Betta might be sick help please

Brianna Sanchez · Jul 11, 2019

Help please i dont know what shes sick with. Shes loosing her color near her belly and her fins are turning a dark brown color. She doesnt act sick at all, no scratching on objects, swimming all the time she doesnt hide and when i walk up to the tank she swims in a crazy motion as if shes greeting me, she eats her food i feed her fluval bug bites betta fumula and she shares a tank with 5 neon tetras that i feed top fin tropical flakes and she always ends up eating some of their food. The tank if a 5gal with a 50w heater and a thermometer. I cant tell if shes sick or not because she acts completely normal shes just losing color and fins are looking scary. Please help!! The first picture is from when i first got her she was small and the second is when i noticed she was loosing color on her belly just a bit. The other pictures are from now and to me she doesnt look so good...

FishGuest5123 · Jul 11, 2019

At first I thought she was just changing colors but the last couple of pics look like she is losing scales. Is she? What are your water parameters?

Colin_T · Jul 11, 2019

Hi and welcome to the forum

What else is in the tank?
Is she rubbing on anything?
Does she act irritated in any way?

How long has the tank been set up for?
How often do you do water changes and how much do you change?
Do you gravel clean the substrate when you do a water change?
Do you dechlorinate the new water before you adding it to the tank?

How often do you clean the filter and how do you clean it?

Brianna Sanchez · Jul 13, 2019

Colin_T said:
Hi and welcome to the forum

What else is in the tank?
Is she rubbing on anything?
Does she act irritated in any way?

How long has the tank been set up for?
How often do you do water changes and how much do you change?
Do you gravel clean the substrate when you do a water change?
Do you dechlorinate the new water before you adding it to the tank?

How often do you clean the filter and how do you clean it?

Okay so she actually acts perfectly fine she doesnt rub on her tank decorations or the tank itself she eats perfectly and acts like if shes greeting me when i come to the tank. I always do a 20% water change and had the tank for about a couple months now. I always clean the filter and make sure to clean the plants and other decorations as well. I have had issues with brown algae. I clean the tank every 7days i do add the water dechlorinate

Colin_T said:
Hi and welcome to the forum

What else is in the tank?
Is she rubbing on anything?
Does she act irritated in any way?

How long has the tank been set up for?
How often do you do water changes and how much do you change?
Do you gravel clean the substrate when you do a water change?
Do you dechlorinate the new water before you adding it to the tank?

How often do you clean the filter and how do you clean it?

Okay so she actually acts perfectly fine she doesnt rub on her tank decorations or the tank itself she eats perfectly and acts like if shes greeting me when i come to the tank. I always do a 20% water change and had the tank for about a couple months now. I always clean the filter and make sure to clean the plants and other decorations as well. I dont use soap i just use a sponge and water. I have had issues with brown algae. I clean the tank every 7days i do add the water dechlorinate.

Brianna Sanchez · Jul 13, 2019

Deanasue said:
At first I thought she was just changing colors but the last couple of pics look like she is losing scales. Is she? What are your water parameters?

Is it possible for her to lose scales from bad water parameters? I need to go to the store and pick up a freshwater master kit. also i bought some salt to put in the tank. Is it okay to put the salt in the water every water change like even if she wasnt sick? Sorry im new to keeping fish and it really makes me sad seeing her looking like that.

Colin_T · Jul 13, 2019

Poor water quality (ammonia, nitrite or nitrate) does not normally cause a fish to lose scales. It is normally caused by a fungal or bacterial infection in the skin, or a protozoan infection. However, the fish doesn't look like it has a bacterial or fungal infection, and protozoan infections cause the fish to rub on objects.

You can add salt if treating the fish, but Bettas do not occur in areas with salt or lots of minerals in the water, and long term exposure to salt can harm them. So salt should only be used if treating a disease and for no more than 4 weeks in a row otherwise kidney damage can occur.

----------------------------
How do you clean the filter?

