In the field of aquaristics, the fins of his betta that stick its most of the time the sign of a beginning of fin rot, no panic, it is a very common disease in bettas because of the size of their fins. If you have a betta, it is almost certain that one day you will have to deal with this disease, which is fortunately very easy to treat if treated in time.
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Why do my betta’s fins clamped together?
Most of the time, the fins seem to stick together, they actually start to rot, often, this is due to water that is not heated enough! However, we explain several leads below.
The disease that causes your betta’s fins to stick together is called Oodinium, we will explain how to get rid of it.
How do you know if your betta’s fins are starting to clamp together?
The appearance of fin rot can take many forms. It can be a milky white blur, a whitish foam on a large part of the fin, or a single spot that is always milky white on one of the fins.
The fish can present a paler aspect, lack of appetite, but it is not rare that its behavior does not change at the beginning.
Later on, as the disease develops, the veils seem to get perforated, decrease in volume or tear endlessly, until they reach the body of the fish. As the disease progresses, it is not uncommon to see red streaks (blood) appear in the sails or to see the edges of the sails turn red. Fins may look like melted plastic, with lighter, black or irregular fin edges.
If unfortunately the symptoms are not diagnosed before the disease reaches the body, then it becomes difficult to save the fish as the necrosis attacks the body.
How to treat and cure a betta’s fins that clamp together?
It is necessary to change completely the water of the tank.
In some cases, especially if the rot is detected early, catappa or salt may be enough. Otherwise, it is necessary to try “blind” remedies.
Tetracycline gives excellent results, but it must be available. An anti-fungal product is then added.
It is important to change the water at least once a day, while keeping the same medication. It is necessary to continue until the veils stop shortening. This can take several weeks.
Be careful, this only works for a little advanced fin rot. Commercial products can be effective, for example, Temerol, Sera Backtopur, or melafix. Always use the protocol mentioned above. The FMC also seems to give good results.
As a last resort, when we can not stop the progress of the rot, we can perform an amputation of the damaged fins, the goal being to prevent the rot from reaching the body of the fish.
In this case it is necessary to cut in a clean line, in a healthy zone, holding the fish firmly in a wet cloth for example, so that it does not move. It is necessary to cut quite widely in the healthy tissue, because the infection goes further towards the body than what is actually seen, especially in the case of fungus.
At what stage should you react to your betta’s fins sticking together?
In mild cases
In mild cases, it is not necessary to resort to medication.
When the pathology is in its infancy, it is not obvious whether it is a disease or not. It happens very often to some people to look at the fins of their betta and to have the feeling that they are less beautiful than normal, which often indicates a beginning of fin rot. But this may not be the case either. However, it is best not to take any chances and give your fish a very mild and very effective treatment.
The treatment consists of improving the water quality of the aquarium.
To improve the water quality, you will need to make more partial water changes than normal. For one week, you will do a partial water change of 30-40% every other day. With this, you will greatly improve the water quality, which will be a great help to your betta in fighting disease.
Also, be very careful with the temperature by making sure it doesn’t drop during water changes. You can heat it to the recommended temperature (27 degrees) or you can add it very gradually.
In more severe cases
When the disease is already in a higher state and is obvious, then it should be medicated. It first affects the edge of the fins and will spread inwards. If the disease reaches the body of your fighter, it will affect its internal organs.
For treatment in this case, you will need a hospital aquarium. To cure fin rot, you can use a broad spectrum antibacterial.
To use it, simply follow the instructions in the package insert to add the appropriate dose to the aquarium. Be sure to change the water (dechlorinated) every day, and add the correct dose of medication.
While the betta is in the hospital aquarium, take the opportunity to improve the water quality of the main aquarium.
