Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was recently given a male betta by a friend who was moving. This fish currently lives in a 1 gal aquarium with some live plants and a few snails, and has for months, with no other fish. A few days ago I noticed a white/gray patch on his dorsal fin, and hoping it was ich (the only fish disease I know of, pretty much), went to the pet store and was recommended Bettafix, a 0.2% melaleuca drop. I've been adding it to the water for 4 days now, and if anything the area is larger and the fin looks more ragged and degenerated, especially at the most dorsal aspect of the base where it attaches to the body. No other spots on him, appetite normal, acts normal... I was hoping to put him in my new 29 gal with 3 zebra danios, 4 rosy barbs, and an algae eater, but am a bit worried about introducing something to the bigger tank. Any thoughts? I haven't had a fishtank in a loooong time so am pretty inexperienced at this (just happened to be a sucker who agreed to take the barbs and the tank for another friend who was moving...). Thanks for any advice.
Sue

Sorry for the delayed response. I hope his fins are not degenerating more. He has fin rot, which is usually caused by poor water quality (although sometimes it is caused by a bacterial infection). I recommend changing the water weekly for such a small tank, and only about 10% or your beneficial bacteria will die off and cause the cycling process to start over, which is very stressful on a fish. Betta fix is ok, but I would recommend using Melafix if it hasn't cleared up in a week of a water change. I would always rather go natural with fish because they have open systems (unlike our closed systems) and they are very susceptible to things in their environment.

I definitely don't think you should move the betta to your tank with the rosy barbs. His fins will be gone because rosy barbs are semi-aggressive, and they are quite the fin nippers, and bettas are slow moving with long flowing fins (for males). Not a good combination. You said the barbs are new? Have you noticed any fin nipping from the barbs on your danios? The danios are peaceful/community fish and also shouldn't be with barbs, although there are cases where semi-agressive coexist with peaceful fish I definitely do not advise it.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for responding... of course I have done all the things you said not to in the interim but it seems to be ok. the group as a whole is actually doing really well together. No fin nipping, no chasing (except between male and female barb when she's getting ready to lay eggs). The betta's dorsal fin is completely gone and I imagine it had to do with the water in his small tank--it probably hadn't been changed recently before I got him and I hadn't changed it during the week I had him... The progress seems to have stopped and hopefully it will heal with better water in the big tank that he's in. I think the size of the tank and the plantings are helping keep things quiet, or I am just lucky, or they will now start chasing each other It's just the 3 danios, 4 barbs, betta, and an algae eater, and it's going to stay that way so crowding shouldn't be a stressor.

Some people do seem to have luck with things they shouldn't do (my best friend has a tank with mixed temperaments too, and everything is fine). The betta's fin will not regenerate, but as long as it has stopped, he should be ok. If you notice fins being nipped you can keep him in a breeding box until you can get another tank cycled long enough. Be sure to keep the water clean (biweekly water changes 20% of the water) while his wounds are healing... he'll be especially susceptible with an open wound.

Good luck.