I Can't Tell If My Red, Male, Veiltail Betta Fish Has Columnaris

HI everyone,

Today I got a red, Veiltail betta fish from Petco. I have had two other red Veiltail male betta fish before. I am not sure if my fish is sick though. I chose him initially because it was swimming around its small bowl very well. He seemed active and happy. When I brought him home, I set up his bowl (1 gallon with rocks and 1 plant, added anti-chlorine solution). I put a bit of the new water in the bowl that he came with and let him sit there for 20 min, so he could get used to the new water.

I then dumped him in the new tank. I noticed he was a bit more gloomy than the other two (but still moving around) that I had gotten before. He wasn't as excited to eat, either. He has a bit of light spotting around his face. The white -ness reminds me of the disease, Columnaris, which I researched. Attached to this post are a few photos of the fish. Honestly, I could be paranoid, but I just wanted to make sure. I ordered some anti-fungus solution in the mail, and I'll use that just to be sure (regardless is he actually has a disease or not). Thanks everyone for the help

Isabel

 

First of all, welcome!
Does your betta have a heater and filter in his bowl? One gallon is really too small for a betta - I know they do get sold for bettas, but unfortunately pet-supply stores sell a lot of unsuitable stuff. Even problems that are not caused by too little water can be exacerbated by too little water.

 

Hey thanks so much for the response. It does not have a filter or heater in its bowl. The other two fish, same gender and type, had the same exact bowl with no heater/filter and did alright as well. From the s, should I treat for Columnaris? Thanks again.

 

First of all, welcome!
Does your betta have a heater and filter in his bowl? One gallon is really too small for a betta - I know they do get sold for bettas, but unfortunately pet-supply stores sell a lot of unsuitable stuff. Even problems that are not caused by too little water can be exacerbated by too little water.

Hey thanks so much for the response. It does not have a filter or heater in its bowl. The other two fish, same gender and type, had the same exact bowl with no heater/filter and did alright as well. From the s, should I treat for Columnaris? Thanks again.

 

Well, it doesn’t look like Columnaris to me but normal coloration. It’s difficult to tell from the photos though. Does the it look like cotton in the scales? Fibrous?

Fishcat is right. I used to keep fish in bowls as well, and you might be surprised at the tremendous difference it makes to keep a Betta as most other fish are kept. They live much longer/healthier lives when kept in filtered/heated tanks of at least 2.5 gallons.

Welcome to fishlore!

 

Well, it doesn’t look like Columnaris to me but normal coloration. It’s difficult to tell from the photos though. Does the it look like cotton in the scales? Fibrous?

Fishcat is right. I used to keep fish in bowls as well, and you might be surprised at the tremendous difference it makes to keep a Betta as most other fish are kept. They live much longer/healthier lives when kept in filtered/heated tanks of at least 2.5 gallons.

Welcome to fishlore!

Thanks so much for the response. If I were to treat it for Columnaris, and the fish did not have the disease, would treating it be harmful to the fish? I may treat it just to be sure.

 

Thanks so much for the response. If I were to treat it for Columnaris, and the fish did not have the disease, would treating it be harmful to the fish? I may treat it just to be sure.

It’s generally best not to use medicines/treatments if they are not needed. But this thread does have helpful info on identifying and treating Columnaris Columnaris Symptoms And Treatment

 

Well, it doesn’t look like Columnaris to me but normal coloration. It’s difficult to tell from the photos though. Does the it look like cotton in the scales? Fibrous?

Fishcat is right. I used to keep fish in bowls as well, and you might be surprised at the tremendous difference it makes to keep a Betta as most other fish are kept. They live much longer/healthier lives when kept in filtered/heated tanks of at least 2.5 gallons.

Welcome to fishlore!

Also, there seems to be nothing around the scales. The back fins have a bit of black at the ends, but I am not sure if that's just the coloring of the fish.

It’s generally best not to use medicines/treatments if they are not needed. But this thread does helpful info on identifying and treating Columnaris Columnaris Symptoms And Treatment

Thank you, also the back fins have a bit of black at the ends, but I am not sure if that's just the coloring of the fish. He seems be swimming a bit more, which is good.

 

Also, there seems to be nothing around the scales. The back fins have a bit of black at the ends, but I am not sure if that's just the coloring of the fish.

Thank you, also the back fins have a bit of black at the ends, but I am not sure if that's just the coloring of the fish. He seems be swimming a bit more, which is good.

Glad to hear he’s swimming, but that (on the tail) looks very much like fin rot and not natural coloration. Which can be dangerous if it gets out of hand.

Keep the water very clean and in realm of 78 degrees. They do unfortunately develop that in fish store cups. I would strongly advise you to get a small tank with filter and heater. The warmer temperature coupled with clean water helps fin rot to heal and not spread.

 

Glad to hear he’s swimming, but that looks very much like fin rot and not natural coloration. Which can be dangerous if it gets out of hand.

Keep the water very clean and in realm of 78 degrees. They do unfortunately develop that in fish store cups. I would strongly advise you to get a small tank with filter and heater. The warmer temperature coupled with clean water helps fin rot to heal and not spread.

Good to know. My fish have never had fin rot before. Is there any medication that I can give it?

 

Good to know. My fish have never had fin rot before. Is there any medication that I can give it?

There are anti-fungal medicines that can help.

Please see this link for treatments. They also have a disease guide. Fin Rot & Body Rot - Bettaboxx

Again though, the best thing for fin rot is clean and warm water. They are tropical fish after all . In a bowl like yours you should at least change the water more often than once a week.

Indian Almond leaves are also helpful for fin rot. They release tannins into the water that have anti-fungal properties. Since you’re using such a small body of water . It’s best to use smaller pieces. You can buy them on amazon.