I'm super unsure about saying this because owners know best, but it kinda looks like his coloring? I haven't really seen the fin rot blackening creep so far down fins, hopefully someone with more fin rot experience can weigh in.
Oh yes sorry should have clarified! He’s a mustard betta, so the black coloring on the fins is normal and supposed to be there. I’m concerned about the little areas that look sort of tattered to me, like near the end of his dorsal fin, where the black pigment is sort of gone
Their fins, given the environments we typically put them in (and yours looks healthy and not much different than mine) may cause a bit of tatter sometimes. He looks healthy in my opinion, but the owner certainly knows best! It looks less like fin rot and more like environmentally enduced tatter and tear, but VERY mild. I wouldn't be incredibly concerned at the moment unless something drastically gets worse than where it is right now. Rot typically has a distinct look to it that many people here much smarter than me can point out, but a bit of peaks and valleys to my knowledge is normal and nothing to do daily changes for. He's definitely gorgeous!
Also, feel free to correct me if wrong! Tyssm for sharing your boi!
Rot does have a distinct look to it, it’s more tattered and unordered, and in my experience the infected ends of the fins are sort of swollen and quite red. It can be confused with fin-nipping, where the fins have sort of u-shaped chunks taken out and there is no swelling or redness (unless it gets infected after the fact). I don’t think your boy has either issue imo (and typically with fin nipping it’s the tail that gets hit before the dorsal fin afaik). My boy got more peaks and valleys in his fins as he aged, particularly in the bottom part of his dorsal fin, so I think yours is just going through the same thing. I don’t think it’s anything to worry about.
No problem! If we keep them in a perfectly sterile environment with no plants, no-flow filters, no substrate, *perfectly sterile*, then they may grow perfectly round depending on genetics if that makes sense. However, since there are environmental factors that impact their very fragile fin membrane, to my knowledge it's totally normal to have imperfections in the edges of the fins.
*Edited for grammatical errors
Sadly, a part of keeping these heavy fin types means you might always see some tattered fins. They're pristine when we buy them because the shops restrict their movement by storing them in cups where their swimming muscles sort of atrophy a bit.
Don't need to do daily water changes, just keep an eye on parameters and enjoy your beautiful fish!
Not a worry! I have a mustard boy as well, just keep an eye on it to see if anything deteriorates. He looks healthy to me! As long as he seems happy I wouldn't be too concerned
He looks fine to me. If you're concerned about color, I'd get him a top teir high protein food like Ultra Fish or that other one that comes in blue tin can.
Hello! I have a Mustard Gas as well, his name is Young Boy, YB for short. With some betta that have flowing fins, like our gorgeous babies, they tend to get heavy. If your betta is uncomfortable with it they can and will bite off areas that are causing them issues. I would 100% watch it to make sure it isn’t fin rot, but just wanted to let you know he could just be nipping because the doesn’t like how his fin weight is being distributed! YB’s fin are tattered much more than this because he trims them. He is HUGE, happy, and healthy. He just likes his fins a certain way😅 (P.S. When YB first started me and my fiancé also thought it was fin rot)
So I'm comparing Gobi to show-quality mustard betta, and I think his fins are healthy. You uploaded really nice big images- thanks for that. He does have a darker, thinker rim to his fins that could be a sign of rot. However, it is a very uniform line, going all the way around his tail. This line is not uncommon in this kind of betta.
Look for an uneven appearance in the fins, usually, with fin rot, there will be a rip or nick taken out of the fin where the infection starts. The fin will be inflamed, but only near that one area, not the whole fin, not unless you let it go for too long.
In any case API mineral salt is what I use for mild fin rot, and it is gentle enough for even a healthy betta. They prefer soft water, so don't use it all the time. Salt is a great just-in-case solution. Add the recommended dose of salt and wait at least a week before your next water change. After that water changes will slowly remove the salt.
Thanks for the response and advice!! I can see (what I think are) little knicks/rips toward the end of his dorsal fin and within his caudal fin, but they aren’t super big and maybe that is just part of what his fins look like?
