My betta fish has fin rot. I gave it Fungus Clear but it doesn't seem to help. What should i do?

Question

My betta fish is about a year and a half old. I noticed he had fin rot a couple months ago. It's gotten way worse since then. I'm pretty sure it's fin rot: the flesh of the fins is eaten away but the bones remain. I bought Fungus Clear a few weeks ago and gave him a dose; I can't tell if it's gotten worse but I can't say it got better either. He also has another disease, a white cottony growth on the lower part of the head. Neither of these conditions have gotten better since I gave it Fungus Clear, and I'm wondering what else to do. Also, will the fins grow back eventually if the infection is stopped?

Answer 1

scoop it up, and go to the vet. they will probably find a cure 4 u.....any way, Happy Holidays!

Answer 2

If the infection has already progressed to the base of the tail, it's pretty advanced. IF you can stop the infection, and IF the skin at the base of the tail (where the tail grows from) hasn't been damaged, the fins will regrow.

The cottony growth on the head probably won't respond to the Fungus Clear, because it's most likely not a fungus, but a bacterial infection called Columnaris (also known as "cottonmouth" disease, and cotton wool disease).

I would start with a large water change and good cleaning of the gravel, then add furacyn or nitrofurazone to try to treat both.

Answer 3

Mardel Maroxy

Answer 4

My Oscar recently had the same symptoms and it looked like he was going to die! I tried a General Cure treatment with no noticeable results so I got serious and spent a lot of time searching the internet for ideas. He made a full recovery in about 3 weeks. It's now been about 6 weeks and his damaged fins are 95% regenerated.

I did a lot of research and what I consistently found was to first do a complete water change and wash the tank thoroughly with HOT water (no soap). Then:
1) move the fish to a quarantine/hospital tank;
2) add aquarium salt at a rate of 1 tsp per gallon;
3) raise the water temp to about 82 F; and
4) treat for 5 days with 10 mL per 10 gallons of Mardel-brand Maracide whose active ingredients are malachite green and chitosan AND 2.5 mL per 10 gallons of Mardel-brand Maroxy.

I also added 10-15 mL per 10 gallons of Stress Coat fish and water conditioner. It has Aloe Vera which promotes healing and regeneration of damaged fish tissue and forms a synthetic slime coat to help prevent electrolyte loss.

Maintain normal filtration and air.

With the Maracide and Maroxy you don't need to remove the charcoal from the filter. The Maracide is a spot-on product that treats the fish, not the water. Biosphere technology transports the medication directly to the skin where it is needed and not diluted and wasted by the water.

The following info is from The Healthy Betta (URL in sources)

Fin and Tail Rot is a common problem betta owners face. It is most often caused by dirty water. If the water is left unchanged, their own feces and uneaten food particles begin to break down, causing bettas to become stressed and more susceptible to the bacteria naturally present in their tanks that causes fin rot. The best measure against this is to always keep your tanks clean. A betta that has recently been under a high period of stress, may also develop this illness. Sometimes regardless of how well a betta's tank is maintained, the illness still strikes for unknown reasons.

DIAGNOSIS:
Early detection of the illness is the best to try and prevent further fin damage. First know that clear or whitish tips on your betta's fins and tail is fin re-growth, which is a very good thing. If your betta has dark brown/black tips, holes, or tears in his fins that appear to be getting worse, they most likely have fin and tail rot.

In a worst case scenario, the fins and/or tail could be falling apart, shredding, or be completely missing.

TREATMENT:
The first thing to do is a complete water change. Make sure you wash everything with hot water (no soap).

Medication(s):
Fin and Tail Rot is a bacterial illness, so you will want to make sure your medication is intended for this purpose.

One medication that is often used is Jungle Fungus Eliminator. For 1 gallon of water, use 1/4 teaspoon. For 2 gallons, 1/2 teaspoon and so forth. Treat the tank for 4 days then do a complete water change. If fin rot is still present, repeat dosage.

Other common medications that have been successfully used are Tetracycline, Maracyn and Maracyn-Two combined together, along with sulfa-containing medications.

Click http://www.healthybetta.com/easymeds.html to view our Medications Made Easy page that provides medication dosage on a 1-gallon tank basis.

The use of aquarium salt:

Optional: Adding aquarium salt (or a bit extra if you already use it as a preventative) to a betta's tank when they have fin rot may also speed up the healing process. The usual dosage for preventative measures is 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon per gallon of water; and up to 1 teaspoon per gallon for ill fish.

ONCE HEALING HAS BEGUN:

It is important to know that once you begin to see whitish/light colored re-growth on your betta's fins, it is very delicate. The slightest negative change in water conditions could cause the fin rot to return or the fins to shred. Continuing with prompt water changes will help in the healing process. Some may recommend treating with Melafix or Bettafix once the fin rot has been halted to promote faster fin re-growth. The dosage for Melafix is 10 drops per gallon of water and Bettafix is 1/2 teaspoon per gallon.

Additional procedures:

Fin and Tail Rot is known to be contagious between fish. Always use separate nets for different tanks and wash your hands before and after handling fish or tank materials.

Clean water is always important for a betta, but is especially beneficial for any betta facing an illness. You may find it helpful to change your betta's water more frequently while you are treating with any medication.

Always keeping your betta warm, between 76-82 degrees, will also help them to feel more comfortable and raise their immune system.

Answer 5

it is NOT THAT SERIOUSE. just change its water twice a day and always give it lots of medicine even after the rot had left. buy new rocks plants and tank to put the fish in or it will just keep on coming back. kep the tank about a digree colder than room tep because fungus grows better in hot water. Use a icecube to do this.

Answer 6

Check with a vet , I don't think they will groow back. Merry Christmas

Answer 7

i highly think you should go see the vet, but i really think she will die