Betta fish is loved because of its mesmerizing fins and their ultimate spread. Multiple colors and the richness of the fins make them look amazing. However, sometimes you may observe your Betta with clamped fins. It’s a condition when your Betta encloses its fins and does not open all of them while swimming. You may see these crumbled up near the body.
In other words, it is also called a state of folded fins. You cannot see all of its colors and glory, which is disappointing too. But why this happens and how you can avoid it is still a question. Let’s proceed with these few questions and thoroughly dig out their answers.
What Are Clamped Fins? What is the reason behind it?
Whenever you walk past your aquarium, it’s fascinating to see your fish swimming with all their glory. They are flaunting their fins in the water, reflecting they are happy and having a good time.
However, the condition in which aquarium fishes or your Betta fish is not flaunting its fins is termed as clamped fins. The fins are normally closer to the body, look dull, and do not flatter too much in the water. You can witness a huge difference in the overall volume of the fish in this condition.
As we know, Betta fish are most likely to have larger fins that are flatter. When it goes through clamped fins, it doesn’t show its full size and looks dull. You will observe a huge difference in its overall size and activity too.
Some people may take clamping to the cutting or trimming of the fins. It’s logically not possible that these fins are clamped or trimmed. Betta does have this quality to attach its fins on its own. However, the fins are still intact even in this condition. These are just covered, folded, or shrunk to a specific scale.
Why Does Your Betta Have Clamped Fins?
After knowing the conditions, the most anticipated question is why you have Betta with clamped fins. What causes it to have such a condition? Once you know the reason, it seems possible to deal with it and sort out the issue. Most Betta owners need to learn the major reason behind the problem. It lands them and their fish to further threats or issues.
You know all the major factors that impact your Betta health and lead to clamped fins. You can easily take control of the situation. Let us review all major causes that unknowingly lead your Betta to unrest and danger.
Poor Water Quality
Water is life for Betta and any other fish as its habitat. Having a fish aquarium calls for having good-quality water in it too. Your tap water works fine more of the time. But, lack of maintenance leads to its poor quality. When water is not of good quality, it will cause Betta or other fishes to feel bad, dull, and stressed, leading to clamped fins.
Poor water quality is defined by a lack of oxygen, increased impurities, lack of nutrients and minerals that fishes require, and no filtration. All these things collectively make the quality poor and lead to major threats. It can eventually pull a few infections, bacteria, and fungus into the water, which is also extremely dangerous.
Temperature
Another reason that triggers and causes clamped fins in Betta and other tropical fishes is temperature. Since we know that Betta is a cold-blooded fish, a slight change in water temperature can cause it to face consequences. It stays happy at a certain temperature, between 75 to 79 degrees Fahrenheit. Anything above or below is not acceptable for the fish.
A sudden or frequent change in temperature will impact not only the fish movement, appetites, and fins. In this situation, Betta feels stressed and clamps its fins inwards. With continuous temperature irregularities, the problem only gets worse and will turn out dangerous.
A Sudden Change In Parameters
If you frequently change the aquariums or their settings, you are un-resting the Betta. The frequent or sudden parameter changes cause Betta to be stressed. In this condition, it can clamp its fins. You may feel it regularly if you are too frequent with the changes.
Sometimes Betta clamps its fins whenever you do the tank cleaning or reset. However, after some time, it can get to a relaxed position. However, if it’s a routine, you might make the fish stressed too much. It’s better not to remove Betta from the tank whenever you need to clean or change the water. Instead, use a water filter for the process.
Bullying
Another reason that can put Betta into the clamped fin condition is bullying. When you have multiple Betta in one tank, and these invade each other’s territory, they bully each other. Most of the time, the dominating one took hold of the situation and suppressed the other one too much. The continuous attacking, food snatching, biting, and further unrest caused by bullies worsen the situation.
Eventually, the under-attack Betta clamps its fins and gets cornered. You can feel the fish in the tank’s stressed behavior and hesitant movements. It is extremely dangerous for the fish. Later it can cause some diseases, malnutrition, and even death.
Other Fish In The Tank
Betta loves to be in its private space and feels good in its territory. An invader in the surroundings makes the fish unrest, panic, aggressive, and sometimes dull. Placing other fishes in the Betta fish tank is a thoughtful process. You cannot randomly add fish to the tank.
Due to the presence of other fishes, Betta will react violently and sometimes get into fights with them. In the aggressive position, it clamps its fins. Sometimes, when Betta finds other fishes dominant, it only gets stressed and cornered. Eventually, it can impact its health and other movements in the tank. You can observe the clamped fins and other behavioral changes in it.
