What is wrong with my beta?

Question

I have a blue male beta and he has recently been shedding some little parts of his top and bottom fins. I looked at him this morning and he now has about 1/8 of his original top fin. He eats very violently and a lot, i have changed his feeding routine from feeding him every time i enter the room to 2 times a day. I also have a ph balancer so when i change his water i put some drops of it in and his tank has a filter too. Is he going to be ok? Should i worry? What should i do?

Answer 1

I'm glad you have cut down the feeding as its not healthy for the tank and the fish.

It sounds like fin rot what you need to do is buy a treatment like melafix which should rapidly treat the fin rot  it can be expensive but is very effective so i would advise that you get it.

I would also not put in the ph balancer as the ph only effect a few fish such as discus  they need a softer water to bring out their colours  all your doing is putting chemicals into the water he should be fine with out it as i have never done it when i have had any fish including bettas

Once he has been treated then do a water change to help remove any of the bacteria that is causing the fin rot, remember to put in the dechlorinator that makes the tap water safe.

Don't worry as fin rot is common amongst bettas as they have long fins  he should recover and if you notice its happening again you should know what to do

hope this helps

Answer 2

He has fin and tail rot!!! It is a common disease in bettas. But in some aquarium salt in the aquarium, put in extra StressZyme, and go to the pet store to buy Tail rot medication, immediately. The sooner the better.

Answer 3

Good thinking cutting down on the food. A betta's stomach is only the size of its eye and they only need to eat about 3 pellets twice a day. Feeding so much will decrease the quality of water and make the fish sick.

It is also good to fast them one day of every week to clean out their systems and prevent constipation.

Anyway, it sounds like your buddy has fin rot! (which is caused by poor water conditions)

First do a full water change, and use both Maracyn I & II at half dose each. If your betta is in a bowl, you will need to crush the tablets into a powder. Each tablet treats 10 gallons of water... so you do the math!

DO NOT USE  Melafix, Pimafix or even Bettafix (its not made for bettas... its made for $$) The oils in these can damage their labyrinth organ, and eventually suffocate them.

http://www.ultimatebettas.com/index.php?...

Also, in order to prevent illness in the future, make sure your betta has at least 2.5 gallons, with a heater set at about 78F and a gentle filter to be truly happy. And keep in mind that even with a filter, you still need to do 15-20% water changes weekly, and replace the cartiges. :)

Best of luck to you and your betta!

Answer 4

I think you should go see a vet to fully determine what's wrong with your beta so that he/she can be cured.