Fin Rot ?

Hi Sue
I'm worried about the part that now seems to be on his body . Please see previous photo and I'm going to get a new one up . It looks like he's changing colour is this definitely fin rot ? Doesn't fin rot eventually kill them ?
Other betta users use almond leaves to help heal bettas . What are your thoughts on this ? I've got some almond leaves I could put in the tank .
Other than this he seems his normal self and is eating .
Allison

Hi
I've added an almond leave to the tank , as there has been no improvement in his fins .
Took a photo today to see what you think . He is eating normally and his normal active self . Left his lights off for half the day . Don't know what else to try. Am  I being impatient ?  I read people had said the treatment had a result in 3 days 🤔

Hi
It's definately a pinky red colour exactly . Not grey or white. The heater is in a separate compartment where the fish cant get to it . Everything smooth pebbles , bogwood real plants . He does squeeze himself into some tiny spaces so I wonder if he's bent it ?
Could the snails have done it ?
If it doesn't respond to the fin rot treatment does this mean it's not fin rot . I've put an almond leave in to see if that helps .
I've given the snails algae wafers but there not eating them . There's no algae in the bucket so what can they eat ?
Ally

I forgot to mention last time that indian almond leaves are fine with bettas.

The snails shouldn't have caused the problem, I have one small one with my betta and a few in my big tank. Until I closed down the 50 litre I had them in there with shrimps. I've never had a problem in any of these tanks. My betta does get upset with his snail when it crawls up the glass - he flares at it till it crawls onto something else.

I would just try the one course of medication for now and see what happens. If the fin starts to look really horrible, you can always add more. But if it stays the same I would just accept that he looks like that. It might even get better.



I find that my snails won't touch algae wafers either. You could try lettuce or a slice of courgette or cucumber, but with all these blanch them in a bit of water for 30 seconds in the microwave first, and take them out of the bucket before they start to foul the water.
If you have a sunny windowsill at this time of year you could try growing some algae. All you need is a glass container with some dechlorinated water, a few stones, a few drops of ammonia if you have some and a few drops of plant fertiliser - garden stuff will do if you don't have any aquarium plant fertiliser. Just leave the container in the sunniest place you have a keep your fingers crossed for sun.

There is a difference between those snails we don't want and those we do. The ones we don't want are indestructible, while those we do want are delicate.
The pest snails in my 180 litre survived double sized doses of whitespot medication and dosing with ammonia this summer while the tank was fishless due to a very aggressive form of whitespot. I have heard it said that two things would survive a nuclear holocaust, cockroaches and malaysian trumpet snails.

The problem we have in the UK is that the really effective treatment for finrot is antibiotics which we can't get without a vet's prescription. All the meds we can get are only second best.
It is fine to try another course of eSHa 2000. Maybe change to Waterlife's Myxazin if there's still no improvement, but do a big water change and run carbon between the two medications.

I would do another three day course which will give you time to get the carbon and Myxazin.

Both eSHa 2000 and Waterlife Myxazin treat finrot, though neither do it as effectively as antibiotics which need a prescription.


They should not be used together. After finishing the first medication you would need to do a big water change and run carbon in the filter for at least 24 hours to remove the first before starting the second.

How do I get antibiotics for a fish ?
Can I get myxazin only online or would get it at pets at home ?

You might find this http://www.fishvetsociety.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=102:list-of-vets-willing-to-treat-pet-fish&catid=40:ornamentals&Itemid=79 helpful.

Waterlife Myxazin is available from some independent fish/aquatic shops. From recollection, I don't think PAH sell it - I think they tend to stock the Interpet range.

Are you certain that he's ill / this is finrot, and that it's not just a natural change of colouring which happens to be spreading? I'm afraid I can't tell from the photos, but you'll be the best judge of that. The fact that he's actually behaving normally does make me wonder... If he's behaving and eating well, I'd maybe be inclined to wait and see how things are for a week or two, at least having been reassured that you've tried some medication...

Hi Ally, Can you provide the name of the water conditioner you were using (and perhaps a photo?)? I'd be keen to avoid it in future!...

The only information I can find on that dechlorinator is here but I don't know if this is out of date as the link to the product doesn't work and Tetra's current site says it is a new formula.

In the table in the link, it says Tetra Aqua Safe contains sodium hydroxymethane sulfinate, polyvinyl pyrollidones, organic hydrocolloids, organic chelating compounds.
Tetra's website says the new formula contains "bio colloids for beneficial bacteria growth which supports the creation of clear water" (the hydrocolloids?)
Sodium hydroxymethane sulfonite is the chlorine removing chemical.
Organic chelating compounds remove metals.
Polyvinylpyrrolidone is the one that 'protects gills and mucous membranes' as stated on the front of the bottle. If you want to know what this is, I suggest you google it. Wikipedia (yes, I know, not the most reliable source) describes its uses, and they don't include coating fish!


I wouldn't use this dechlorinator.