Betta Fish Fin Rot Treatment – Symptoms, Prevention (A-Z Guide)

When it comes to caring for your betta fish, preventing common diseases is of utmost importance. Fin rot in betta fish is a serious problem that requires immediate attention. This disease is common and can affect all types of betta fish. The rotting of betta fish fins is often caused by bacterial infections, which are usually the result of poor water quality. Most cases of fin rot can be cured if identified early. a 1- to 2-week treatment may be necessary to restore your betta fish to its normal state.

From my personal experience, most fin rot cases in Betta splendens are easily curable with proper treatment. I’ve encountered this issue many times during my betta fish-keeping journey. In this post, we will discuss the identification of fin rot in bettas, its symptoms, treatment, and prevention.

Identification of fin rot in betta:

Fin rot disease also referred to as fin melt, tail rot, or tail melt, is a bacterial or fungal infection in betta fish that leads to the deterioration of their fins. This infection often arises from improper maintenance of the betta fish tank, overfeeding of pellets failure to condition tap water, stress, or leftover betta fish pellets.

Have you ever seen betta fish kept in small cups at popular aquarium stores? Most of those bettas are likely affected by fin rot due to limited water quantity, stress, and poor water quality. It’s important to note that some bettas may have different issues, such as fin-biting habits or unique tail traits like those of crown tail breeds, so be careful not to confuse these with fin rot.

You can identify fin rot in betta fish by examining the edges of their fins. If you notice any brownish or mismatched coloring along with signs of inactivity or reduced activity such as decreased eating or playing, there is a high chance your betta fish has fin rot. My suggestion is to take a picture of your betta fish immediately; this will help you monitor its progress and make comparisons during treatment.

Symptoms of fin rot disease:

Let’s consider that you have identified fin rot in your betta fish (don’t worry) based on the above points. Now it’s time to figure out which stage of fin rot it is. Yes, you read that right; there are stages in fin rot disease: early stage, moderate stage, and severe stage.

Early Stage Betta Fin Rot: At this stage, there is a small deterioration of fins, with brownish-colored cracks at the edges of the betta’s fins. The betta will behave normally, eat normally, and be as active as usual.

Moderate Stage Betta Fin Rot: This is the stage where most betta fish owners notice fin rot. At this stage, the fins are rotted to some extent. The betta will appear sick and inactive and may refuse to eat. In my experience, my betta lay on the bottom, coming to the surface only to breathe and refusing to eat.

Severe Stage Fin Rot: In this stage, you can clearly see that your betta has lost its fins to the infection. Once the fins are rotted, the infection further spreads to the body, causing the betta’s body to rot while it is still alive.

These are the basic symptoms of fin rot in betta fish and its stages. Inspect your betta periodically for these symptoms, paying close attention to the fins. If your betta is already affected by fin rot, first determine which stage it is in and then follow the appropriate treatment procedure to help your betta recover.

Betta fin rots disease treatment:

The treatment procedure is classified according to the different stages of fin rot. We advise our readers to follow the treatment procedure that corresponds to their specific case to achieve the best results.

Common Steps:

1. First, remove all tank mates from the betta fish tank (if any).
2. Transfer the affected betta fish to a temporary hospital aquarium tank.
3. Use conditioned water.
4. Include necessary accessories such as an aquarium heater and filtration system.

Early stage Fin Rot Betta Treatment:

The early stage of fin rot in bettas can be easily treated and cured since the infection spread is minimal and the betta remains active. Follow these steps to cure it properly:

1. At first, change up to 60% of the water daily with conditioned water.
2. Add almond leaves to the tank.
3. Add aquarium salt (depending on your tank volume).
4. On the third day, add antibiotic medicines (such as tetracycline) using the minimal dosage.
5. Continue the water changes regularly for another 3 days.
6. Offer one or two pellets to your betta. If it eats, that’s fine; otherwise, remove the pellet later.
7. If the betta is not eating, offer clean bloodworms in minimal amounts.
8. Repeat for 1 week

Note: During the treatment days, take photographs of your betta and compare them once the treatment is completed.

Moderate stage Fin Rot Betta Treatment:

This stage is more serious, but if you follow the treatment properly, you can still save your betta fish. First, perform the common steps, then follow the treatment steps below:

1. Keep the hospital tank in a safe and quiet place.
2. Do not use gravel or sand in the tank.
3. Change up to 60% of the water daily with conditioned water.
4. Add pieces of almond leaves to the tank.
5. Add aquarium salt according to the tank volume.
6. On the second day, add an antibiotic solution at the normal dosage.
7. On the third day, change the water, let the fish rest for 2-3 hours, then add the antibiotic solution again.
8. Repeat this process for another 2-3 days. If you see any improvement, you can slightly lower the dosage.
9. Offer one or two pellets; if the fish doesn’t eat or spit out, remove the pellets.
10. Feed clean bloodworms, 2 to 3 worms per meal.
11. Repeat this treatment for 1 week.

The chances of recovering from fin rot in this condition are high, but it totally depends on the immunity level of the betta fish. If you see any improvements in activeness, behavior, or coloration, it means you are on the right track.

Severe stage Fin Rot Betta Treatment:

So, here is the hardest stage: the severe stage of fin rot in betta fish in which the infection starts to rot up to the body part of betta. Recovery chances are less than 30%, but if your betta fish has good immunity, it can still recover from the disease.

Personally, I have seen various cases of severe fin rot in my friend’s betta fish. Thank God, his betta survived the disease, and its fins and tail grew back beautifully, even better than before. The treatment is quite challenging and requires careful attention each day.

1. Keep the tank in a silent and dark place.
2. Change 90% of the water daily.
3. Keep the heater and filters always on (use low-flow filters).
4. Add aquarium salt.
5. Add pieces of almond leaves.
6. Add antibiotic medication for 7 consecutive days.
7. If you see any improvement, continue with mild medications.
8. Do not feed pellets.
9. Give live food like bloodworms, 3 to 4 worms per meal.
10. Every two days, offer a salt bath (add excessive aquarium salt to a separate tank, drop the betta in the tank, and remove it after 1 or 2 minutes).
11. Repeat the entire treatment for 10 days.

Best steps to prevent Fin Rot disease:

Preventing fin rot is better than seeking a cure. It is not like the bloated stomach or pop-eye disease. If fin rot occurs and your timing is bad, it can take your betta’s life. Follow these preventive methods to avoid fin rot in your aquarium:

1. Always use pretreated, aged, or conditioned water.
2. Do not introduce new fish to the betta tank unless they have been quarantined first.
3. Do not use expired foods.
4. Do not feed live food without cleaning it.
5. Do not overfeed.
6. Always use filters and heaters.
7. Change 50% of the water weekly.
8. Add betta fish enrichment toys to the tank.
9. Always keep anti-stress, antibiotic, and antifungal medications in stock.

To sum up:

As always, without your love and support, AngryFishes wouldn’t be where it is today. We are always reader-supported. Thank you so much for reading till the end.

In my opinion, betta fish fin rot is not as severe as diseases like pine coning, but you still need to provide proper treatment to eliminate the infection and allow the betta fish time to recover. Proper treatment can easily help your betta fish recover. There are many medicines available specifically for this condition that you can try in severe cases when you’re losing hope. If you’re unsure about how to treat your betta fish, please seek help from your local vet.

I hope this post helps you on your betta fish-keeping journey. Kindly leave your thoughts in the comment box. Thanks, and see you all again in another post. Bye, for now, signing off, Thaha.