BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Fish Help - Betta losing fin and tail

I've got a betta for the last 5-6 months, at the start Mr.Bubles was spending his time in a 2Ltr jar with weekly 90% water changes and mainly goldfish flakes for food - and looking absolutely healthy.

At present he's got a 20Ltr aquarium with heater all to himself. Water chages - 50% weekly. Food: Aquarium Betta Floating pellets, flakes, freeze dried bloodworms, Tropical Betta (kill & bloodworms), that's daily, plus frozen bloodworms and boiled shrimps from time to time.

My opinion was that he should be absolutely happy - but during the last month he started to lose his tail - very slowly but it starts to show. He is acting normal and healthy, piece of tail disappearing doesn't seem to bother him.

Honestly - if I could find a heater for a 2Ltr jar I would move him back to the small quarters! <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Any ideas what might be happening? HELP!

It may just be he is blowing his tail by swimming around vigorously. They do that sometimes. The reason it didn't happen in the smaller container is probably because he didn't have the room.

I wouldn't worry too much about it as long as the water is kept clean he should heal up nicely and it shouldn't cause any problems for him. Regularly adding aquarium salt to his water can be helpful. About 1/2 teasp per gallon.

Well, since the tips of his top fin became semi transparent and there are some tiny halls on his tail - I doubt it's just swimming. According to all the stuff I read till now it would be either fin rot or losing fin due to the diet deficiency. It doesn't look like fin rot in a way that there is no redness on his fins/tail. And I doubt he is missing anything on his diet with the amount of foods I am giving him.

Water is clean and the plants I have used are all silk, but the tail just won't grow back <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

If the tips of his fin are semi-transparent, it could be regrowth. If this is the case, you have nothing to worry about <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Are you saying there are balls or hairs on the tail? You've got a typo going above. if so, you may be treating ick. let us know if there are little grainy things going on. What is his water temp? Do you have aqua salt?

Sorry - that was "holes"

It's defenitely not ick - got this once in my large aquarium and learned how it looks.

I will try to get a pic of him here if I succeed to catch his tail with a camera - Mr. Bubbles is a very fast guy <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Thanks for support - but fin never disappeared so far, so I guess that's not regrowth. i will really try to get a pic on tomorrow.

Can't get clear picture of the tail - he's too fast for me:(

I came to work today to find that even more of the tail is gone - and if at first it looked like tail is just melting now it looks like being cut in stripes. Can he be damaging it with silk plants? Also I have a half coconut cave in his tank (I did polish the sides the entrance to the cave and made sure there was no sharp angles)

Any ideas? I am still trying to get a pic of him and will post it if I succeed (probably got to tie him up though - he's a non stop dancing kind of fish!)

Svetlana.

Well here is the tail on Saturday
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You know, this looks like splitting. Many of the bettas, esp those with longer or lacy tails, sometimes split their fins for no real reason, and it's normal. bettas do all kinds of weird things like that, and like changing their colors (esp in the face). I would stop worrying and just keep his water clean. I don't even think you need salt for this.

Of course, stay alert for the kind of raggedness you see associated with fin rot, or scary red lines. JUst in case. But i think this is not that situation. I think it's growing pains.

BTW everyone, I will be out of the forum for about a week and a half!