u/pawsvt

I posted in here and in Betta Clinic a couple of weeks ago. I ended up giving Petal 2 doses of kanaplex and left him in good hands. He’s still eating well and behaving normally but his fins are more torn up than before. They look more torn than rotting though?

Ammonia, Nitrate, Nitrite is still 0s. Just did a 25% water change (last one was 7 days ago, I’ve been out of town). 10 gal with heater/sponge filter. Temp at 78ish. pH has gone up but is in mid 7s. I have mops no driftwood cooling post boil now.

So I guess I have two questions

1. I think this may be a reaction to his new tank which is a lot more reflective. I tried putting paper on the ends but it didn’t help. It’s almost like a 2 way mirror. Any suggestions?
2. How worried should I be about this. Is he just tired of the weight dragging him down? Should I just monitor for infection? Maybe I should put him back in the 5 gal by himself? (He has a clown pleco and 2 ramshorns that he ignores).

Photos are in chronological order from a couple months ago, a few weeks ago, and now.

Hi everyone! I’m pretty new to bettas but Petal has been happy and comfortable in a 5 gallon tank since around February. I recently upgraded him to a 10 gal with a clown pleco and 2 ramshorns snails. The fish ignore each other. Petal watches the snails but doesn’t flair or seem bothered by them. Anyway, I’ll admit I got a little ahead of myself and Petal and Twiggy (pleco) were in the 5 gal while I was cycling the 10 gal. I got the snails just as I was finishing up but the 5 gal was a little overstocked for a week or so. I used media from the established tank to cycle the new tank (filter media, decorations, plants) but I think it wasn’t fully done. I noticed Petal had some tears in his fins and was hanging out by the heater so I decided to move him to the 10 gal because I figured he needed some space. He’s happy in the new tank, eating well but no bubble nests yet. The fin rot seems worse though.

Here’s the issue. I will be out of town for 7 days starting Sunday. Is the best plan to do daily water changes until I go (sitter is not a fish person). Or should I put him back in the 5 gal alone and do some kanaplex before I leave? Let him chill on his own for a week to recover? Other ideas?

⁠Tank size: new 10 gal, old 5 gal
Heater and filter? Yes/yes low flow betta filter from petsmart in 5 gal, sponge filter with air pump in 10 gal. 77-80 F ⁠
Parameters in numbers and how you got them:
New tank:
pH 6.4 (probably a hair below that)
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0-5 (I included the photo). The test strips are reading higher

5 gal tank was all 0s, pH a little closer to 6. API master test kit and I have test strips from aquarium co-op for a quick read

How long have you had the tank? How long have you had your fish?: • ⁠ old tank 7 months, fish for 5-6. New tank a month or so, just loved fish

How often are water changes? How much do you take out per change?
25% every 1-2 weeks in old tank. New tank he’s been in 5 days. Did 25% change 2 days ago, planning another today

What is your process?: I just got a siphon/gravel vacuum but in the 5 gal was just scooping water out with bowls. Replaced with tap water conditioned to remove chlorine and soaked with leaves for tannins

Any tankmates? 1 clown pleco, 2 rams horns snails

What do you feed and how much: betta pellets from petsmart and Hikari bio pure freeze dried brine shrimp. About 2-4 pellets a day and brine shrimp a few times a week. It was 2 but he was looking a little thin so upped it recently ⁠

Decorations and plants in the tank:
Live planted with a “lava” rock from petsmart