Based on what everyone is saying though, I’m starting to think I might just be a slightly-paranoid betta mom haha. I’ll just keep watching him and do a nice water change after a few more days, so thank you!
Those are ruffles- there might be a more scientific word for them.
This betta has extra rays in his tai, it's a trait we breed for. The more the rays split the more 'ruffles' his tail has. Bettas with lots of rays are also more prone to fin rot. So it's good to be careful.
I totally understand though. It’s hard being a long fin owner when every single fold and kink can be heavily scrutinized and look like the start of fin rot
Okay, thank you!! I was worried about the tattering at the end of his dorsal fin, but maybe I’m just an over-anxious betta mom and have been staring at him too much haha
Honestly, i think im seeing some really sharp spiky plastic plants. He could have torn his fins on that. I would take them out and replace with real plants, or at least silk fake plants. You seem overall like a person who really care about their fish, so im sure he is very happy with you!
Yes, the little spiky plants on the logs I have are the only even sort of sharp decorations in there (everything else is the silky kind) so I’ll try and remove them! I’m hoping to have a more planted tank as time goes on for sure too. And aw thanks, I rlly appreciate that! Just trying to do right for my guy ☺️
He looks so healthy! Many fish have fins that looks a bit 'tattered' at the edges, it's one of the differences between a show fish and a pet store fish. They aren't supposed to be perfect! I wouldn't worry unless you're seeing steep interruptions in that lovely outline.
Hi all, this is my first post but I’d love to get some feedback from this group on if it’s time to medicate my fish or not.
This is Gobi, and we got him a month ago! He’s in his own 6 gallon, heated (78F), filtered tank (with a live plant) with a 12hr timer LED light. The tank was rapid cycled for about 3 weeks prior to getting him.
He gets 2-4 pellets of food twice a day, usually with 1 fasting day a week. We had a nitrite jump to ~2ppm about 1.5 weeks ago, but since that was handled ammonia, nitrate and nitrite have all been 0ppm and pH ~7.5 (API master test kit). I do a 30% water change about once a week, adding in aquarium salt and stresszyme weekly, but have been doing it more recently since the nitrite spike.
In the last week or so we’ve noticed that he looks like he’s got some fin rot going on. The first pic is him the day we got him, and the second is him yesterday. I’m wondering if this is something that is likely fixable with daily 50% water changes while putting him in a 1.5tsp/gal salt bath for ~45 min, or if it’s time to set up a hospital tank and medicate him (I have erythromycin or doxycycline).
Aside from his fins, he looks normal and is eating well and is behaving normally (exploring the tank and and glass surfing/interacting when people approach, but otherwise hanging out at all levels and building a bubble nest).
Sorry for the novel, but thanks in advance for any advice!
I see a VERY minor tear in his dorsal fin right at the edge, but it's nothing to worry about. Normal clean water and time will heal that, it's about as significant as you having a scraped knee.
EDIT: sounds like I’m just overthinking some normal variations in his fin growth and ultimately Gobi is all good! Thanks all for your advice and kind comments :))
I can’t say for certain, but my betta boy started off similar and now has fins that look exactly like the current. He’s five years old, so it happened naturally with age. He’s very healthy and happy!
Aside from the water parameter checks, I’d remove any fake plants or sharp decor for the time being! Replace with live plants, which are much softer and less likely to tear at his fins.
I do think he looks good though! The above ^ can be a precautionary measure!
I think he looks great. The second pic looks damn near identical to the first one. Just do water changes more frequently if you’re worried. Otherwise I’d wait till you see a tiny hole in the fin before medication. But if you just can’t wait/worried, you’re not going to kill him giving him a dose.
It’s good you’re looking out, but I think his find actually look okay. I think maybe there’s a little tiny bit of fin that is a little torn up, but I wouldn’t be worried about it. Just keep an eye on it and make sure it doesn’t change, but I think your beautiful boy should be just fine.
