Do betta fins change with stress?

Hank, my black orchid male betta, got his first regular water change yesterday, about two days overdue. Afterwards his filter output was pulsing in and out with a current too strong for him, so it has been mostly off until now. I just finished rinsing and cleaning off his filter pad and having a little trouble putting the filter back together, and I noticed his fins are darkening.

Due to his previous sickness he lost some of his color (which has slowly been returning) so what was usually white on his fins is now closer to clear. When I look at him now, it looks like someone spilled ink on his body and I started soaking across his fins. Picture kind of demonstrates, but it's much more startling in real life. His back fin is almost entirely black now, rather than blue and white/clear. I know I worry about everything, but this is definitely new.

First two pics are what he looks like now, the last one is what he looked like before. Just to clarify, it did not look like that this morning.

Now that I think about it, I fed him a couple minutes before his filter cleaning, and I didn't notice it then at all

Hmmm. Is it the color that is different?

JuiceBox52 said:

Hmmm. Is it the color that is different?

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Yeah, he's a little darker even now than when I made that post. He sort of looks like a new fish now? Also his forehead has a light marking that wasn't there an hour ago. Is he going through some kind of rapid color change, or is he sick again? He isn't acting any different and is swimming around fine.

For the forehead, I'm worried it may be ich but I don't know how to tell or how to treat it. I also just dosed my tank with safestart as it has been 24 hours after prime. Sorry my pictures aren't any clearer he rarely stops to pose

I can’t notice anything different from the photos... what are you saying? Is it the color that is deferent?

Do the spots on his head appear to be raised? Or look like little pimples?

PheonixKingZ said:

Do the spots on his head appear to be raised? Or look like little pimples?

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No it just looks like a white spot on his scales. It doesn't have a definite border if that helps, the color has these tiny faint splats around it

He may be getting his true colors. Mine was almost white he was such a pale blue, now he is a very vibrant blue. Maybe he is just less stresses now

JuiceBox52 said:

He may be getting his true colors. Mine was almost white he was such a pale blue, now he is a very vibrant blue. Maybe he is just less stresses now

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I hope that's all it is. While I liked the contrast of the white and blue on his fins, if that was caused by stress I would be more than happy that it's going away.

I think I'm almost definitely over thinking it. I keep stumbling across these different diseases that mean imminent death for fish and it does nothing for my poor overworked heart lol

Hopefully all of this is just him feeling vibrant enough to show it, right down to the forehead spot.

My mom came in earlier and wanted to feed him a little bit. She thinks that this is the most vibrant and healthy he's ever looked, so I'm taking that as a good sign. Go Hank! Work that new coloration!

Quin said:

My mom came in earlier and wanted to feed him a little bit. She thinks that this is the most vibrant and healthy he's ever looked, so I'm taking that as a good sign. Go Hank! Work that new coloration!

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Go hank!

Quin said:

Now that I think about it, I fed him a couple minutes before his filter cleaning, and I didn't notice it then at all

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Just a tip - don't fish fish just before doing anything in a tank feed them after.


Bettas can change colour.

essjay said:

Just a tip - don't fish fish just before doing anything in a tank feed them after.


Bettas can change colour.

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I agree. Bettas can change colors. Especially when you put them in a new tank, away from that tiny cup.