Question: Betta's Tail Not Fanned Out Like Usual

I have a halfmoon betta and i noticed today that the tail is not fanned out into two like when I first got it. It looks liked its stuck together. Is there a problem? Also when I shined a light on it, I noticed there were shimmers of gold on the tail, I'm not sure if it's the normal color. I added two pictures of the tail. First one is when I first got it and the second one is now. 

Hi,
 
The tail not being fanned out correctly is a sign that your betta is sick.
 
Is he displaying any of the following symptons:

Tiredness?
Spots?
Not eating?
Staying at the tank surface more than usual?
Or fading in colour?
 
There are a few options for what he could have but based on what you said about the gold colour I would say it is almost certainly velvet. To confirm you can shine a flash light on him and look for the gold colouration on the scales.
 
Velvet is a parasite which can be prevented by adding aquarium salt and water conditioner to your tank on a regular basis. You need to add 1 teaspoon of aquarium salt for every 2.5 gallons of water. You also need to add a drop of water conditioner per gallon. Obviously for both of these follow manufacturer instructions.
 
The other options are bettazing or maracide. Follow manufacturers instructures but these medications both also work.
 
If you have any other fish in the tank they will most likely also be infected because velvet is highly contagious.
 
Good Luck.
 
Keep us updated.
 
Cameron

Cameronb_01 said:

Hi,
 
The tail not being fanned out correctly is a sign that your betta is sick.
 
Is he displaying any of the following symptons:

Tiredness?
Spots?
Not eating?
Staying at the tank surface more than usual?
Or fading in colour?
 
There are a few options for what he could have but based on what you said about the gold colour I would say it is almost certainly velvet. To confirm you can shine a flash light on him and look for the gold colouration on the scales.
 
Velvet is a parasite which can be prevented by adding aquarium salt and water conditioner to your tank on a regular basis. You need to add 1 teaspoon of aquarium salt for every 2.5 gallons of water. You also need to add a drop of water conditioner per gallon. Obviously for both of these follow manufacturer instructions.
 
The other options are bettazing or maracide. Follow manufacturers instructures but these medications both also work.
 
If you have any other fish in the tank they will most likely also be infected because velvet is highly contagious.
 
Good Luck.
 
Keep us updated.
 
Cameron

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Hi, my betta doesn't look tired or have spots. He eats and his color didn't fade, it actually got more blue than when I bought it (probably because I'm feeding it color enhancing pellets). As for the gold, I only see it on the fins.

He is not well, I agree, it could be due to poor water quality, could you tell us the size of tank, filter? temp and do you have a test for ammonia? I take it the tank is cycled? he is beautiful btw.

betta fish said:

He is not well, I agree, it could be due to poor water quality, could you tell us the size of tank, filter? temp and do you have a test for ammonia? I take it the tank is cycled? he is beautiful btw.

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He is temporarily in a 2 gallon bowl. The temperature is 82 degrees and has an undergravel filter. I just changed the water but don't have the tools to test the ammonia. And thank you. I really hope he is okay 

Have you tried shining a flashlight on his face? There is very often gold dust there if he does have velvet but it is very hard to see without a flashlight.
 
I have also attached a picture of a Betta with dropsy. Does the gold dust in the fins in the picture correlate to what you are seeing with your betta?

Cameronb_01 said:

Have you tried shining a flashlight on his face? There is very often gold dust there if he does have velvet but it is very hard to see without a flashlight.
 
I have also attached a picture of a Betta with dropsy. Does the gold dust in the fins in the picture correlate to what you are seeing with your betta?

Click to expand...

I used the flash on my phone to take a pic as well as one with a flashlight. I'm not sure what sickness it has.

I would recommend treating with Bettazing regardless of lack of other symptons. Velvet is the only illness/parasite I have ever heard of which causes gold spots such as the ones you describe in your original post. I'd also aim to treat sooner rather than later since if untreated he will die and there is a point where it is too late for treatment whether or not he is alive. You'll notice when, (when he starts lying down for long periods of time on the tank floor or in a bit of scenery).
 
Good luck!
 
