amazingpetenclosures:

Submitted by golgothasterrorizing :

Hello! I was wondering if maybe you or followers of yours would like to take a look at my betta fish? he’s a paradise male that i got just yesterday (i saved him from one of those gross petco carrier cups) and though he’s doing very well in his ten gallon tank (it’s filtered and heated and the temp stays between 79-80F) and though he’s doing incredibly well and clearly is enjoying himself exploring his environment and has even eaten a few pellets, I’m a little worried about his fins. Of course I can’t expect top quality fish from petco, but i’m having trouble determining if his fins are either just a little rough around the edges or if there’s something I need to be doing to make sure he doesn’t have something like fin rot or something else wrong with them. Maybe I’m just being paranoid fish dad? Either way, if you or any of your followers could offer any advice, that’d be greatly appreciated.

No worries! We (my followers and I) like to help 🙂 

Is the white-ish edge to the tail fin, seen mostly in the second photo, just the lighting? But other than that (and if indeed it is just the lightening/coloring, it’s perfectly fine), he looks healthy to me. The not-quite-even edge to the fins is perfectly normal! What you’ll want to look for, as far as fin health concerns go, is really ragged, torn shreds in the tail or any white fuzz or white spots.

You have him in a very, very good environment. Keep the water especially clean for the next week or so, and you should see his fins improve. If they get worse, you have a problem, but there’s no fin problem that’ll kill him in a week of waiting to see. Besides, if he does have a fin problem from being in the cup, a lot of them can be cured by simply keeping the water very clean.

Also, that plant in the background of the last photo is a Java fern. It needs to be tied to something solid or be left to float, they die if the rhizome (solid brown bit that the leaves and roots are anchored to) is buried for too long. They usually grow on driftwood or stone.