Platinum Betta fish has red mark on head

[Carolann]

Tank
What is the water volume of the tank?
10 gallon
How long has the tank been running?
Almost a year
Does it have a filter?
Yes
Does it have a heater?
Yes
What is the water temperature?
78-80
What is the entire stocking of this tank? (Please list all fish and inverts.)
One male Betta

Maintenance
How often do you change the water?
Once a week or once every two weeks depending on readings.
How much of the water do you change?
Usually 30-40%
What do you use to treat your water?
Usually Prime, once stress coat when adding my fish
Do you vacuum the substrate or just the water? Both

*Parameters - Very Important
Did you cycle your tank before adding fish?
Yes
What do you use to test the water?
Test strips
What are your parameters? We need to know the exact numbers, not just “fine” or “safe”.
Ammonia: 0 or .5, hard to read, didn't really notice any color change
Nitrite: 0 Not showing any color change
Nitrate: maybe 20? Barely any color change
pH: 7-7.5

Feeding
How often do you feed your fish?
Once MAYBE twice a day(smaller amounts of feeding 2x) with at least one fast day a week
How much do you feed your fish?
Usually 6-9 pellets, or a pinch of Betta crumbles (mostly feed pellets)
What brand of food do you feed your fish?
TopFin
Do you feed frozen?
Extremely occasionally, brine shrimp
Do you feed freeze-dried foods?
No

Illness & Symptoms
How long have you had this fish?
Since first week of April
How long ago did you first notice these symptoms?
Maybe 2 days ago? I thought maybe he bumped into something.
In a few words, can you explain the symptoms? A red patch on his head. Looks like a discoloration in scales, but not sure.
Have you started any treatment for the illness? No
Was your fish physically ill or injured upon purchase? No
How has its behavior and appearance changed, if at all? Still very active. Just the red bump

Explain your emergency situation in detail.
(Please give a clear explanation of what is going on, include details from the beginning of the illness leading up to now)

Noticed the red spot on his head. Try to look close, but I can't tell if maybe his color is changing or if he hurt himself or what. Very active, does flare at glass, though not as bad as my previous Betta, hardy eater. He was sold as a platinum, not sure if this is just a color changing thing or what. When I purchased him he was all white. Sorry for probably not the best pics, but he doesn't stay still much when I'm by the tank since he thinks he's going to eat, and he doesn't stay still much anyway lol.

 

[ADFbreeder]

Is the “bump” raised at all, or is it flat? Do you see any scales inside/on the “bump”?

 

[Carolann]

Is the “bump” raised at all, or is it flat? Do you see any scales inside/on the “bump”?

It looks like it is NOT raised. If it is at all, it is imperceptible. Yes, it appears there are scales in the discolored area. And it appears that there is one or two scales barely at the edge of the area that might have a slight bulge to them, but it is very hard to tell if it's raised or just an oddly shaped area/scale. Also, some of the scales in the area look half white, half discolored.

Also quick edit, the food I feed says "color enhancing no fillers" could the food be "dyeing" him?

 

[qldmick]

Looks like a physical injury to me he may of stuck his head under a rock and scraped it or something like that.
I've used Melafix and water changes to treat this in the past, although yours doesn't look as bad as mine was.

 

[ADFbreeder]

I've used Melafix and water changes to treat this in the past, although yours doesn't look as bad as mine was.

Just as a side note, do NOT use Melafix or Bettafix. Both contain tea tree oil, which can inhibit breathing by coating the gills and labyrinth organ. Bettafix is just a much more diluted version on Melafix, which says a lot about how dangerous the manufacturer thinks this is to bettas.

Can tea tree oil be beneficial? Sometimes. Have people had success/miracle stories with Mela/Bettafix? Yes. However, much more people have had their fish gasping for air, and have watched them die. I know from experience

I would only use Mela/Bettafix in an absolute emergency, where the fish would surely die without it, and no other treatments are available. But even then, the whole tea tree oil thing for fish hasn’t really been backed by science, so it might just be a waste of money.

In conclusion, do your research and get a real med. But that’s only general advice. It this case, I think super clean water and good parameters will likely be more than enough.

 

[w0walana]

Just as a side note, do NOT use Melafix or Bettafix. Both contain tea tree oil, which can inhibit breathing by coating the gills and labyrinth organ. Bettafix is just a much more diluted version on Melafix, which says a lot about how dangerous the manufacturer thinks this is to bettas.

Can tea tree oil be beneficial? Sometimes. Have people had success/miracle stories with Mela/Bettafix? Yes. However, much more people have had their fish gasping for air, and have watched them die. I know from experience

I would only use Mela/Bettafix in an absolute emergency, where the fish would surely die without it, and no other treatments are available. But even then, the whole tea tree oil thing for fish hasn’t really been backed by science, so it might just be a waste of money.

In conclusion, do your research and get a real med. But that’s only general advice. It this case, I think super clean water and good parameters will likely be more than enough.

Just adding to this, the concentration of oil needed to actually prevent bacterial growth would kill any fish in your tank. Scientificall, melafix and Bettafix do not work. Clean water will heal a fish right up

 

[Rose of Sharon]

That's a beautiful betta boy you got there!!!

I agree with w0walana about clean water. I would do some small water changes every other day for a little while. If you don't already have any, you could aslo add some Indian almond leaves (catappa leaves) to the tank. They release tannins, which will tint the water brown, and provide some slight antibacterial and antifungal properties.

After you see that he is on his way to recovery, I would change out 40 to 50% of his water weekly, regardless of the water parameter readings. Clean water helps to prevent a multitude of problems.

Hope this helps!