Betta Fish Missing Scales + Tail Becoming Transparent

Hey all!

Been lurking the site for tips for setting up my first Betta aquarium, and first of all I’d like to thank everyone for their advice and proper setup tips. Before I begin my questions, let me explain my set up because I know I will get these FAQs at some point.

I have a male Veiltail Betta Fish named Guillermo who my mom purchased at PetSmart for my Valentine’s Day gift on 2/07/2018. He’s awesome, very skittish, but otherwise gentle and active. He lives in a 5.5 Top Fin starter aquarium, and has an abundance of plants (four Java ferns, two anubias, and two amazon swords along with a betta hammock). His heater is a Tetra Brand automatic heater that keeps the tank at a solid 79 degrees Fahrenheit according to the thermometer I received with my tank.

The tank is fairly new and I have been using API Quick Start and Top Fin bacteria supplement. I let the tank run for four days with the plants receiving API Leaf Zone and Seachem root tabs once a week before adding Guillermo. His water is conditioned with Top Fin Water Conditioner with a touch of API Stress Coat+ to reduce his stress and to nourish his slime coating. For personal reasons and on the advice from betta keepers I have interacted with, I have chosen to stay away from Seachem products such as Prime.

Parameters were tested before with an API 5-1 Testing Strip once every few days, and parameters for the strips read as of 2/18/2018:

GH: between 120-180 (I live in the desert and my water is very hard, but Guillermo hasn’t shown problems with it.)

KH: between 0-40 (depending on water change, I also have a piece of driftwood in his tank that secures four Java ferns and my Anubias)

pH: always 7.0

NO-2: 0

NO-3: between 0-20

I did test Ammonia levels with the API Ammonia test kit and always had a reading of .25 which I remedied with frequent water change.

Parameters are now tested with the API Freshwater Master Test Kit + pipettes I purchased on amazon.com, however I have not yet tested my pH with it yet. Parameters for nitrite, nitrate and ammonia as of 2/20/2018 read as follows:

NO-2: 0

NO-3: 0 (however it does look orange at the top? So I always guesstimate between 0-5.0ppm)

Ammonia: 0

Now on to my questions: I noticed since I purchased my fish he seems to be losing some color at the ends of his fins. They are turning transparent for some reason, but there is no noticeable fin loss from the first time I bought Guillermo. It seems his fins are simply turning transparent? My sibling’s bettas have all succumbed to fin rot, and after they inspected him they assured me this did not look like the fin rot in their bettas (one named Tilly was identical to Guillermo, and my sibling said the ends of Tilly’s fins had turned white when he got fin rot). I’d like to know what this is and what steps I should take to prevent fin rot and other diseases?

I also noticed Guillermo seems to have scraped himself on something in the tank, as he seems to be missing some scales as shown in the pictures below. However, I’ve never noticed him scraping before, and the “skin” below the scales is a dark color, not infected or red, nor is there any sign of white fuzz or grains on him. I did notice however he was hiding in the right hand corner of the tank where my Amazon sword is planted, and he seemed to be a bit more sluggish than usual on Monday of this week.

The last water change was on Sunday 2/18/2018. I noticed his missing scales on Monday 2/19/2018 and consulted other posts on this website who said to do frequent water changes. I changed about 20% of the water this morning and added his usual quick start, conditioner, and stress coat to heal him up a bit. He’s perked up quite a bit since his water change, and has been exploring more than just the front of the tank, but on occasion he still surfs the glass because of his reflection. What steps should I take to prevent infection? Also, should I use Melafix or Bettafix on him? A friend of mine who keeps two crowntails swears by Melafix, as it brought her crowntail male named Comet back from the brink of death after a Tetra Brand product nearly killed him.

I feed Guillermo 2-3 Omega One Betta Buffet Pelets per day in the morning, and every so often I give him one or two extra before his bedtime. I’m afraid of overfeeding and bloating him, so I’ve consulted various posts here on the forum for proper feeding dosage and decided that 2-3 would be safest considering the pellets swell when in the stomach of the betta. Before the water change I fed him two pellets, and about two hours later I gave him one extra as a treat. Should I feed him some more tonight to keep up his strength? Or should I simply let him be?

Looking at him now, he’s very active and interacting with his reflection at the front of the tank. I’ve not noticed any particularly alarming lethargy, no clamped fin, and nothing that would particularly worry me in general.

I’d appreciate some help and advice on my new fish, I’ve only ever owned one other betta in childhood, and most of the time it’s been plecos or Gouramis that my mom has kept upwards of 8 years. Please keep comments constructive and kind, as I am a newbie to this hobby and would appreciate a bit of kindness and understanding for my worries. Thank you forum!

 

All I see is a healthy betta in these pictures, no need to worry. Growth on fin edges tends to be more transluscent and that's what I'm seeing. Scales will grow back in a few weeks so no need to worry, just keep the water clean.

Don't use melafix with bettas. It contains substances that can damage their labyrinth organ.

Also, I'm curious to know why you're opposed to Seachem Prime...

 

All I see is a healthy betta in these pictures, no need to worry. Growth on fin edges tends to be more transluscent and that's what I'm seeing. Scales will grow back in a few weeks so no need to worry, just keep the water clean.

