I have a Betta Fish with fin rot. How long can I use the Melafix if its doesn't go away or comes back?

Question

I have had my Betta for 6 months. He has developed fin rot. I started Melafix treatments right away. He is in an average size fish bowl. When I first got him I checked the Internet and it seemed that weekly 2/3 water changes would be enough. As I have researched more I found some say that if the fish is living in a bowl I should do 100% water changes. However, for the first 5 1/2 months he was fine. It confuses me as to why he didn't get the fin rot for 5 1/2 months when he had been living with the same weekly 2/3 water changes for that long. Since he came down with fin rot I have been doing 100% water changes every other day. I thought I would change his water every day. But this turned out to be unrealistic. What I really want to understand is what is to keep him from getting the fin rot back after the 7 day treatment and if he does how long can I put the Melafix in his bowl without it becoming toxic? I do put Stress Coat in his water and let it set for 24 hours before using it.

Answer 1

My betta had fungus and fin rot and I used a multi remedy which is what I think that melafix is and it did nothing for him. I ended up calling the vets, (no help) and my lfs. The guy there suggested to use a medicine for just fungus. By now the fungus had eaten a hole in his stomach and the food would go straight through him. SO I got a medicine that was for tail rot and fungus and treated the whole tank and within hours it had cleared up. Eventually the hole healed and his tail and fins are still growing back but now he is fine.
I just had it in there for 3 days and then did a water change. If it hadn't cleared by then I would have re-treated the tank fo another 3 days. I think you can do this 3 times. But like I said it cleared up pretty fast.
Amazing little guys bettas are.....I couldn't imagine walking around with a hole in my stomach.

Answer 2

First of all, you're not suppose to do 100% waterchanges, it will only stress him out and eventually kill him
realisticly, you should change 50% every other day

Melafix is a no fix, for get this medication, it won't do anything
You will need maracyn TC, which is impossible to concentrate in a bowl like yours though

Get him a nice at least 2.5 gallon tank with heater and filter, and you will need only to do 25% weekly waterchanges once a week
Do the treatment twice as long as it suggests



Hope that helps
good luck


EB



Feel free to email me

Answer 3

changing 2/3 weekly is alot, i would do 1/2 water change weekly only. my suggestion to you is to get a tank, 10 gallon tank with filter and everything, that's the only way to give the fish healthy environment, and put some aquarium salt in, i bet ya that will help him alot..

p.s changing alot of water also make the fish stress out and could be sick, alot of my fish died before because ichange alot of water. all the suggestions on all website i think are wrong.