Recurring fin rot?😭😭
I am a newbie to fish keeping, this is my first betta and fish, initially I kept my betta in a 10L tank, due to poor water quality, he got a quick progressing fin rot which his dorsal fin melted away quickly in just a few days with ragged fragments as shown in the first pic.
Then, I quickly quarantined the betta (he was alone without other fish) into a smaller tank (4L) with hanged filter (like a small water pump) and a 25W heater constantly at 26°C, and bathed it with nitrofuran class antibiotics, which his fin rot stopped. Afterwards, I notice that the edge of the fin started falling bit by bit, seems to be the necrotised tissue. And the areas circled with yellow and blue colour are the caudal fin and anal fin just after 3 days of antibiotics use.
And after the course of treatment, I gradually diluted the tank with daily 30% of water with 1g/L of aquarium salt and betta H2O conditioner, using 3M filtered water with no chlorine. I ensure that the temperature difference is within 0.5°C every time.
As there’s no effective biological filter, I do manual daily water change of 30% to remove ammonia, nitrites and nitrates are constantly 0, faeces are removed daily.
And during these 2 weeks after diluting the antibiotics, I notice the fin membrane started melting away, and the caudal and anal fin just got shorter and more ragged, with some dark spots appearing(?), and the tail is observably shorten every few days, but not as rapid as that in the first tank. The fish shows high energy level, stays active and have good appetite, which also is responsive to the mirror training.
Just a few days ago the fin loss seems speeded up a bit more so I added Indian almond leave extract and now stepping up the aquarium salt concentration to 3g/L by gradual 30% water change daily. Daily water test strip result shows normal KH and pH, no nitrites or nitrates.
I cannot differentiate between:
- the fin rot is coming back, bacterial
- It’s “burnt tail” due to inappropriate pH or water quality, or stress due to frequent water change and possible osmotic shock
Or
- it’s just a normal phase where the necrotised tissue without blood supply shreds off bit by bit before tissue regeneration
as there are some transparent membrane and edges seen at the dorsal fin on top now, just the caudal fin and anal fin are melting away. I asked AI while it said the water pump is a huge source of stress to the betta even with the smallest flow, so I turned that off now.
I am truly worried that if I don’t take the right step my betta may lost his life, what should I do now?