Betta fins suddenly shredded

IDzine01 wrote:
Oh, I also wanted to mention that I have had major shredded fins occur
when I'm not carful with ph testing. My tap water is more alkaline then
my tank water so if I'm not careful and change too much water (50%) the
pH levels fluctuate more then the .2 safe range. That's when I notice
shredding on my old betta.

I actually haven't heard anyone verify that pH fluctuations can cause
shredded fins so I can't say for sure if this is true, but I have seen
it a few times now and it's consistant with pH fluctuations.

Maybe someone can verify or discount this theory for me. I'd like to
know.

Thanks,
christie

Really? I did big water changes Friday and Sunday since I've been
battling algae growing on the java moss. I wanted to lower phosphates.
Seems like Sunday to Wednesday is kind of a long gap but that makes
more sense than anything else I've come up with. My tap water is
alkaline and variable - I've tested it as high as pH 8. The pH of the
betta tank usually stays fairly close because there's no gravel to trap
anything but I didn't test this time.

Does the shredding you take a few days after the pH change and then
happen literally overnight?

Happily, the little guys are looking fine in every other way.

--
Elaine T __
http://eethomp.com/fish.html '__
rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com

"Elaine T" wrote in message
.. .
IDzine01 wrote:
Oh, I also wanted to mention that I have had major shredded fins occur
when I'm not carful with ph testing. My tap water is more alkaline then
my tank water so if I'm not careful and change too much water (50%) the
pH levels fluctuate more then the .2 safe range. That's when I notice
shredding on my old betta.

I actually haven't heard anyone verify that pH fluctuations can cause
shredded fins so I can't say for sure if this is true, but I have seen
it a few times now and it's consistant with pH fluctuations.


That is interesting, I was playing with ph up when that happened to my male
betta over a decade ago, it's possible as I see it that ph fluctuations can
cause this. But I must say - in elaine's case I think it's just very clever
and always surprising bettas, my empty bet is that one of her bettas jumped
the divider, fought with the other one and jumped back or something similar.
I know they can really jump (bettas) as every once in a while when I had my
betta (and female betta at times) it would jump straight up and ram into my
aquarium glass cover with a lot of force and a big banging sound, I think
only the female did this though and I think that's what eventually killed
her by putting her into terminal shock. Good luck, and later!
Maybe someone can verify or discount this theory for me. I'd like to
know.


I'd like to know too.


Thanks,
christie

Really? I did big water changes Friday and Sunday since I've been
battling algae growing on the java moss. I wanted to lower phosphates.
Seems like Sunday to Wednesday is kind of a long gap but that makes
more sense than anything else I've come up with. My tap water is
alkaline and variable - I've tested it as high as pH 8. The pH of the
betta tank usually stays fairly close because there's no gravel to trap
anything but I didn't test this time.

Does the shredding you take a few days after the pH change and then
happen literally overnight?

Happily, the little guys are looking fine in every other way.

--
Elaine T __
http://eethomp.com/fish.html '__
rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com

I remember I had this new male in quarantine.
I keep the quarantine fish away from all my other fish.
I was in the kitchen and kept hearing plunk...clunk, plink, plunk,
bonk, etc....repeatedly.
Turns out it was one of the new males trying to get out of his
quarantine container. He was hitting the underside of the lid.
2 yr ago one of my lovely white males jumped through a hole no bigger
than 1/2" wide and little longer. He happened to jump right in front of
sleeping cat. He was "tasted" a bit and then left.
Good thing I found him when I did. He was just laying there, a few
holes in him where the cat had tasted him, bloody and almost all dried
out.
He survived his injuries, amazingly and never jumped through that hole
again! lol
(I didn't punish the cat as she did nonthing wrong. I mean heck, a fish
falls out of the sky and all, hehe.
She could have eaten him, or killed him, but she didn't. She just had a
taste and then went back to sleep. = )~