Betta Fin Rot vs Fin Loss – Main Differences & Treatments

Last Updated: May 29, 2022 by Flora Gibbins

Betta fish are renowned amongst aquatic pet owners for their beautiful colors and the many variations in the form they take.

However…

Their standout feature by a longshot is their flowing fins. So, as you can imagine, it can be pretty horrifying for Betta owners to discover that their Betta’s fins are a tattered or discolored mess.

Usually, the culprit for a Betta’s damaged fins is one of two conditions: Betta fin rot or Betta fin loss. So, read on as we go through this Betta fin rot vs. fin loss comparison, and, along the way, provide tips on how to treat them.

Main Differences Between Fin Rot vs. Fin Loss

The main differences between fin rot vs. fin loss are:

• Fin rot is caused by bacteria, whereas fin loss is caused by physical injury.
• Fin rot appears as blackened fin edges, whereas fin loss appears as torn fins.
• Fin rot can be treated with medication, whereas fin loss heals naturally.

Fin Rot vs. Fin Loss: What Is Betta Fin Rot?

As a result, the Betta’s fins appear ragged or tattered and, in severe cases, may even look black at the tips or stained with blood. Occasionally, the fin falls off after rotting away.

Since fin rot may be caused by bacteria or fungus, you’ll need to be able to differentiate between them. You can tell if the fin rot has fungal origins by how evenly the fin rots. Meanwhile, bacterial fin rot inconsistently spreads across the fin.

Causes of Betta Fin’s Rot

A dirty aquarium with high ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates is the most likely cause of fin rot in your Betta. Additionally, erratic temperatures, pH levels, and water parameters can also cause an outbreak of the ailment in a fish tank. When these fluctuating tank conditions stress Betta fish, their immune system weakens, leaving them vulnerable to bacterial fin rot.

Stress

It may be hard to tell, but fish feel stressed when in an unsuitable environment. Therefore, the condition of the fish tank is your first clue.

Water Temperature

Improper water temperature harms Betta fish. Bettas are tropical freshwater fish, so they thrive in fresh warm water. To provide the temperature conditions they’re used to in the wild, set the water temperature to between 75 and 81 degrees Fahrenheit using a reliable heater.

Ammonia, Nitrates, and Nitrites

Ideally, there should be no detectable levels of either substance in the water for your fish to thrive. On the other hand, the acceptable level of nitrates is 20 ppm or lower. Change the water if you discover higher levels of these substances, and monitor the tank every couple of days.

pH

pH levels indicate how acidic a body of water is. Betta fish thrive in waters with a neutral pH level, so a pH level of 7 should do the trick. In all cases, make sure the pH is no higher than 7.5.

Water Hardness

Hardness is the least-understood aquarium water parameter, but its importance shouldn’t be understated. Water hardness indicates the levels of magnesium and calcium in the water, with higher levels of the two compounds resulting in hard water and lower levels producing soft water.

You measure hardness in general degrees of hardness or dGH with one dGH equating to 17.9 mg/l. Good water hardness for Betta should measure between 3 and 4 dGH.

Symptoms of Fin Rot

You can spot fin rot from a mile away. Your Betta may have jagged fin edges and will look ragged with blackened or bloody fin tips. Looking for signs of low appetite or sluggishness will help you tell how badly the disease has affected your Betta’s fins.

Treating a Mild Case of Fin Rot

If you’re convinced your fish is suffering from fin rot, check the tank’s water parameters (temperature, pH, water hardness, ammonia, nitrates, and nitrites).Usually, cleaning the filter unit or replacing the cartridge does the job of stabilizing persistently unstable water parameters.

Treating your Betta’s fin rot without getting to the heart of the matter is pointless and will only lead to a relapse of this infection.

Remedying a tank with poor water quality should be enough to fix mild fin rot, as long as the damage hasn’t spread beyond a quarter of the fin. However, ensure that your Betta is kept away from anything that may contain toxins during the healing process, as the new Betta fin tissue can be delicate.

Treating a Severe Case of Fin Rot

You’ll find several antibiotic products that get the job done at most local fish stores.

Begin by putting the sick Betta fish into quarantine. It’s better to isolate the Betta if it has tank mates because you don’t want the healthy fish in the community tank to be exposed to medication.

Next, apply the medication to the quarantine tank’s water, making sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Finally, keep your eyes on the water quality throughout the recovery period.

