Betta belly changing color?

[jsparky]

(Brought this over from the diseases forum.)

I brought home a beautiful male betta about 2 weeks ago.

Recently I noticed that an area under his mouth and on his belly is yellowish white. I don't think it was like this before. It does NOT look fuzzy or cottony at all.

Betta is otherwise OK -- swims actively, eats fine, is playful, breathes normally.

I know the water qual is not good because I'm still cycling -- no ammonia, but nitrites around .5 ppm. I'm doing a 15% water change every other day. Water temp 77.

--Is this whitish belly normal, or is it an early sign of fungus or bacterial infection?

--If it is an infection, will it affect the tank cycle if I use water medicines? (Betta is in a 10 gallon with 2 cories.)

Thank you for your help! I am a first time fish owner and these boards have been a godsend.

 

[Lotus]

It could be that the water conditions are making him stressed, which is why he is pale. It could also be the signs of an internal infection. It is a good sign that he is swimming and eating normally. How are the cories doing? Any signs of stress from them?

This page gives some info on betta diseases that might help: http://www.bettatalk.com/betta_diseases.htm

 

[jsparky]

Lotus -- the cories seem OK though one is kind of fat. They speaking most of their time sniffing for food.

The betta made a small bubble nest yesterday, which made me happy but confused. I thought betta only did that when they are feeling good.

I guess I'm hoping this yellow/whitish belly is a natural change and not illness. Could that happen? He really seems OK otherwise.

Water qual -- nitrites down to .2, nitrates at 3 ppm. Might get a new heater because yesterday water temp read 78, today 74.

Thanks for your help!

UPDATE: Betta belly is more gold than white now, so after reading on Betta diseases I've decided to treat him for velvet. He also had stringy white poop. I've moved him to a hospital tank, and:

-Raised water temp to 80
-Added aquarium salt
-Added Cupramine copper
-Added Spectrogram antibiotics

I've never treated a fish before so I hope this is right or at least won't hurt him worse.

Also -- the cory was fat because it is gravid! (I caught the cories in the T mating position this morning.)

 

[jsparky]

Sad news -- betta has only gotten more sick in his hospital tank and I think I'm going to have to euthanize him. He sits on the bottom of the tank all day (sometime even at an angle), doesn't eat, has labored breathing, and his skin has peeled off in addition to becoming bronze colored.

I am very sad that the medicines didn't help. This is my first betta and it's so sad to see him suffer.

I'm going to put vodka in his tank, as I am too wimpy to hit or cut him.

 

[Sprite42]

Don't do that, please!!!

First of all, copper is a no-no with bettas. They are very sensitive. Also, spectrogram is an antibiotic which in turn sucks the oxygen out of the water. He needs an airstone.

His coloration may be due to stress. I have a betta boy that was copper colored when I bought him, hence his name is Copper. However, after being set up in his own tank and made comfy with warm water and good food, he has turn and irredescent purple with red fins. His fins have even grown back fuller and heavier.

Please, just give your boy a little more time. Give him some clean, warm water and some live or frozen food. No meds. See how he does for a few days.

My betta boys 'sleep' at the bottom of their tanks for long periods. If he is building a nest and eating normally before the meds, the meds themselves could be stressing him. Some bettas do not tolerate copper of Melafix.

 

[Sprite42]

Also, if his skin is peeling, this is probably his slime coat and it is probably due to the copper meds. I would even lose the salt. Bettas are freshwater fish.

 

[jsparky]

Sprite, I will take your advice. I'm confused because I'm getting conflicting information, but I definitely want to give my betta every chance I can.

I will remove the copper and antibio from his tank and put in an airstone.

I hope he gets better -- it's so sad to see him look so sick.

 

[Sprite42]

If the gold coloring looks like dust, he may actually have velvet. It would probably be okay to continue the antibiotics, but use an airstone and lose the salt and copper meds.

I hope your boy gets better. I am pulling for him.

 

[jsparky]

Sprite -- you may have saved my betta's life. I did as you suggested and betta is swimming around and eating again. He still seems more lethargic than before, but it's a big improvement.

I feel so foolish -- the medicines I thought were helping him were making him sick.

However, I'm still not sure what is causing Mr. Betta's color change. It doesn't look like gold dust -- more like the scales themselve are becoming copperish and white on his belly and below his mouth.

I'm going to keep him in the hospital tank a little longer to see if he improves more.

Thanks a million for the help!

 

[Sprite42]

I am glad to have helped! I am really glad your boy is doing better. *celebrate

His color change may be the color he is actually supposed to be. Bettas do change color when stressed. He could have just been stressed when you got him. Copper's color change was so dramatic, he doesn't even look like the same fish. If I didn't know better, I would think someone swapped fishies with me. lol.

I am sure once the meds have cleared out of his system and with good food and clean water, your boy will be giving you 'happy fish wiggles' very soon.

Good Luck and let me know how he improves.

Donna

 

[jsparky]

Yay! My betta keep improving. He's active and eats like a pig, and the color on his belly is coming back. I have the water nice and warm at 84 degrees and I put in some aquarisol to be safe.

I was planning on moving him back to the 10 gallon with 2 cories and 4 white cloud mountain minnows when he got better. However, I'm wondering if his tankmates contributed to the stress that got him sick in the first case?

At any rate, thank you so much for your help!

 

[Sprite42]

Great!! I am so glad that he is improving. HOwever, 84F is probably a little too warm. Bettas usually do better at 77 to 80F.

You are probably right about the other fish stressing him. White clouds tend to be busy fish. Some bettas just are not good community fish.

Congrats on him getting better!!

 

[jsparky]

Hopefully last update. The betta appears fully recovered and is back in his old habitat. I thought about keeping him in the separate two gallon, but noticed that he doesn't build bubble nests there which he did in the 10 gallon. So far he is fine with the white clouds, just completely ignores them. I'll keep an eye on them, though.

I never did figure out why his stomach turned lighter and kind of yellow. Maybe it was stress or he was just changing colors. His tummy is still a little lighter and yellow, but he's swimming actively and eating well so I'm not too worried anymore.

Anyway, thanks for your help -- my betta thanks you too!

 

[Sprite42]

You are very welcome!! I am glad to contribute what little I can to a fellow betta person.