Betta fish has spots

[mzm971]

I tried asking this on another website but no one had an answer. Anyone know why he has developed this and how to treat it? It's really concerning me but not sure how to help him!

 

[CROWNTAILBETTA]

looks to possibly be velvet. what are your parameters? are you dosing any meds to the tank? what is your tank size? are there any tankmates? do you have a heater/filter? Any additional info will be beneficial to you and your fish. I hope I can help.

 

[mzm971]

No meds, 10 gallons, no tankmates. Yes heater and filter. I've had him for a while. And the only thing I saw was the other day he tried swimming through one of his decorations (very small hole) and he did not fit and came back out very fast. :/

 

[mzm971]

The spots look white in person now, not sure why the looked red a few hours ago. And the texture of the spot looks as if there's a scale missing.

 

[CROWNTAILBETTA]

are there any sharp objects in the tank that could cause an abrasion? plastic plants, rocks, décor, etc.

 

[BravetheBetta]

oh no, poor baby!

keep your water pristine (once every two days, even small changes daily) and keep checking for any changes. would a clearer picture be possible? I know it can be hard, especially with it focusing on the larger objects...

 

[Mcasella]

I would pull the decoration with the small hole out as suspicious, does it look like he is missing the scales there? I would put an anti-fungal in the tank to prevent it from getting infected, Flowingfins might be able to give you a better answer if she is not busy/is on.
It doesn't look too bad to me, like a missing scale more than anything really bad, but the decoration could have caused it when he tried to go through it.

 

[mzm971]

Thanks for the replies guys. Here's a better picture I hope. Also his fins seem to be clamped. I don't want to give him meds and it not be something he needs.

 

[BravetheBetta]

if it was red and has gone white, it is likely that it is a fungal infection. I do get the fear of dosing for preventative measures, but this isn't preventative. obviously clamped fins indicate stress so he's obviously a little uncomfortable right now.

medication can be easily removed by some carbon anyway, if every you're worried about it.

 

[mzm971]

Thank you! Do you recommend anything specific ?

 

[BravetheBetta]

not really. I generally don't touch medication for fungus, since water changes and a good diet usually fixes things.

any wide-spectrum anti-fungal should be okay imo

 

[acesleft]

My betta fish hasnt been eating for 2 weeks. He also has a white spot on his head. I initially thought it was ick so i kept the temperature at 81-83 degrees Fahrenheit and put extra salt in his tank as well as full water change every 2-4 days. I gave him food but he tries and spits it out, he sometimes eats bits and pieces but he doesnt eat like he did before. Please Help!!!!!

 

[LHAquatics]

Welcome to fishlore! It seems like you really care about your betta. If you want to give him the best home, I would start by upgrading his tank. That looks smaller than a 1 gallon and it just isn't enough room for the betta to thrive. The tank needs to be at least 5 gallon with a filter and heater. The problems you're facing right now are lack of space, no filtration, and uncycled.

Or did you add the betta to the cup to treat him? Can I get a side picture?

 

[acesleft]

I

Welcome to fishlore! It seems like you really care about your betta. If you want to give him the best home, I would start by upgrading his tank. That looks smaller than a 1 gallon and it just isn't enough room for the betta to thrive. The tank needs to be at least 5 gallon with a filter and heater. The problems you're facing right now are lack of space, no filtration, and uncycled.

Or did you add the betta to the cup to treat him? Can I get a side picture?

I put him in the cup because i was cleaning his bowl and I could get a better picture of him

 

[LHAquatics]

I

I put him in the cup because i was cleaning his bowl and I could get a better picture of him

I am sorry for the misunderstanding. What are the water parameters? The white spot may be an injury.
Betta'sAnonymous

 

[acesleft]

I am sorry for the misunderstanding. What are the water parameters? The white spot may be an injury.
Betta'sAnonymous

I havent checked the parameters yet, but i have checked ph and ammonia 3 days ago and it said it was fine. I also use betta fix not sure if it will do anything but i hope for the best.

 

[grac3]

how big is your bowl? does the white spot bulge out, or is it more of just a patch of different colour? bettafix contains essential oils which are harmful to their labyrinth organ.

 

[acesleft]

how big is your bowl? does the white spot bulge out, or is it more of just a patch of different colour? bettafix contains essential oils which are harmful to their labyrinth organ.

The bowl is about 1 gallon and it kinda does bulge out a little. It isnt even. I only put betta fix because of his problem otherwise i never put it.

 

[Rose of Sharon]

Hi,

Can you please fill out the emergency template to give us more info?

emergency template


If you have him in a one gallon bowl, then his water will need to be changed daily, or at least every other day.

From what I can see in your pics, it looks like that could be either an injury to his scales. But it could also be the beginnings of something else. Can you get a pic from the side? Does it look like a growth, or is it fuzzy?

Sorry for all of the questions, but the more info we have, the better the advice!

 

[acesleft]

Hi,

Can you please fill out the emergency template to give us more info?

emergency template


If you have him in a one gallon bowl, then his water will need to be changed daily, or at least every other day.

From what I can see in your pics, it looks like that could be either an injury to his scales. But it could also be the beginnings of something else. Can you get a pic from the side? Does it look like a growth, or is it fuzzy?

Sorry for all of the questions, but the more info we have, the better the advice!

It doesn’t look fuzzy and I am not sure if its a growth but it might be. Its difficult to check if it is a growth because the fish is also white. I tried taking pictures but he kept on moving. Let me know if you need any more pictures.

