My betta fish has torn fins?

R

Rae

New member
I have one betta in a ten gallon tank with two albino catfish, and recently I've noticed his fins are kind of frayed, and he's looking pretty rugged. At first I was thinking that maybe his fin was getting caught in the filter when he swam by, but it's on all of his long flowing fins (top, bottom, tail). I've read about fin rot, and I do not think he has it, as there are no black outlines on his fins. Also, I have watched to make sure my catfish aren't nipping at him, and they're not. I really don't know what's going on.

Any ideas as to what is going on with him? Also, any ideas as to how I can help him get back to normal?
Right now for decorations in the tank I had a cherry hedge, which is kind of large. A small plastic (really small) plant, a tall rubber-like plant/vine, and a plastic cave for the catfish to hide in.

The tank is filtered, but not heated at the moment.
 
Don't put him in a bowl!!

He needs a heated and filtered tank. I recommend taking him into the local specialty fish store (you can put him in a bowl for the trip (; ) Generally they will happily diagnose him free of charge and point you towards the right medication.
 
I think it could be your cat fish but maybe they don't attack when your there. Try to but him in a bowl for a month by it self and it will recover. But get it out as soon as possible our you are going to have a dead betta fish.
 
OMG NEMO!!!
haha jk.
ANd your answer is yes and no. The fin is really delicate. If its completely gone. Its not goin to grow back.
Go to your local pet store (Pet Smart etc) and tell them for some sort of special diet so he can grow. The growth hormones will help him develop a "fin".
 
Black around the edges is usually a result or ammonia burns. I recommend testing your ammonia, nitrite and nitrate.
As for the cory cats, they shouldn't be bothering him. With their turned down mouths, nipping isn't really a common behavior for them.
What kind of plants or ornaments do you have in there? Any plastic plants or rough ornaments? I had a male who tore himself up something fierce on a plastic plant after having been fine with it for over a month. I now only use silk and live to prevent this from occurring again.
I recommend upping the temp to about 80 degrees, though I do not recommend adding any salt since this wouldn't mix well with the cory cats.
Keep an eye on him, but be careful what meds you choose to add, as many contain warning about scaless fish, ie the cory cats. Also stear clear of Melafix and the watered down version Bettafix, as this can coat their labyrinth organ and make breathing difficult.
Best of Luck!
 
I think the only reasonable explanation is fin rot. Your catfish would not nip at his fins, and i doubt it is getting stuck in the filter. Although, I never had bettas, so who knows?
I suggest assuming it is fin rot and getting either Maracyn, Maracyn-Two, or Maracyn Plus and treating him.
I got Maracyn-Two for my fish with fin rot and it didnt work, so I might go with Maracyn Plus.
But definitely use a brand of Maracyn because this stuff is the best for everything.
And make sure to take out the carbon in your filter. I just took scissors and cut out the carbon pellets, leaving the floss in the filter.

Hope your betta does ok!
 
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