# Betta with fin rot in tank with plants and shrimp



## Leah (Jun 28, 2011)

Hi. If you have a small heater and a thermometer, practically any container will do. I treated fin rot in a betta by putting him in a 2 gallon food storage container with a heater and a "betta log" so that he would have somewhere to hang out. I started out with 1 teaspoon of salt* per gallon, and then moved it up to 1.5 teaspoons per gallon after one day. I changed the water every day. Took almost no time to do it since I was just scooping him up with a small container, pouring out the water, and putting new water plus conditioners and salt in. I can't remember how long I treated him for, but it was obvious when his fins were healed. He made bubble nests in his QT!

*SALT You can use aquarium salt or kosher salt is fine as there are NO additives. Some kosher salt has an anti-caking agent added to it which would be fatal. Just look at the ingredient list.

Leah


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## Corbo (Apr 1, 2011)

Hey, in my experience the water changes with fresh new water always work very well. 

Also, a good antibiotic you could use would be Melafix. It's supposedly all natural and doesn't harm your plants and inverts. (I've used it for a long time now with no detrimental effects to my shrimp at all). 

As for the other, more powerful stuff such as Maracyn and so on, I can't really speak for. I used it once in a tank with shrimp in it and they seemed ok. The salt treatment hasn't ever worked much for me. I used to add salt to my tanks and I never noticed much of a difference so I quit.

Good luck, sorry about your betta!
-Corbin


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## Leah (Jun 28, 2011)

Corbo said:


> Hey, in my experience the water changes with fresh new water always work very well.
> 
> Also, a good antibiotic you could use would be Melafix. It's supposedly all natural and doesn't harm your plants and inverts. (I've used it for a long time now with no detrimental effects to my shrimp at all).
> 
> ...



Melafix can be harmful to bettas--it can damage their labyrinth organ. Betta keepers disagree about whether it can be used safely at half strength, which I THINK is what Bettafix is. I haven't tried it, just thought I would pass along the caution issued by others!! 

Leah


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## Corbo (Apr 1, 2011)

I forgot to mention don't use the recommended dose.  sorry. I forgot about that, I just add small amounts to my tank.


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## redmary51 (Mar 17, 2011)

Ok, thanks everyone. On my trip to the store, I bought both aquarium salt and Melafix. I guess I will start with just the salt in a separate 1.5 gal tank that I forgot I had.


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