 

[peachsonas]

Hi! I think that with a larger tank and frequent water changes will help your betta fish. Even if you can just start by upgrading to a 3 gallon, that will already be so much better than a 1 gallon bowl for him. From there, making sure you keep the water spotless with regular water changes his conditions should improve. Salting and dosing medicine should never be your first move unless the situation is dire. Always start by making sure your water conditions are ideal before deciding to use medicine.

 

[acesleft]

Hi! I think that with a larger tank and frequent water changes will help your betta fish. Even if you can just start by upgrading to a 3 gallon, that will already be so much better than a 1 gallon bowl for him. From there, making sure you keep the water spotless with regular water changes his conditions should improve. Salting and dosing medicine should never be your first move unless the situation is dire. Always start by making sure your water conditions are ideal before deciding to use medicine.

I do have two other betta fishes they both have 2 gallon tanks. Will it be okay if i use a two gallon because i dont think i might buy any more fish after the 3 die.

 

[MyFishAddiction]

I do have two other betta fishes they both have 2 gallon tanks. Will it be okay if i use a two gallon because i dont think i might buy any more fish after the 3 die.

Sure is better than the one.

 

[acesleft]

Sure is better than the one.

Should i do daily 50% water changes and should i stop using salt and medicine for now? I use leaves will that be a problem?

Hi! I think that with a larger tank and frequent water changes will help your betta fish. Even if you can just start by upgrading to a 3 gallon, that will already be so much better than a 1 gallon bowl for him. From there, making sure you keep the water spotless with regular water changes his conditions should improve. Salting and dosing medicine should never be your first move unless the situation is dire. Always start by making sure your water conditions are ideal before deciding to use medicine.

Should i do daily 50% water changes and should i stop using salt and medicine for now? I use leaves will that be a problem?

 

[peachsonas]

Should i do daily 50% water changes and should i stop using salt and medicine for now? I use leaves will that be a problem?

Should i do daily 50% water changes and should i stop using salt and medicine for now? I use leaves will that be a problem?

Hi, two gallons should be fine for now. As for now, try stopping with the medicine and salt and stick to water changes. 50% is a good amount, since the tank is small and ammonia will accumulate quickly. Just make sure you are testing your water as frequently as you’re changing it to monitor the levels. Also - the leaves will be good!

 

[Rose of Sharon]

I agree with everything above with very special emphasis on the water changes. Just keep a close eye on that spot. If it is just a growth, and bettas are known for those, there is nothing that can really be done.

If you see it start to get fuzzy, then update the thread with that info.

At this point, I think it is either just a growth (genetics), or a couple of disturbed scales.

Good luck with your little boy!

 

[acesleft]

I agree with everything above with very special emphasis on the water changes. Just keep a close eye on that spot. If it is just a growth, and bettas are known for those, there is nothing that can really be done.

If you see it start to get fuzzy, then update the thread with that info.

At this point, I think it is either just a growth (genetics), or a couple of disturbed scales.

Good luck with your little boy!

I have not switched the fish to the tank because what if the fish has ich. Im really unsure what it has so im a afraid that if i put my other fish in the bowl he may be infected with whatever it has.

 

[peachsonas]

I have not switched the fish to the tank because what if the fish has ich. Im really unsure what it has so im a afraid that if i put my other fish in the bowl he may be infected with whatever it has.

Can you elaborate on this? The way you wrote this makes it seem like you were going to add the betta to another betta tank. Do you have a spare tank that’s not in use?

 

[acesleft]

Can you elaborate on this? The way you wrote this makes it seem like you were going to add the betta to another betta tank. Do you have a spare tank that’s not in use?

I do not have a spare betta tank. I was planning on switching tanks to see if it will get better but i do not want to risk another fish getting sick

 

[flopperfrog]

I havent checked the parameters yet, but i have checked ph and ammonia 3 days ago and it said it was fine. I also use betta fix not sure if it will do anything but i hope for the best.

can you fill out the emergency template? also, if you can pls try to get a test kit and test it yourself today bc it can change a lot in a few days and also if youre getting it tested at a pet store, it might not be accurate.

 

[acesleft]

can you fill out the emergency template? also, if you can pls try to get a test kit and test it yourself today bc it can change a lot in a few days and also if youre getting it tested at a pet store, it might not be accurate.

What should i look for in the the test and what should i test for?

 

[flopperfrog]

What should i look for in the the test and what should i test for?

api master test kit is the one most consider pretty accurate. main things are ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph

 

[acesleft]

My betta fish hasnt been eating for 2 weeks. He also has a white spot on his head. I initially thought it was ick so i kept the temperature at 81-83 degrees Fahrenheit and put extra salt in his tank as well as full water change every 2-4 days. I gave him food but he tries and spits it out, he sometimes eats bits and pieces but he doesnt eat like he did before. Please Help!!!!!

It has been a couple months now and the fish started eating alot until one day it started to have swimming problems, he can barely float upright and he always lays on his side. He is not active like he was before and he cant support himself. I dont know what I can do anymore. Feel free to give me any tips to treat this illness.

 

[BigManAquatics]

Is it he bloated? Sounds like a side effect of swim bladder issues.

 

[acesleft]

Is it he bloated? Sounds like a side effect of swim bladder issues.

We dont feed him alot. 3 pieces of food max and only once a day.