My betta jumped out of the tank, and tore his tail in the process. How can I help him heal?

I live in a dorm room, and i was checking the temp of the water with my finger when he bit me, and it surprised me so i jumped back... but my betta came with me, attached to my finger! The poor guy fell onto my desk, and I managed to scoop him up and get him back into the tank. He's a little worse for wear, his bottom tail (under his belly) split almost all the way. I did a full water change after that, but I don't know what else to do. He's only in a 1/2 gallon tank because I don't have the room for anything else. I keep a light shining on his tank to keep the water room temp, but it's hard to keep it warm. Should I give him meds? In a few weeks it will be summer and I can get him a bigger tank, but until then I'm stuck with this small one. How can I help my poor guy recover, I feel terrible.My betta jumped out of the tank, and tore his tail in the process. How can I help him heal?
so a betta, who has a mouth the size of a pinhead, bit you hard enough to attach to your finger? I find this hard to believe... I've been %26quot;bitten%26quot; by my bettas before. they're not piranhas!



if his tail got ripped off, don't use meds it will heal. aquarium salt is a good idea though.



however your tank is too small. no excuses. if you can't properly care for something you don't get it! he needs a larger tank. 2.5gallons with a filter and heater won't take up more than a few inches more.



stop using the lamp. bettas aren't big fans of bright lights, besides the light must be turned off at night or else the fish will get stressed and when it's turned off the water will cool down. these fluctuations are much more dangerous than a steady cold temp.



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I worked at petsmart, and the ignorance of my co-workers never ceased to amaze me.... petsmart, petco, or local pet store... they are ALL RETAIL STORES!

the employees are NOT specially trained (petsmart does have you fill out a booklet that give you minimal info and mostly tells you how to properly handle the animals) they don't go to school for pet care... they are NORMAL people. do NOT trust them. do your own research!



ripped tail* I didn't mean to type ripped off. either way don't use meds unless it starts to get infected. aquarium salt will help keep infection away... just use the right amount. I believe it's 1tbs per 5gallons... so for you I'd do a little less than 1/2 a teaspoon.My betta jumped out of the tank, and tore his tail in the process. How can I help him heal?
Up the temperature to 85 degrees and add some aquarium salt (one tablespoon per 5 gallon), this will help the healing process. You have him in a bowl so it'll be hard to measure out the salt and temperature but that's the only thing I know to do.



EDIT: My bettas can bite my finger and be lifted out of the water, It can happen.My betta jumped out of the tank, and tore his tail in the process. How can I help him heal?
If he's the only one currently residing in the tank, it's a little small, but certainly not as cruel as some cups people keep their betas in. The primary reason for having a larger environment for them to live in is to properly regulate water temperature, so it sounds like you're already ahead of the curve in being concerned.



Bettas like nice warm water 75-85 degrees, but even more importantly is the consistency of that temperature. If it's constantly fluctuating, they can get a host of different illnesses and be super stressed. When you do get him a new tank, make sure it has a water thermometer and water heater.



For now, head up to your pet store and they'll have a good selection of products for recovering the slime coating on your beta's scales and helping self-repair fins. One to try is a product by Tetra called Bettasafe.



Good luck!My betta jumped out of the tank, and tore his tail in the process. How can I help him heal?
I'd go with the salt for sure, and get him a bigger tank with a proper heater as soon as you can... A proper heater will keep his tank nice warm... Using a light to regulate temperature is probalematic, as leaving the light on all the time would stress him out, but having the temperature drop when you turn the light off for the night would also stress him out... And a stressed out fish won't be as healthy... Try to find a local fish store that specializes in fish, and actually knows what they're talking about... They'll have medications that can help your fishes fins heal faster...



And for the record, the people at PetSmart aren't always smart about pets... The fact that they told you that 1/2 a gallon is 'fine' is proof enough of that...



Try to find a local fish store that specializes in fish, and actually knows what they're talking about... They'll have medications that can help your fishes fins heal faster...My betta jumped out of the tank, and tore his tail in the process. How can I help him heal?
Give him to someone who can provide a 5+ gallon heated and filtered aquarium. He should not be living, let alone healing in a 1/2 gallon unheated tank.My betta jumped out of the tank, and tore his tail in the process. How can I help him heal?
try adding aquarium salt (1 tablespoon per 5 gallons) to prevent any infection and strengthen the immune system. a 25% water change and temperature of 80 degrees will also help.



http://bettacare101.com