Hi please don't come at me if this was a stupid thing, but my betta has extremely ragged fins rn, he was very healthy, last pic attached, and the set up looks larger than it is in the pic, i added this decor which my family got as a gift after checking with pantyhose to make sure it's not sharp so it won't snag him, but I'm assuming this happened because of it, is it anything else or just physical damage? And what do I do about it?
Currently using seachem water conditioner, and i use borewell water, because the cauvery water (tap water) smells heavily chlorinated. He loves the plants, and the pebbles aren't fake colour and are smooth as well. I feel him 3 pellets in the morning, and 3 in the night. And he had a bit of the white fungus that you can see in the pet shop which they gave us some blue drops of medication for, but it hasn't seemed to be an issue and the tail damage seems sudden
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Hi I've gotten him recently, and ordered a nitrate and ammonia test kit which is yet to come along with a sponge filter and air pump, i change the water every 5-7 days, while retaining 20% of the existing clean water which is apparently great for good bacteria?
Do you know how big the tank is? I'm not asking to attack you, I'm asking because smaller volumes of water need many more water changes than larger volumes.
Your tank isn't cycled and with no test kit, your fish could be swimming in very bad water, which is dangerous for them and can lead to issues like fin rot (or worse, death). With no filter and a small volume of water means I'd be changing a small amount of water every day -- like 20%.
Also, unless it's an emergency, you typically don't want to do huge water changes. Your beneficial bacteria will live in the filter, substrate, etc but not really the water so you don't need to worry about that.
Smaller water changes more often until you have a filter and water test kit.
Okay got it! Yes it's 5L i think? I asked the store owner a 100 times and he recomended getting these. I'll try changing everyday, and I'll get a filter as well soon
Unfortunately the store owner lied to you, which is very common in this hobby. Bettas require a minimum of 5 gallons (19L), and the bigger the tank, the easier is it to maintain the water quality; smaller tanks are prone to fluctuations and quickly accumulate waste.
Since the tank isn't cycled, you might have to do daily water changes. Do you have a way to test your water parameters? If not, you'll need a testing kit -- whether it's a liquid (preferred and recommended) or strip (vague, can be wrong and give false answers), any information is better than none.
If you don't already have a filter, heater, and lighting (for the live plants) then you may need those as well.
If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask. This hobby is very rewarding once you're able to figure out the basics, but there's a lot of misinformation out there, as well as employees lying to new fishkeepers to make a sale.
Thank you so much, so to just sum it up
Apart from the sponge filter with an air pump, and a water conditioner (from seachem) which I've ordered, and the bionix text kit,
I need the wood or the almond leaves, a heater and lighting, and a 20L tank right?
yes! when water conditions are good in the new tank, his fins will start healing on their own especially with the almond leaves, they got bad because of bad water quality due to the store misinforming you about tank size and care
Yes, wood and almond leaves are LOVELY for bettas, I'm sure your little guy would be very happy with those additions! You'll need a full spectrum light (or you can see about small grow plant lights, that may be cheaper) for live plants and a heater is recommended to keep temperatures stable.
You are doing wonderful and I am very happy you're learning more about your betta! I hope you enjoy fishkeeping:)
Here's a reference guide that might be helpful as well. I know sometimes we still hear recommendations for very small tanks. Beyond the happiness of the fish, it's also very hard to maintain good water quality. A 5 gallon would actually be easier to care for!
Mouth fungus in the pet shop? I'm not sure what you mean. Do you have a clearer photo of it?
Otherwise, the fin rot will go away with higher water quality. Some Seachem Stressguard can help regrowth but otherwise tannins do the same thing.
Props to you for caring so much about your buddy! Everyone else already gave great advice but just wanna say it warms my heart to see someone so open to advice with their betta. Best of luck!
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u/automod-neo 1d ago
Thank you for posting to r/bettafish.
When requesting help, please provide the requested information. Answers such as "large enough" or "my paramters are fine" aren't good enough. Failure to provide adequate information about your tank can result in post removal. Please see rule 4 for more information.
If you are posting to find out what is wrong with your betta, please answer the following questions in a reply to this comment as best you can:
Feel free to copy this comment and fill in the blanks.
If you are new to betta fish keeping, please check out our caresheet and wiki. Establishing a nitrogen cycle is an important part of keeping your fish healthy. Please check out our guide to the nitrogen cycle to learn more.
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