bettafix and Maracyn on hand but can pick up other things at the local pet store.  I've read pros and cons about these as well as other treatments so it's really hard to know what to do.  I did read in my betta book that most bacteria infections are Gram negative and that erythromycin (Maracyn) is ineffective and kills the good Gram positive bacteria.  The book didn't mention the active ingredient of Maracyn II so I don't know if that would be better.

Questions:
What do you recommend at this point for treatment?
Should I rinse / wash the various silk plants, decoration, heater, etc?
Should I toss the live plants?
Would it be less stressful for him to be removed during cleaning (I'll have difficulty maintaining a warm temp in a smaller container.)?
Are you familiar with VitaChem and fresh garlic as a treatment?
Would vitamins be helpful (I do feed a variety of foods)?

Thanks so much for your help, once again.


ANSWER: Hi Elizabeth,

Sorry to hear about your betta.
Are you certain its fin rot? Do the edges look discolored such as red/black or any other coloration? White or clear areas on the edges 'usually' mean healing. If you spot that, then your betta must not be too severe into an infection. Or it may just be normal wear and tear bettas tend to go through when flaring their fins or snagging them on ornaments or decor. Even too much current in the aquarium can put a strain on their fins. A vitamin deficiency could also make their fins weaker of course. If you are feeding a good quality betta staple (and it contains lots of vitamins) and you are feeding a variety, I would refrain a bit from doing vitamin supplements.

Oftentimes finrot can be cured with just large daily water changes. The cause of fin rot is poor water quality bacteria that thrives in the "gunk" on the bottom of the tank. Try to do large daily water changes (they won't stress him if the replacement water is treated with a conditioner and the temp is equal or just a bit warmer than his tank) definitely try to keep his temp warm and stable.

The salt will be beneficial too. Its true that most bacterial infections are in fact gram-negative and Maracyn-two would be a better option. Either that or try Jungle brand Fungus eliminator.

But I cannot stress daily water change importance enough. Many people swear by it after all other treatments had failed.

I don't think its necessary to have to rinse/clean or throw out decorations or plants. Just keep the tank cleaned of all gunk in the bottom.

Whether or not to move your betta depends on the individual betta. Some are more scared than others during water changes. And catching them might scare them and stress them more than if you just moved slow and careful while cleaning their tank/pouring in new water.

If water change and salt don't help and the fins keep getting worse than medication may be your best bet. You should keep medicating him past the "recommended" time until you can clearly see new fin growth starting.

I've never used Vitachem before but I have used garlic for fish before. Garlic is a great treatment for fish that have poor appetites, internal parasites, ect... It doesn't seem to hurt. I've even used fresh garlic juice.

I hope I've covered all areas here and Best of luck!
Karen~



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Daily large water changes it is!  I did buy a smaller siphon that makes changing the water a gentler, slower process.  Two quick questions...the TLC I've used all along addresses only the ammonia.  Using bottled water (and having only well water in the house) what are your thoughts on using Amquel Plus.  Should the salt be left at one Tbsp or should that be reduced?  Thanks, again, Karen!

Answer
Hey,
Amquel+ is a great water conditioner in my opinion and it is really good for fully conditioning your tap water.

I think the current salt level is appropriate and as long as your betta seems to be fine with it and not overly stressed, there should be no need to have to reduce it.

I hope this helps!
Karen~