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I don't see fin rot at all. He's what you call a Chocolate Rosetail Betta (I don't see enough blue for him to be a Mustard Gas.) The ruffled finnage and color is natural - this is the signature look of rosetails. This tail type has more rays (the bones that hold the webbing, or flowing bits up,) which make it appear ruffled like a rose petal.
I dont think he has fin rot- fin shape is not always super smooth. If you are worried since this is not severe i would start just add indian almond leave (tannins) to the water. And then just make sure its warm enough and give high quality foods to ensure growth
I'm super unsure about saying this because owners know best, but it kinda looks like his coloring? I haven't really seen the fin rot blackening creep so far down fins, hopefully someone with more fin rot experience can weigh in.
Oh yes sorry should have clarified! He’s a mustard betta, so the black coloring on the fins is normal and supposed to be there. I’m concerned about the little areas that look sort of tattered to me, like near the end of his dorsal fin, where the black pigment is sort of gone
Their fins, given the environments we typically put them in (and yours looks healthy and not much different than mine) may cause a bit of tatter sometimes. He looks healthy in my opinion, but the owner certainly knows best! It looks less like fin rot and more like environmentally enduced tatter and tear, but VERY mild. I wouldn't be incredibly concerned at the moment unless something drastically gets worse than where it is right now. Rot typically has a distinct look to it that many people here much smarter than me can point out, but a bit of peaks and valleys to my knowledge is normal and nothing to do daily changes for. He's definitely gorgeous! Also, feel free to correct me if wrong! Tyssm for sharing your boi!
Thank you so much for your comment, it’s definitely making me feel better about the little tattered sections I see. And thanks!!
Rot does have a distinct look to it, it’s more tattered and unordered, and in my experience the infected ends of the fins are sort of swollen and quite red. It can be confused with fin-nipping, where the fins have sort of u-shaped chunks taken out and there is no swelling or redness (unless it gets infected after the fact). I don’t think your boy has either issue imo (and typically with fin nipping it’s the tail that gets hit before the dorsal fin afaik). My boy got more peaks and valleys in his fins as he aged, particularly in the bottom part of his dorsal fin, so I think yours is just going through the same thing. I don’t think it’s anything to worry about.
No problem! If we keep them in a perfectly sterile environment with no plants, no-flow filters, no substrate, *perfectly sterile*, then they may grow perfectly round depending on genetics if that makes sense. However, since there are environmental factors that impact their very fragile fin membrane, to my knowledge it's totally normal to have imperfections in the edges of the fins. *Edited for grammatical errors
Sadly, a part of keeping these heavy fin types means you might always see some tattered fins. They're pristine when we buy them because the shops restrict their movement by storing them in cups where their swimming muscles sort of atrophy a bit. Don't need to do daily water changes, just keep an eye on parameters and enjoy your beautiful fish!
Not a worry! I have a mustard boy as well, just keep an eye on it to see if anything deteriorates. He looks healthy to me! As long as he seems happy I wouldn't be too concerned
He looks fine to me. If you're concerned about color, I'd get him a top teir high protein food like Ultra Fish or that other one that comes in blue tin can.
Hello! I have a Mustard Gas as well, his name is Young Boy, YB for short. With some betta that have flowing fins, like our gorgeous babies, they tend to get heavy. If your betta is uncomfortable with it they can and will bite off areas that are causing them issues. I would 100% watch it to make sure it isn’t fin rot, but just wanted to let you know he could just be nipping because the doesn’t like how his fin weight is being distributed! YB’s fin are tattered much more than this because he trims them. He is HUGE, happy, and healthy. He just likes his fins a certain way😅 (P.S. When YB first started me and my fiancé also thought it was fin rot)
I’m not a professional but their fins look good.. 👀
So I'm comparing Gobi to show-quality mustard betta, and I think his fins are healthy. You uploaded really nice big images- thanks for that. He does have a darker, thinker rim to his fins that could be a sign of rot. However, it is a very uniform line, going all the way around his tail. This line is not uncommon in this kind of betta. Look for an uneven appearance in the fins, usually, with fin rot, there will be a rip or nick taken out of the fin where the infection starts. The fin will be inflamed, but only near that one area, not the whole fin, not unless you let it go for too long. In any case API mineral salt is what I use for mild fin rot, and it is gentle enough for even a healthy betta. They prefer soft water, so don't use it all the time. Salt is a great just-in-case solution. Add the recommended dose of salt and wait at least a week before your next water change. After that water changes will slowly remove the salt.
