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Here is my situation:

I have a 5 gallon hex currently fishless cycling (taking longer than I think it should, but that's a different question) that will someday hold my Betta.

My Betta is temporarily in a 3 gallon with a heater and some decorations (no filtration) getting a daily 1 gallon change (treated and proper temperature water).

Since the temporary digs are not cycled (and I'm not trying to cycle the 3 gallon) I'm adding Amquel Plus - which says it deals with not just Clorine and Chloramines but also Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate. I am fairly generous with it, but not out of control. I've never tested even the tiniest bit of Ammonia.

Twice since I've started this, I've been away and have skipped the water change for one day (36 hours between changes). Both times the water TESTS with zero ammonia, but the Tail fin looks chewed on.

The chewed on/ ratty tail is Ammonia burn, right? But it tests no Ammonia? What is going on?

Confused

You wouldn't have ammonia burns after one day. I keep my bettas (25 of them) in 2 gallon unfiltered, unheated tanks and change the water once a week. 100% water changes. I test periodically and there is no ammonia in the two gallons after one week.

It sounds like your betta has fin rot if the tail is starting to look shredded. For fin rot I use 1/2 tsp of aquarium salt per gallon and Jungles fungal eliminator (use as directed).

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If at first you DO succeed, try not to look astonished.

I thought Tail Rot, but it's only been worse on the two days I was away, and on other days it has looked like it was getting better. I had a conversation with a fish store guy after the first time it happened, and he said if it was tail rot it would probably keep getting worse - not be bad one day then fine for the next few weeks.

The color of the fish is great, and he eats well and is active and seems happy.

Do you have experience with tail rot? Does it go in fits and starts or is it a consistent 'little bit every day' thing?

In retrospect this should be in Hospital Tank (oops).

Melissa

I will move this to the hospital for you. Fin rot is a symptom not an actual disease itself. You can have bacterial or fungal fin rot. Bacterial is very fast acting.

following are some good sites to check in their disease section.

[link=http://www.healthybetta.com]http://www.healthybetta.com" style="COLOR: #400040[/link]

[link=http://www.bettatalk.com]http://www.bettatalk.com" style="COLOR: #400040[/link]

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If at first you DO succeed, try not to look astonished.

Fin rot with bettas is normally a sign of poor water quality. It sounds like you've been doing a great job at keeping his tank clean.

Have you tested for nitrites? IME this causes more harm to bettas than ammonia.

Another thing is because of us breeding them some bettas have developed a bad habit of being tail biters. They will actually nip at their own tail. This could be what is going on.

Either way I would treat him with bettamax and keep up on the water changes.

HTH