Filter materials should be washed out in a bucket of tank water and re-used. If you have a filter that needs filter pads replaced every couple of weeks, then get a sponge form a different brand of filter and put the sponge in your filter. Sponges can be cut with a pair of scissors so they fit into almost any filter, and sponges will last for years and won't need replacing unless they start to fall apart.

Brianna Sanchez · Jul 13, 2019

Colin_T said:
Poor water quality (ammonia, nitrite or nitrate) does not normally cause a fish to lose scales. It is normally caused by a fungal or bacterial infection in the skin, or a protozoan infection. However, the fish doesn't look like it has a bacterial or fungal infection, and protozoan infections cause the fish to rub on objects.

You can add salt if treating the fish, but Bettas do not occur in areas with salt or lots of minerals in the water, and long term exposure to salt can harm them. So salt should only be used if treating a disease and for no more than 4 weeks in a row otherwise kidney damage can occur.

----------------------------
How do you clean the filter?

Filter materials should be washed out in a bucket of tank water and re-used. If you have a filter that needs filter pads replaced every couple of weeks, then get a sponge form a different brand of filter and put the sponge in your filter. Sponges can be cut with a pair of scissors so they fit into almost any filter, and sponges will last for years and won't need replacing unless they start to fall apart.

I usually clean the filter in tap water..

So i will start cleaning it in the tank water. I really dont know if she is sick or not because she acts perfectly fine. And i have a 5gal top fin revival waterfall tank with the original filter. What could i do to make the filter better. All it has now is the 2 filter cartridges

Colin_T · Jul 13, 2019

You can buy round/ cylindrical sponges for some brands of internal power filter. These sponges fit over the intake strainer of most external power filters. The intake strainer is the cage on the pipe in the water. A sponge fitted to the intake strainer can develop the beneficial filter bacteria and filter the water. You ake the sponge off and squeeze it out in a bucket of tank water and your done.

You can get rectangular sponges from another brand of filter (I use AquaClear sponges but there are heaps of brands available), and cut them to fit inside your filter.

Depending on what is inside the filter cartridges, you can usually cut a slit in the top of the cartridge and tip out the contents and throw the contents away. The filter pad can then be washed in a bucket of tank water and re-used until it starts to fall apart. When that happens you can put some more sponge in to replace the pad.

Filter pads are a gimmick designed to get you to buy more from the company. Sponges will last a lot longer and save you a heap of money and keep the water in better shape when they have established.

FishGuest5123 · Jul 13, 2019

Colon’s given you some great information. I’d do larger water changes of 75% weekly.

Colin_T · Jul 13, 2019

Deanasue said:
Colon’s given you some great information.

What did you call me Dean and Sue?

FishGuest5123 · Jul 13, 2019

Colin_T said:
What did you call me Dean and Sue?

Subliminal thinking, I guess. Sorry.

Colin_T · Jul 13, 2019

You're forgiven, but only because you used :rofl:

Brianna Sanchez · Jul 13, 2019

Colin_T said:
You can buy round/ cylindrical sponges for some brands of internal power filter. These sponges fit over the intake strainer of most external power filters. The intake strainer is the cage on the pipe in the water. A sponge fitted to the intake strainer can develop the beneficial filter bacteria and filter the water. You ake the sponge off and squeeze it out in a bucket of tank water and your done.

You can get rectangular sponges from another brand of filter (I use AquaClear sponges but there are heaps of brands available), and cut them to fit inside your filter.

Depending on what is inside the filter cartridges, you can usually cut a slit in the top of the cartridge and tip out the contents and throw the contents away. The filter pad can then be washed in a bucket of tank water and re-used until it starts to fall apart. When that happens you can put some more sponge in to replace the pad.

Filter pads are a gimmick designed to get you to buy more from the company. Sponges will last a lot longer and save you a heap of money and keep the water in better shape when they have established.

Thank you a lot for the help! Now i will definitely be saving money! Hopefully she gains her color back when i make all those changes.

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