Old Age
Aging is another reason you can see dullness in the behavior of your Betta fish. As it gets older, it loses its color, energy and fins spread. It starts to clamp them closer to the body. If your Betta is 1.5 or 2 years old, it’s aged too much. That is the maximum lifespan of a Betta.
It is common to see lower energy in Betta and clamped fins at this age. You should not worry much about it. However, provide it with enough care and support that helps it to have a good time in the tank.
Genetic Defects
Not only the environmental or age conditions are the reason behind a betta with clamped fins. Sometimes, it is a genetic defect that Betta has small fins or clamped fins. In a few variants of Betta, it is pretty common to have clamped fins. When buying the small Betta, you should notice the size of their fins and ensure they are of average size.
However, at an early age, it’s mostly hard to identify whether fins are clamped. With growth, you will learn about this defect, and there is nothing you can do about it.
Diseases
Lastly, when Betta is suffering from any disease, clamped fins are one of the signs. It will reflect that your Betta needs help with its overall health, activity, and functions. If you are observing frequent clamped fins, you must have a health check of your Betta.
Giving some vitamins and nutrients helps treat the disease. Another sign of the disease is discoloration, swelling, and abnormalities. You can review all these conditions to observe the overall shape and make arrangements accordingly. To avoid anything major, it’s essential to keep an eye on the health of your Betta.
How To Treat Clamped Fins In Bettas
When your Betta has clamped fins, it’s not incurable at all. It’s a condition that can happen following numerous controllable reasons—you must be sharp enough to know the condition at the right time. You can cure the issue when you process everything at the right time.
It’s not difficult to help your Betta fish with clamped fins recover quickly. All you need is to be active and observant about the issues. Here are a few processes that can help you to treat the clamped fins in Bettas. These processes will never give you instant but slow and effective results.
Test The Parameters
When observing clamped fins in your Betta, the first thing is to check out the fish tank parameters. It includes water quality, water temperature, color, and other factors. These parameters are essential to be checked. Mostly, Betta is having a tough time with the tank environment that keeps breathing normally. Eventually, it resulted in Betta having clamped fins.
After taking note of the tank’s condition, it’s better to manage it well. Repair or install a filter and a water thermostat to make it work better. Clean and fresh water helps Betta to feel better, and a well-maintained temperature adds value to it.
Add More Hiding Places
Sometimes, Betta is restless as he’s not finding its secret space to hide and rest. It does cause unrest and eventually leads to the clamped fins. You can simply introduce more hiding places in the tank. Just add good hiding toys in the tank.
Make sure these are good in size and appealing Betta-safe toys. This help makes your Betta comfortable in the tank and rests well when tired. Always use the best toys that are right in size as per tank. A toy with multiple hiding spots is good as it sometimes helps Bettas mating.
Remove Bullies
Bullies in the tank are another reason your Betta has clamped fins. It’s not only bad for the fins but for the overall health of the fish. If the bullies keep interrupting your Betta, it can lead to stress, infections, fights, and death. Make sure you are going to remove all the bullies.
It will take you some time to identify the bullies. You can keep surveillance on the tank using a camera. It will help you know all tank members’ behaviors during the day. Eventually, you can spare the bullies and let everyone else stay easy in the tank.
Try To Keep Feeding Them
Good feed and regular feeding can help to treat the clamped fins. Sometimes, Betta clamps its fins to store energy and use minimum energy while dealing with feed breaks. When you regularly feed them in time, they will flaunt and free their fins again.
You can observe increasing the feeding session for Betta and letting it grasp the right amount of nutrients from the food. It will help you make the fish recover its clamp fin condition soon. Eventually, you will see improvement in its movements and behaviors over time.
Make Sure They Can’t See Their Reflection
It is surprising that small things like the reflection of their own self can make Betta aggressive and unrestrained. Many of the tank decorations and types come with mirrors. These mirrors look attractive and make your tank beautiful. However, for Bettas, it can be dangerous.
When they see their reflection, it makes them alert of having another Betta in the tank. Due to their aggressive and defensive nature, they move to attack the other one. It lands them in a tense state and causes them to be anxious. Make sure to avoid such decorations and try your Betta not seeing its reflection in the tank, which leads to clamped fins eventually.
Treat Any Illnesses
Disease in Bettas and other tropical fishes is common. Like other animals and fishes, these little creatures can get infected and have fungal reactions and other issues. However, you can observe the illness in their behavioral states with slow movements, clamped fins, swelling, and discoloration. If you can see any or all of these things, it’s time to take action.
Consult a specialist to treat these illnesses. Finding the reason behind it is essential, and you can easily make Betta recover from the condition in no time.
