Fin rot & discoloration in my betta fish

[yve]

Hi all,

I’m coming on here to get advise on how I can help my betta. I have him for just slightly over a year and throughout the entire year I’ve tried all that I can to fix his fin rot (weekly water changes 25-50% using distilled water, kanaplex, aquarium salt) but it’s not working not sure what I’m doing wrong. 

Below are the water parameters and information on my tank: 

• pH: 7.6
• Nitrates: 0
• Hardness: 107.4ppm/6dGH
• Nitrite: 0
• Ammonia: 0
• KH/Buffer: 107.4ppm/6dKH
• Water Temperature: 26-27degree celcius
• Tank size: 5.8gallon/22L
• Planted: yes (x4 plants)
• Substrate: gravel
• Filter: Aquaclear hob
• Stock: x1 betta x2 otocinclus

When I got him his colour was also alot richer and alot more shiny but it dulled alot. The fin rot did not get worse but it’s not healing. I’ve check for sharp edges that could potentially rip his fins - i doubt the driftwood would injure him as i sand the wood before boiling it and putting it into the tank. Other than the discolouration ans ripped fins he is swimming and eating normally. 

I’m at a loss, is there a way to help him heal? 

Thanks!

[CoryWithAKatana]

In my opinion 7.6 pH is pretty high for a betta fish. They prefer a 6.0 to 6.8 pH range. @Colu might have more professional advice but I would reccomend a pH reducer.  When a betta is exposed to a High pH like 7.6 for a while it could make them susceptible to diseases like Fin Rot.

[Colu]

As salt and kanaplex hasn't helped I would do a course of maracyn2 in food  feeding a small amount twice a day for 7 days stable water parameters are more important so i wouldn't mess with your pH  it will be more stressful to the fish I would also add some Indian almond leaves as well as they have antibacterial and antifungal properties you might have to add one leaf per gallon to get a beneficial effect @yve

[Whitecloud09]

On 9/3/2024 at 3:12 PM, CoryWithAKatana said:

In my opinion 7.6 pH is pretty high for a betta fish. They prefer a 6.0 to 6.8 pH range. @Colu might have more professional advice but I would reccomend a pH reducer.  When a betta is exposed to a High pH like 7.6 for a while it could make them susceptible to diseases like Fin Rot.

Yep just make sure it is isn’t a drastic change for ph as it can stress your fish. I totally agree tho! Maybe find a more suitable way to lower it. Just a thought idk lol

[Tony s]

On 9/3/2024 at 3:12 PM, CoryWithAKatana said:

In my opinion 7.6 pH is pretty high for a betta fish. They prefer a 6.0 to 6.8 pH range

@yve Honestly, that's not actually true. For wild bettas like albimarginata or macrostoma that's absolutely correct. Betta splendens has been acclimated for many generations so that it can accept most aquarium condition for ph. Most tank raised aquarium fish can. The only real exceptions that can't handle higher ph are wild caught. German strains of discus and some domestic strains of discus can even handle high ph. More important than chasing ph is providing consistency and clean water. We Have a member from Iowa that used to keep his discus in a ph of around 8. Really, ph, in most cases, is not an issue. 

Another problem with bettas are the sources where purchased. A lot of the big box store sources (and others) have been weakened genetically. Raised by betta farms in hard water. They get a little gentler treatment than neon tetras, which are sold by the lb. and not by the welfare of the fish. Succes for them becomes how many fish sold per pond per year. These bettas get weird tumors and abscesses. are more susceptible to fin rots. and don't last long. Not to mention a bit of mistreatment by store employees. I can usually only keep them alive from 6 months to a few years. So far, with a few higher end bettas, I'm not seeing any issues at all. I usually keep anywhere from 4-6 bettas in community tanks.

So @yve if I were you, I'd try the maracyn 2 in food. At the least, it's not going to hurt. Unfortunately, it may not help either. but then you know you've done everything you can do for him. What I wouldn't do is try chasing water parameters around. And just make sure the water is very clean at all times