Hi,
I am new to fish keeping and I bought and cycles fully a 20L blue planet aquarium. It is heated and filtered however I changed the filter media which made my ammonia go to 0.25ppm and nitrite 0ppm and nitrate around 20ppm which I believe is meant to be around there.

I am not sure if they are tears of if it is fin rot as I did have a live plant attached to a log which he hung around often. I have removed it and put a nice smooth live plant in which he likes.

If it is fin rot I have only just noticed it over the last two days and I have added API aquarium salt as directed on the box to my tank and I am keeping it clean with 25% water changes every few days. I recently had to do a 40% water change on the same day a did a 25% change as I added melafix which is apparently very bad for them. This was yesterday. To make sure i did a 25% change today and I won't do one tomorrow so I don't stress him.

Should once the levels balance out, and with keeping the water clean, heated and with the salt in should it heal soon? again I am not sure if it is rot but its better to be safe than sorry. He naturally has a black outlining so its hard to tell.
thanks all.

Welcome to the forums!

Post a picture of him.If he is long finned he may be tailbiting,but with a spike in ammonia that will bring on fin rot.What is his tank temperature?

Also,remember that salt does not evaporate so only add enough back to replace how much water you took out.

Best thing for fin rot is clean warm water so daily waterchanges may be needed,and that is what I did when I had my whites,who are so prone to finrot,its not funny.

Should see regrowth in about a weeks time if hes warm and clean.By warm I mean at least 28 celsius,which should be constant normal temp for him anyway.

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"Come to the dark side....we have cookies...and filters/heaters/and water changes!"

Thanks for the reply, I will try to attach an image. It was really hard to take because of the glare of the tank, the camera wanted to focus on the reflections on the glass -_-

Images are uploading in my gallery. His temperature is at 80F but fluctuates overnight which I hear will always happen with a heater

NP!

Try to turn the flash off.That will give you a picture without glare,or it should.

__________________
http://bountifulbettas.blogspot.com/

"Come to the dark side....we have cookies...and filters/heaters/and water changes!"

Photos are taking for ever to upload, should I just continue with the salt and cleaning? should that work?

Fin rot is usually caused from water issues - if it is fin rot. I would do daily water changes for at least 5-7 days, since meds aren't really much of an option for labyrinth fish.

Hey guys just an update. The aquarium salt is in to help him heal but today I went to a PROPER aquarium shop since they actually know what they are doing instead of those trade mark pet stores. I bought a proper heater which should keep a stable 80F temperature throughout the day and night so I hope it works.

I also got some multi cure which was recommended by the aquarium guy as it treats both fungus, velvet disease and white spot so I can be sure its not anything else. I put it in along with the new heater (which is a lot bigger, 50watt-will be transferred into my 54L aquarium when its finished cycling which my fighter will be in when he is better)

I put in the dose that the instructions said and my water is green and carbon has been removed. So far he is a lot more active and is displaying his fins which he hasn't been doing for the past few days.

Thanks for the help and I will post another update in a few days to let you know how he is getting along