Reduce Noise Around The Tank
Betta is sensitive to the chaos in the tank and around the tank. If you have tension or noise around the tank, Betta is not comfortable. Try to place the aquarium in a more silent and calm space. It helps your Betta to be comfortable and relaxed at the same time.
You will see a significant improvement in its behavior and action. It will help cure your Betta with clamped fins in no time. A relaxed and safer environment will help the fish be free, open all of its fins in glory, and enjoy its life.
Why Are Your Betta’s Fins Clamped After A Water Change
Whenever you change the water, you must remove the Betta from the tank and then put it back in it. In this process, all the parameters change for the Betta. From water temperature to the tank settings. Even if you place all the toys and installments in the same manner, it’s still a tiring activity for Betta.
Eventually, when you put the fish back in the tank, it will have its fins clamped. However, it’s going to last for a while. Since the trauma or stress for Betta is for a short time, it will return to its normal position after adjusting to the tank again. However, try to avoid being too frequent with the water-changing process. Instead, use a water filter to delay the tank cleaning day for weeks or more.
Why Does Your New Betta Have Clamped Fins?
Whenever you buy a new Betta, you can see it may have clamped fins. Sometimes, it can be a genetic defect, as a few Bettas are born this way. They do not have large or widespread fins. However, in certain cases, your Betta with clamped fins is because of anxiety.
Betta is an aggressive nature fish. A little change in its environment makes it unrest and panic. In this situation, it shrinks its fins and gets into an alert position. When you get a new Betta, the transfers and traveling for it can be hectic. It will cause it to have clamped fins. Introduce it to a well-maintained tank and let it stay there for a while. It might take your Betta a few hours a day, and it will return to normal.
Why Does Your Baby Betta Have Clamped Fins?
Observing clamped fins in baby Betta is pretty common. Sometimes it’s alarming, too, as you might have a breed with a genetic defect. Many people believe that at a young age, Betta does not flaunt all of its fins at once. There can be a survival mechanism or energy distribution for sure. As with the full-spread fins, it’s harder for Betta to swim easily.
As it matured, it started to open its fins, and at the adult age, Betta showed it’s all its colors with mighty fine too. If you observe small or clamped fins in your baby Betta, wait for it to grow healthy. Try to feed it more with better nutrients that will give it the energy to use all of its fins, even at a young age.
Why Is Your Betta Lethargic With Clamped Fins?
Being a Betta owner, you must know that clamped fins never come alone. There is always a package of events or issues with them. Many factors cause this disruption in your fish, and you need to understand them. When you see clamped fins of your Betta and its passive at the same time, it’s an alarming situation.
Either your tank’s temperature is too low for it, or it’s suffering from an infection. Sometimes, when Betta ages, it becomes lethargic, dull in color, and has clamped fins. You need to keep track of its era. Check the parameters and observe if Betta has any rashes, fungus, discoloration, swelling, or other signs of illness.
Why Is Your Betta Losing Colour With Clamped Fins?
Betta is loved for two major reasons, one is its bright and all-glory colors, and the second is its mighty fins. When both of them are not at their best, it’s a bad condition. When your Betta is unhappy, healthy, relaxed, or enjoying, it shows the first sign by losing its colors and clamped fins.
Your Betta may be having some bullying or threats, the water quality is not good, it’s not eating properly or having some nutrient deficiency, the water temperature is too low for survival, or even there is too much stress. All or any of these can be why you observe this condition in your Betta. It’s essential to provide it with a comfortable environment and keep a check on its health.
Why Do Your Betta Sorority Have Clamped Fins?
Mostly, when the Betta sorority has clamped fins, it reflects some problems with water quality and temperature problems. Since the cold-blooded fish take a greater impact on the water every time there is a change. So, you should check it first.
Either the water is too pouted for fish to breathe, or it has some fungus grown inside the tank, which is problematic. Sometimes, the water temperature also makes a huge impact on the condition. These conditions from water leave an immediate and visible impact on the Betta fins, which are mostly clamped. You should check out these parameters without any further due.
Conclusion
Seeing your Betta fish with Clamped fins is one of the common conditions with Betta and other tropical fishes. If the condition is present for a short duration, it’s not dangerous or critical. However, the prolonged state can indicate some serious threats or issues.
You must observe the condition and take immediate measures to treat it well. Delayed treatment can be dangerous for Betta’s life. Moreover, it’s a curable condition. You can overcome the problem by providing enough care, comfort, and nutrients to your Betta.
Confirming whether clamped fins are a condition or genetic is essential before you proceed with the treatment. Close observation and meeting other parameters allow you to easily identify the fins’ condition.
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