Beta Fish fins

[Archibud14]

Hello, just wondering if anyone can help me. This is bluey he is around 2 years old, do his fins look OK or does he have fin rot. I've red up on so many websites and articles I've confused my self with what his fins are meant to look like. 

He only lives with 6 tetras and 1 shrimp. 

Water parameters are 

PH 7.4

Amonia 0

Nitrite 0

Nitrate 0 

Thanks 🐠 

Edited April 25, 2022 by Archibud14
Add photo

[Native Keeper]

ok, so:

1. nope, he looks fine.

2. what type of shrimp do you have? most shrimps do better in groups.

3. you shouldn't have 0 nitrates, how old is the tank he's in rn?

[Archibud14]

Hi, he is a ghost shrimp there was 10 but I had to put two blue gouramis in the tank as there's started leaking and then they all disappeared. I will get him some friends. 

 

What should it be at? The pet shop said 0 😞 it's about a year old. Fully cycled ect. 

Thanks 👍

[FrozenFins]

On 4/25/2022 at 9:10 AM, Archibud14 said:

What should it be at? The pet shop said 0 😞 it's about a year old. Fully cycled ect. 

Thanks 👍

You might be getting Nitrites and Nitrates confused. Nitrites should be at 0, however nitrates should be at 20ppm especially if you have a planted aquarium.

Have you seen your bettas fins getting more ragged looking? Or has it always been like this. If it hasnt always been like this, and over the past few weeks it could be very minor finrot. 

Edited April 25, 2022 by FrozenFins

[Archibud14]

Hi no he has always been like this. He did get himself stuck under my filter i have a bio orb tank. He damaged a few scales on his head but i gave him some stress cost and some metafix and they have healed. 

 

He is fine in him self, just want to make sure he's OK 

 

Thanks 🐠 

[FrozenFins]

On 4/25/2022 at 10:08 AM, Archibud14 said:

Hi no he has always been like this. He did get himself stuck under my filter i have a bio orb tank. He damaged a few scales on his head but i gave him some stress cost and some metafix and they have healed. 

 

He is fine in him self, just want to make sure he's OK 

 

Thanks 🐠 

If hes been like this since day one i wouldnt worry about it. Good Luck!

[Torrey]

How do you test your nitrates? Rarely are nitrates zero, except in heavily planted tanks. 

His fins look a little rough, like possibly tears from a strong current he has to fight against, or fin-nipping. I enlarged the picture, and don't see any of the "fuzz" you see with fungal fin rot although I do see the black of new growth around the torn edges. Personally, knowing what I know regarding betta immune systems and stress, I would keep indian almond leaves (IAL) in the tank and look at adding some broadleaved plants for him to rest on. Are the other plants in the tank plastic? If yes, that's probably the culprit for the rayed look of the longer, bottom and tail fins. Bettas with those glorious full finnage are susceptible to tears, rips, and damage from any hardscape in the tank that is not silicone soft. That's why so many people aim for nice planted tanks for their bettas, and use lots of IAL in the tanks. In their native habitat, they evolved to live in heavy tannin waters with lots of roots, fresh and clean but gently moving water, and no direct sunlight... all light is dappled through heavy canopies overhead and/or lots of plant matter in the water.

They evolved the labyrinth organ to breathe when hot, dry season days reduced flow and oxygen saturation levels, but it's stressful if they don't have enough humidty in the air they breathe, or if they are under too bright lights.

[Archibud14]

I have a kit fresh water testing kit with 4 glass tubes and then the different chemicals. 

The plants in the tank are silk, none plastic. I may move him to my other tank which had more swimming room for him or remove some of the plants in his current one. He only lives with 6 tetras and they seem to chill at the bottom most of the time. He likes to be at the top either in his log or, i have a ornament in there he likes to hide inside. I will get some Indian almond leaves for him. 

 

My filter only creates a current on the top but I can put some sponge in to help reduced it. This tank doesn't have direct sunlight its in bedroom that had wooden blinds so it's actually quite dark. 

Every time I've put real plants in its sends my nitrate and Nitrite crazy. I'm wondering if this is correct? 

 

Thanks for your help, I've added a photo to shop the decoration he hides inside. 

 

👍

[Guppysnail]

On 4/28/2022 at 3:25 AM, Archibud14 said:

Every time I've put real plants in its sends my nitrate and Nitrite crazy

Are the plants thriving or dying back when you add them.  If they are dying back the decomposition will increase your nitrate. Maybe a a small clip on desk plant type grow light for them.

[Archibud14]

They started to turn brown, i brought some plant food for them still didn't work 🤷‍♀️

[Guppysnail]

On 4/28/2022 at 7:52 AM, Archibud14 said:

They started to turn brown, i brought some plant food for them still didn't work 🤷‍♀️

They cannot use the food if they do not have enough light. 

[Torrey]

On 4/28/2022 at 1:25 AM, Archibud14 said:

I have a kit fresh water testing kit with 4 glass tubes and then the different chemicals. 

On the nitrate test, that takes 2 different reagents. It is very easy to not shake the #2 reagent hard enough, before adding it to the test tube, and even easier to not shake the test tube well enough after adding the second reagent. If the [intended] directions are not fully understood (and honestly, they don't tell you exactly how "vigorously" the reagent bottle needs to be shaken, nor how "vigorously" the test tube needs to be shaken... they just say "shake reagent #2 vigorously for 30 seconds" and then "shake test tube vigorously for 1 minute"). I realized on another thread that if I had not taken chem and O-chem, *I* wouldn't know to actually shake *all* the reagent bottles before inverting and measuring drops, and that the #2 reagent for nitrates can be shaken longer to make up for my lack of muscle control to offset my insufficiently vigorous action.

So, that might be getting you a lower nitrate reading than what you actually have.

Decomposing plants, as Guppysnail said, will cause a spike in ammonia, then nitrites, and finally nitrates. Plants require light, in addition to appropriate nutrients in the water to grow... most plants melt back the first few weeks in a tank, so I have begun starting mine in sterilite tubs with Easy Green and a shop light on a 4 hour on/4 hour off/4 hour on timer, before I move them into my tanks. Makes my life easier.

Some bettas are delicate enough that even the silk can damage delicate, full finniage. I noticed that sufficient IAL reduced the likelihood of that happening.