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My betta has red fins and can't swim straight. What should I do?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Fish | Betta | Male | unneutered | 0.02 lbs

Hi my betta has red patches at the edges of his fins. Also he can not use one of his front fins to swim. He can not swim straight.What should I do?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT

Licensed Veterinary Technician

Published on March 3rd, 2019

Poor water quality can cause stress which can lead to infection. Check the water chemistry and quality first. You can use a home test kit or submit a water sample for testing. The local Petco may do this for free or for a small fee. Aim for 0 ppm ammonia and nitrites with nitrates at 20ppm or less. Perform a partial water change (no more than 30% total volume at once) to stabilize chemistry and/or to improve water quality. Use only conditioned water that is temperature matched to prevent stress or shock. Bettas are tropical fish and do best between 78 F and 80 F. Add a teaspoon of plain aquarium salt (NOT table or Epsom salt) per gallon of water to the tank. Dissolve it first in a cup or two of tank water. The salt will reduce stress, improve gill function, treat minor infection and aid in recovery. Treat for 14 days then reassess fin condition. Perform partial water changes afterwards to decrease salinity. At the same time, withhold food for 2-3 days. Resume feeding bits of cooked, shelled green peas. This may help with constipation which can affect the swim bladder. Feed peas until swimming and defecation are normal. You can soak the bits in some garlic juice to stimulate the appetite and provide an immune system boost. If there is no change, consider a broad spectrum antibiotic or "all in one" treatment, such as Lifeguard (by Tetra). Find either in the aquarium section at the local Petco. Follow label directions carefully and remove the carbon filter insert during treatment if indicated.

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    Answered By Dr. Massimo Orioles, DVM, Cert AVP, MRCVS

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Even though a picture of it would help to determine the nature of these red patches more specifically and give you specific advices on how to give appropriate treatment, generally speaking you can follow these guidelines: - set up quarantine tank: make sure the tank is well oxygenation and has some plants for hiding; - add 1 teaspoon of aquarium salt per gallon; - add this product https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/4410/?pcatid=4410 as indicated; - leave your fish there and feed him regularly for 3-4 days until you don't see any improvement - If no results at all are seen after 4 days a check up would be needed as more specific tests may be needed to establish a specific diagnosis. In the meantime perform water testing on the main tank. Water testing should be performed with a quality test kit, measuring NH4, NO2 and NO3. High ammonia levels, PH imbalances may be responsible for these signs. Oxygen concentration and quality of the filters should be determined as well. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

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