Guest Author - Jilly Florio

Your best weapon in the arsenal against fin rot and other fish maladies is the lowly turkey baster. I keep a Mason jar handy near my betta bowls, with the turkey baster leaning inside it. Upkeep is simple...as one Fish Forum member puts it, "You just siphon the cruds out."

"The cruds" are uneaten food and betta fish poops, and when they lie in the tank, they will decompose, fouling your water. Betta fish enjoy lying around on tank bottoms, and their fins will graze this hot spot of bacteria...leading to fin rot.

Use your baster to just suck up the offending dirt clods and spit the siphon-full into your Mason jar. Then pour the cruddy water into your houseplants, who will love you for it.

Do this on a daily basis, even if you only have ten seconds on your way out the door. Make it a habit. Kick fin rot in the bud before it has a chance to set in!

Already got rot? Read Clean Water is the Best Medicine!

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