# Chronic finrot! Not fixing- eating away at body in betta!



## fuzzbucket (Sep 14, 2010)

Hi,
i've had my siamese fighter for about a year now and in the last month has got finrot on his dorsal fin. I kept an eye on it for a week, and it didn't degrade immediately. It was only in the second week when i checked one morning and the whole fin had been eaten off. None of the other fins are affected- and i can't see how he can nibble at that fin. I treated with constant water changes with AquaMaster MultiCare for 2 weeks but the condition has only worsened. I then purchased a broad antibiotic which kills gram neg bacteria : Aquari-Cycline. I have used this treatment for 6 days now, and can still see no improvement. It seems to be working bacterial wise as the tank changed to a dark mauvey/brown colour over night with a smell. I have re-done a water change, changing 2/3 of the water. 
His entire top fin has now disapeared, and the bacteria is eating into his flesh.
If he doesn't heal fast- he will die! He does seem distressed- and is very inactive (i imagine it is quiet painful)
If it is incurable- can someone let me know so i can put the poor thing out of his misery? :betta:

thanks
fuzzbucket


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Fin rot is curable. Most of the time a good % water change will fix the problem as it stems mostly from bad water - at least what I've read of it. I used either melafix or pimafix on some fish that had it from the lfs.


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## littlefish (Aug 4, 2010)

see here Manage your freshwater aquarium, tropical fishes and plants: Disease


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## fuzzbucket (Sep 14, 2010)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/Bracken43/P9150003.jpg

here's an image of it.
he really isn't looking well. i really don't want him to suffer, and im pretty sure he's suffering now.


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## NursePlaty (Feb 5, 2010)

*Have you tried treating with aquarium salt or anti-bacterial medications like Maracyn and Maracyn Plus?*


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## fuzzbucket (Sep 14, 2010)

Not Maracyn - but i've tried aquarium salts, as well as salt baths to no avail.
Unfortunately the little guy is dying- it seems a bit pointless to keep trying when he is so sick. I just don't have the guts to put him out of his misery. He'll go quietly in his tank with a dark towel over it today i imagine.
Just the last time i'll try and raise a betta in 5L tank with no filter or aeration. I think my next investment is a bigger tank with a betta and some other 'non-fin nipping' fish, worked as a tropical aquarium. It is very difficult to regulate such a small ecosystem.


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## WhiteGloveAquatics (Sep 3, 2009)

DO NOT USE melafix or pimafix with a betta, it creates a film on top that they can die from and die fast.

use marcyn or marcyn plus.

Yes a unfiltered,unaerated tank can go sour very fast, think of it as an unflushed toilet bowl.

10g tank even a 5g(solo resident) will work wonders, 10's are 10 bucks,cheaper then tanks smaller then them. filter can be had for 20 bucks, i suggest an aquaclear HOB, maybe a AC20 or AC30, you want to pretty much filter 40g of water per hour. 4x the tank volume.
Yes smaller tanks are harder to regulate, 

till the 18th petco is having their dollar per gallon sale on tanks 10g to 55g. i bought 3 55's and a 40B, saved roughly 70 bucks per tank.


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## theguppyman (Jan 10, 2010)

try some IAL (indian almonde leaves ) it has anti-fungi and anti bacterial elements that will help bettas heal fast as this leaf has been used by Thialand betta owners who used it for Breeding,Conditioning bettas for fights and breeding, and also after fights so the fish dont get any type of problem from the injuries.
Heres is a link 
Indian Almond Leaves with pictures


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