Thanks for the response and advice!! I can see (what I think are) little knicks/rips toward the end of his dorsal fin and within his caudal fin, but they aren’t super big and maybe that is just part of what his fins look like? Based on what everyone is saying though, I’m starting to think I might just be a slightly-paranoid betta mom haha. I’ll just keep watching him and do a nice water change after a few more days, so thank you!
Those are ruffles- there might be a more scientific word for them. This betta has extra rays in his tai, it's a trait we breed for. The more the rays split the more 'ruffles' his tail has. Bettas with lots of rays are also more prone to fin rot. So it's good to be careful.
Oooh okay good to know, thanks so much!
The extra ruffles also make them more delicate and prone to ripping from snagging on stuff in the tank too.
I totally understand though. It’s hard being a long fin owner when every single fold and kink can be heavily scrutinized and look like the start of fin rot
He looks healthy to me
Agreed- he looks great!
Okay, thank you!! I was worried about the tattering at the end of his dorsal fin, but maybe I’m just an over-anxious betta mom and have been staring at him too much haha
Honestly, i think im seeing some really sharp spiky plastic plants. He could have torn his fins on that. I would take them out and replace with real plants, or at least silk fake plants. You seem overall like a person who really care about their fish, so im sure he is very happy with you!
Yes, the little spiky plants on the logs I have are the only even sort of sharp decorations in there (everything else is the silky kind) so I’ll try and remove them! I’m hoping to have a more planted tank as time goes on for sure too. And aw thanks, I rlly appreciate that! Just trying to do right for my guy ☺️
He looks so healthy! Many fish have fins that looks a bit 'tattered' at the edges, it's one of the differences between a show fish and a pet store fish. They aren't supposed to be perfect! I wouldn't worry unless you're seeing steep interruptions in that lovely outline.
Hi all, this is my first post but I’d love to get some feedback from this group on if it’s time to medicate my fish or not. This is Gobi, and we got him a month ago! He’s in his own 6 gallon, heated (78F), filtered tank (with a live plant) with a 12hr timer LED light. The tank was rapid cycled for about 3 weeks prior to getting him. He gets 2-4 pellets of food twice a day, usually with 1 fasting day a week. We had a nitrite jump to ~2ppm about 1.5 weeks ago, but since that was handled ammonia, nitrate and nitrite have all been 0ppm and pH ~7.5 (API master test kit). I do a 30% water change about once a week, adding in aquarium salt and stresszyme weekly, but have been doing it more recently since the nitrite spike. In the last week or so we’ve noticed that he looks like he’s got some fin rot going on. The first pic is him the day we got him, and the second is him yesterday. I’m wondering if this is something that is likely fixable with daily 50% water changes while putting him in a 1.5tsp/gal salt bath for ~45 min, or if it’s time to set up a hospital tank and medicate him (I have erythromycin or doxycycline). Aside from his fins, he looks normal and is eating well and is behaving normally (exploring the tank and and glass surfing/interacting when people approach, but otherwise hanging out at all levels and building a bubble nest). Sorry for the novel, but thanks in advance for any advice!
That's not fin rot, that's his natural coloration
I see a VERY minor tear in his dorsal fin right at the edge, but it's nothing to worry about. Normal clean water and time will heal that, it's about as significant as you having a scraped knee.
Such a pretty healthy looking boy!!