Don't use melafix with bettas. It contains substances that can damage their labyrinth organ.

Also, I'm curious to know why you're opposed to Seachem Prime...

Thank you so much for getting back to me! I was so worried that he might be sick. How often would you recommend water change?

Also, I’ve spoken to a lot of longtime betta keepers who have discouraged prime as they’ve said it simply masks the problem and does little to solve it. They’ve also informed me that it tends to cancel out products that are not of the Seachem brand, and truth be told I’m not in a stable financial place currently to make the switch.

I’m curious why so many here like it, and I’d like to know if/how I should switch brands once I get a bit more money? I should be better off in summer, the holidays currently drained me (as does my little bugger’s water bill, LOL!)

 

He is in good healthy, like stated above he is growing more fins. Prime is useful because it covers a wide range of things is neutralizes for a period (normally 24-48 hrs, after 24hrs you can test and do everything needed like bacterial), it neutralizes ammonia, nitrites, heavy metals, and many other harmful things that came be in water that isn't RO (which has to be remineralized otherwise the fish won't get the nutrients it needs from the water). If you follow directions on bacteria supplements and other things prime does no harm, but your friends might not be following the directions and going with what they feel like.
Melafix and betafix both coat the surface of the water which makes it harmful for fish that breathe from the surface like bettas do (they breathe with gills and labyrinth organ) even with bubblers to push it around (unlike a protein skI'm it mela/betafix does not move from the surface with bubblers).
Prime helps keep the fish safe while you deal with problems in the tank related to cycles and such (so if your tap reads .25ppm ammonia, prime protects the fish from it until your good bacteria eats and converts it).

 

Thank you so much for getting back to me! I was so worried that he might be sick. How often would you recommend water change?

Also, I’ve spoken to a lot of longtime betta keepers who have discouraged prime as they’ve said it simply masks the problem and does little to solve it. They’ve also informed me that it tends to cancel out products that are not of the Seachem brand, and truth be told I’m not in a stable financial place currently to make the switch.

I’m curious why so many here like it, and I’d like to know if/how I should switch brands once I get a bit more money? I should be better off in summer, the holidays currently drained me (as does my little bugger’s water bill, LOL!)

If the tank is cycled a weekly water change of at least 25% is recommended. I personally do 50% on my tanks.

Prime shouldn't be used to fix problems, as it is a water conditioner. It does, however, make Ammonia up to 1ppm nontoxic for 24 hours. This is useful when cycling as it makes the water safe while giving the beneficial bacteria time to consume the ammonia. This is the reason it is so often recommended, because it makes fish-in cycling safer and easier, especially when many new members are completely unaware of the nitrogen cycle.

People here like it because it works, is from a highly reputable brand, and is available everywhere.

I would also recommend the API Freshwater Master Kit. Much more accurate than strips, and it lasts practically forever before it needs replacing.

 

If the tank is cycled a weekly water change of at least 25% is recommended. I personally do 50% on my tanks.

Prime shouldn't be used to fix problems, as it is a water conditioner. It does, however, make Ammonia up to 1ppm nontoxic for 24 hours. This is useful when cycling as it makes the water safe while giving the beneficial bacteria time to consume the ammonia. This is the reason it is so often recommended, because it makes fish-in cycling safer and easier, especially when many new members are completely unaware of the nitrogen cycle.

People here like it because it works, is from a highly reputable brand, and is available everywhere.

I would also recommend the API Freshwater Master Kit. Much more accurate than strips, and it lasts practically forever before it needs replacing.

Thanks so much! I’m not sure the tank is fully cycled yet, so should I up the water change?

I do have the API Master kit as stated above in my original post, and I have posted the readings from it as well. What are parameters I should look for? Also, I notice that people have problems reading the nitrate and I have been trying to vigorously shake the bottle as much as I can. What other tips can you give me for getting an accurate nitrate reading?

Thank you for your patience and getting back to me. I think I may try a bit of it once Guillermo gets an upgrade to a 6.8 gallon in late summer

He is in good healthy, like stated above he is growing more fins. Prime is useful because it covers a wide range of things is neutralizes for a period (normally 24-48 hrs, after 24hrs you can test and do everything needed like bacterial), it neutralizes ammonia, nitrites, heavy metals, and many other harmful things that came be in water that isn't RO (which has to be remineralized otherwise the fish won't get the nutrients it needs from the water). If you follow directions on bacteria supplements and other things prime does no harm, but your friends might not be following the directions and going with what they feel like.
Melafix and betafix both coat the surface of the water which makes it harmful for fish that breathe from the surface like bettas do (they breathe with gills and labyrinth organ) even with bubblers to push it around (unlike a protein skI'm it mela/betafix does not move from the surface with bubblers).
Prime helps keep the fish safe while you deal with problems in the tank related to cycles and such (so if your tap reads .25ppm ammonia, prime protects the fish from it until your good bacteria eats and converts it).

Thank you so much for your advice! I feel relief after hearing all of this, and I hope Guillermo heals up fast!

I’ve never had my tap water read with high ammonia, and I do regular testing of it. Thanks so much for your helpful info!