Cameron

Cameronb_01 said:

I would recommend treating with Bettazing regardless of lack of other symptons. Velvet is the only illness/parasite I have ever heard of which causes gold spots such as the ones you describe in your original post. I'd also aim to treat sooner rather than later since if untreated he will die and there is a point where it is too late for treatment whether or not he is alive. You'll notice when, (when he starts lying down for long periods of time on the tank floor or in a bit of scenery).
 
Good luck!
 
Cameron

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Is bettazing harmful to my fish if he is actually not sick? Also does bettafix work?

I did some research and I came up with this: "BettaZing and BettaFix are anti-parasitic, anti-fungal and anti-protozoan medications that are great when used as a preventative medication to prevent the development of clamped fins or velvet fins. This medication should be applied as a preventative measure any time you acclimate a Betta to a new environment or anytime you add a new Betta fish to your tank." 
 
So in answer to your question no, it would not be harmful if he is healthy, (assuming you dose correctly), because it is generally used on healthy fish to prevent them from getting velvet.
 
In answer to your second question Bettafix will only work if your betta, (who is beautiful BTW), is in the earliest stages of velvet which I am not in a position to determine myself.
 
However even if she is in the later stages you are not out of hope because there are alternative medications which if applied correctly could also cure her.
 
You have two options: Malachite Green and Copper Sulphate.
 
However, if you go for this option be warned. If your betta does not have velvet or is in the earliest stages these substances are TOXIC and will have harmful repercussions if used incorrectly on your betta.
 
If I were you I would consult my LFS. If that is not an option I would then try and treat with Bettafix and if that did not work move on to Malachite green.
 
Please keep us updated.
 
Good Luck.
 
Cameron

Cameronb_01 said:

I did some research and I came up with this: "BettaZing and BettaFix are anti-parasitic, anti-fungal and anti-protozoan medications that are great when used as a preventative medication to prevent the development of clamped fins or velvet fins. This medication should be applied as a preventative measure any time you acclimate a Betta to a new environment or anytime you add a new Betta fish to your tank." 
 
So in answer to your question no, it would not be harmful if he is healthy, (assuming you dose correctly), because it is generally used on healthy fish to prevent them from getting velvet.
 
In answer to your second question Bettafix will only work if your betta, (who is beautiful BTW), is in the earliest stages of velvet which I am not in a position to determine myself.
 
However even if she is in the later stages you are not out of hope because there are alternative medications which if applied correctly could also cure her.
 
You have two options: Malachite Green and Copper Sulphate.
 
However, if you go for this option be warned. If your betta does not have velvet or is in the earliest stages these substances are TOXIC and will have harmful repercussions if used incorrectly on your betta.
 
If I were you I would consult my LFS. If that is not an option I would then try and treat with Bettafix and if that did not work move on to Malachite green.
 
Please keep us updated.
 
Good Luck.
 
Cameron

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Thank you, I will bring him to a the store i bought him from tomorrow. Hope they can help

Poor thing, I hope he'll be okay. I believe a decent amount of a water change can also make a difference when it comes to illness.

I am not sure your fish has velvet at least not from the pics.  Velvet appears a "dust" which often appears as white or grey on bettas although it can look goldish under certain lights.  It can be very confusing for betta owners though since a lot of bettas have scales around the head that will shine gold under direct lighting because of their iridescence which is perfectly normal.  Bettas with velvet will have clamped fins, flash(scrape themselves on things), and be lethargic (hanging on the bottom of the tank or at the surface while breathing heavily).  Velvet tends to appear a lot when sudden temperature changes or big stressors are present.  

How are you keeping tabs on temperature in your bowl?  Do you have an internal thermometer or are you going by what the heater is set to for temperature?  
How often are you changing the water?  How much water are you changing at a time?  Was your tank cycled before adding the betta?

I do not recommend adding medications without knowing what is actually wrong since it can sometimes stress out the fish needlessly.  

If your fish does in fact have velvet, the two best treatments are: heat, salt, and complete blackout of the tank OR treating the tank with a copper medication (like what you use for ICH) and complete blackout of the tank.  Bettafix is not a cure for velvet and in reality is not really of much use as a preventative either.  There are also possibilities that it could cause issues with the betta's labyrinth organ if dosed incorrectly.