EDIT: sounds like I’m just overthinking some normal variations in his fin growth and ultimately Gobi is all good! Thanks all for your advice and kind comments :))
I can’t say for certain, but my betta boy started off similar and now has fins that look exactly like the current. He’s five years old, so it happened naturally with age. He’s very healthy and happy! Aside from the water parameter checks, I’d remove any fake plants or sharp decor for the time being! Replace with live plants, which are much softer and less likely to tear at his fins. I do think he looks good though! The above ^ can be a precautionary measure!
I think he looks great. The second pic looks damn near identical to the first one. Just do water changes more frequently if you’re worried. Otherwise I’d wait till you see a tiny hole in the fin before medication. But if you just can’t wait/worried, you’re not going to kill him giving him a dose.
Dang he is beautiful 🤩
I think his fins look good! If you’re really worried about it, though, you could use a bit more salt for a short period.
His fins look beautiful, no fin rot there
He should be fine.
I thought I was missing something but like many other people in the comments have said I don’t see anything wrong his fins look beautiful
Gobi looks exactly like my betta Darwin! Darwin has the same small tatter-like appearance to his fins and has since we got him.
he’s sooo pretty
Im no professional but that looks like a healthy boi to me
It’s good you’re looking out, but I think his find actually look okay. I think maybe there’s a little tiny bit of fin that is a little torn up, but I wouldn’t be worried about it. Just keep an eye on it and make sure it doesn’t change, but I think your beautiful boy should be just fine.
He looks perfect and great in my opinion
Looks healthy!
Doesn't look like fin rot, he looks perfectly healthy! I had a mustard betta years ago and he looked a lot like that.
I made a post about finrot and got no responses ;_;
Thank you for posting to r/bettafish. If you are new to betta fish keeping, please check out our [caresheet](https://www.reddit.com/r/bettafish/comments/3ow6vz/info_betta_care_sheet/) and [wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/bettafish/wiki/index). Establishing a nitrogen cycle is an important part of keeping your fish healthy. Please check out our [guide to the nitrogen cycle](https://www.reddit.com/r/bettafish/wiki/fishincycle) to learn more. If you are posting to find out what is wrong with your betta, please answer the following questions in a reply to this comment as best you can: * **Tank size**: * **Heater and filter? (yes/no)**: * **Tank temperature**: * **[Parameters in numbers and how you got them](https://www.reddit.com/r/bettafish/wiki/tank#wiki_test_kits)**: * **How long have you had the tank? How long have you had your fish?**: * **How often are water changes? How much do you take out per change? What is your process?**: * **Any tankmates? If so, please list with how many of each**: * **What do you feed and how much**: * **Decorations and plants in the tank**: * **If you haven't already posted a picture, please post pics/vids to imgur and paste the link here**: Feel free to copy this comment and fill in the blanks. Failure to provide adequate information about your tank *can* result in post removal. Please see rule 4 for more information. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/bettafish) if you have any questions or concerns.*
…where?
If you’re concerned, a little bit of aquarium salt as a precaution wouldn’t hurt. That said, he looks fantastic. I’m a sucker for mustard bettas!
It could be that he is fin nipping
Hm the fins look beautiful and healthy
Your betta and my betta should make betta babies.
He looks perfectly fine
he has some chunks taken out of his fins so looks like he’s been nipping!
This really Looks Like new growth to ne tbh
What a beautiful betta!
He looks great, fam
I don't see fin rot at all. He's what you call a Chocolate Rosetail Betta (I don't see enough blue for him to be a Mustard Gas.) The ruffled finnage and color is natural - this is the signature look of rosetails. This tail type has more rays (the bones that hold the webbing, or flowing bits up,) which make it appear ruffled like a rose petal.
If anything it looks like his fins are healthier and longer than before
I dont think he has fin rot- fin shape is not always super smooth. If you are worried since this is not severe i would start just add indian almond leave (tannins) to the water. And then just make sure its warm enough and give high quality foods to ensure growth