Adding aquarium salt is also a viable option for treating fin rot. This is because it stimulates the Betta’s slime coat, producing helpful mucus that keeps bacteria and parasites away. However, be careful not to use excessive amounts of aquarium salt, as it might have negative effects on your fish.

Preventing Fin Rot: Tank Cleaning

To keep fin rot at bay, consider cleaning your fish tank. A clean tank helps prevent rot brought on by a stress-inducing environment.

Begin by wiping up the algae and other debris in the tank. Rinsing the lid is fine, too, as long as you don’t use soap. Next, tidy up any dead plants in the tank by extracting them with your hands. You can also use an aquarium vacuum to clean the substrate.

Then, clean the filter by swishing it in clean water. Again, don’t use soap because any remnants that make it into your tank will spell the end of your fish.

How Long Does It Take To Heal Fin Rot?

Depending on how badly affected the Betta’s fin is, you should see an improvement within four to five days after using disease-specific medication.

Remember: keeping the tank water clean and free of chemical imbalances goes a long way when healing Betta fin rot.

Regarding signs of progress to watch for, you’ll know the treatment has been effective when the rot doesn’t spread, symptoms recede, and the fish regains its appetite and mobility.

Fin Rot vs. Fin Loss: What Is Betta Fin Loss?

Betta fish fin loss is physical damage to your fish’s fins, and there are three main causes for it.

Sadly, Betta fish can be accident-prone; it isn’t uncommon for their delicate fins to snag on sharp tank decorations, only for the Betta’s fins to rip when it pulls itself free.

Moreover, if your Betta is roomies with other fish, you can expect fin nipping. However, fin nipping can be an issue if it happens too frequently because your Betta may become vulnerable to bacterial infection.

Less commonly, Betta fin loss may be caused by ammonia poisoning. The fin loss indicates late-stage poisoning, meaning your Betta has been exposed to ammonia for an extended period.

How to Prevent Betta Fin Loss

Pay attention to the following factors to curb your Betta’s susceptibility to fin loss:

Plastic Decorations and Plants

To prevent damage to your Betta’s fins, check any ornaments for sharp edges before including them in the tank. So, plastic plants, rocks, Betta toys, and the like. To test whether your Betta can safely interact with a decoration or toy, you can run nylon or similar material over them to see if the material snags.

Moreover, you probably shouldn’t keep plastic plants in your Betta fish tank. The leaves on these ornaments can be pretty sharp, so it’s best to use live plants instead. Mainly, live plants help improve water quality (crucial for preventing bacterial fin rot) by expiring oxygen, clearing out CO2, and using nitrates as fertilizers.

Additionally, check for sharp rocks that can snag Betta fish fins and other debris in the water like driftwood.

Tank Mates

Due to their flowing fins, Betta fish aren’t the fastest swimmers. As a result, the Betta fish’s fins may be a target for aggressive fish like barbs and tetras. So, avoid the preceding fish species when choosing tank mates to keep your Betta company in its Betta tank. Betta fish fins are best kept out of reach of any fin-nipping fish.

Filter

To make sure your Betta is safe from high amounts of ammonia, always keep your fish tank’s filter clean. This way, it can help in lowering the ammonia levels. Also, ensure to thoroughly clean the tank from any debris and change the water frequently.

It’s worth mentioning that a tank filter with a high strength may suck your Betta fish in by the fin, causing damage. You can prevent that from happening by reducing the filter flow level.

How to Treat Split Betta Fish Fins

When Bettas experience mild fin loss, fin tissue heals quickly, with any small holes or splits closing naturally. The water in the tank needs to be squeaky clean to prevent healing Betta fins from developing bacterial infections.

To help the process along, try using a conditioner infused with ingredients that prevent Bettas from developing infections.

Do Betta Fins Grow Back?

Yes, they do. Its fin tissue grows back during recovery. The new tissue usually looks transparent, like a clear film, and is thin and fragile.

Since the tank’s water quality determines how well and relapse-free (for beta fin rot) the process will be, keeping your Betta’s environment clean is essential.

Conclusion

Fin rot and fin loss are two completely different conditions that affect Betta fish. While the former may manifest as fungal or bacterial infections caused by poor water quality, the latter may be due to fish nipping, snagged fins on sharp or rough decorations, and other physical damage to Bettas fins.

Checking the tank water for signs of imbalance is the first step in helping a Betta fish suffering from fin rot. Meanwhile, keeping sharp objects and nippy fish away from your Betta will keep incidents of fin loss to a minimum.