My moms betta has been changing colors

Hello, my moms betta fish has been changing colors. It was in a biorb 3 gallon for a couple months. The bubbles and the small tank caused its tail to rip apart. We treated the betta and got a 5 gallon Aqueon shrimp tank. Attached are photos of before and after. Before he was this nice dark black and blue with orange yellow on the tail. The yellow on the tail began to spread to the body. I thought maybe it was a marble betta but it has just turned all yellow and some turquoise iridescent blue on it sparingly. The tail has began to grow back these past couple months. In some parts it is finally reaching the end of the tail with some translucent new fin. But on some of the fine fins a streak of transparency has appeared. He still eats his pellets every day and has his bubbles in the corner. When the color change began his one eye turned white, then the color from his tail expanded, then a new spot began on the top of his head and underneath. She did recently get a betta buddy which is like a small plastic betta on a string and weight. He flares out his gills and shakes up against it. I have a feeling this could be adding stress. But almost all of this color change happened before she got this so I don’t know what initial cause could be. My other hypothesis was he was a juvenile and now this is his adult colors.

the tank is 78F, 5 gallons. No other tank mates. Tank has been running for 4 months. 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, 0 nitrates, ph8, GH 150 ppm, KH 150 ppm. Water source is RO/DI then treated with seachem equilibrium and alkaline buffer measured out.

weekly 25% water change. Monthly 50% water changes. I always vacuum the substrate. Substrate is clay round balls from the aqueon shrimp tank kit.

below are pictures to show the change and hopefully clear fins.
Here’s some more photos of the areas that have turned transparent on the dorsal fin that is not new growth. This also appeared before the betta buddy too.

also with the betta buddy he does not nip at it or directly try to attack it. Just glare his gills and shake his body parallel to it. He also is not on all the time, maybe every 15 or 30 min

 

Those are all the same fish? That is quite a color change. He still looks good to me though. There has to be something causing it!

 

Those are all the same fish? That is quite a color change. He still looks good to me though. There has to be something causing it!

Yep, same exact fish! Can’t believe it either. Pretty unfortunate too because his color was great! Not that this color isn’t nice, just nit what she expected lol. I’ll try to get the transition photos my mom got cause it makes more sense that way

 

I don’t have much to add about the color change but the betta buddy is definitely causing stress. I would take it out as soon as you can.

 

Hes a really pretty goldfish color now.... I love the Mustard gas bettas coloring too.

 

I don’t have much to add about the color change but the betta buddy is definitely causing stress. I would take it out as soon as you can.

Ok will do that’s an easy fix. I did read some stress is good for them, is there anyway to help prevent boredom for them? Or is just any stress bad?

Hes a really pretty goldfish color now.... I love the Mustard gas bettas coloring too.

Yeah the camera pics up more color than my eyes, he looks more pale yellow under direct light and that golden color in the shaded areas. That mustard gas is the same fish. All the pics are the same fish lol. That’s why I’m trying to figure out the color change. For the record the betta still has a great appetite.

the food is hikari biogold pellets. About 13 each day. They are very timely and it recommends about 15 pellets each day.

 

What he’s doing when he reacts to the plastic betta is called flaring. Its a display of aggression to try to scare away any threats or to defend his territory. Flaring definitely isn’t stressful if he does it occasionally, but leaving that “threat” in his tank 24/7 will cause a lot of stress.
There are mixed opinions about flaring and how often to do it, I recommend no more than a few minutes every few days. Though some people say 5 mins every day is just fine. Flaring can help with constipation and helps replicate their natural environment where they would inevitably run into other bettas.
You don’t need to throw out the buddy, just use it sparingly.
As for entertainment, having a heavily decorated/planted tank will help the most. Also the bigger the better

 

What he’s doing when he reacts to the plastic betta is called flaring. Its a display of aggression to try to scare away any threats or to defend his territory. Flaring definitely isn’t stressful if he does it occasionally, but leaving that “threat” in his tank 24/7 will cause a lot of stress.
There are mixed opinions about flaring and how often to do it, I recommend no more than a few minutes every few days. Though some people say 5 mins every day is just fine. Flaring can help with constipation and helps replicate their natural environment where they would inevitably run into other bettas.
You don’t need to throw out the buddy, just use it sparingly.
As for entertainment, having a heavily decorated/planted tank will help the most. Also the bigger the better

Thanks!

what about the color change?

 

Stress can lead to colour pigment changes, so if that toy Betta is annoying him being in his territory and it refuses to leave his territory, then he will get irritated and stressed out.

I would suggest removing the toy Betta and seeing if his stress level decrease. These fish are extremely territorial and he will not know it is a fake fish, all he knows is that there is an intruder and he has to get rid of it.

 

Stress can lead to colour pigment changes, so if that toy Betta is annoying him being in his territory and it refuses to leave his territory, then he will get irritated and stressed out.

I would suggest removing the toy Betta and seeing if his stress level decrease. These fish are extremely territorial and he will not know it is a fake fish, all he knows is that there is an intruder and he has to get rid of it.

The toy was placed in after the color change

 

I wish I had an answer but I’m just as stumped as you are.

I wouldn’t worry too much as long as he’s active and otherwise healthy looking.