Betta constantly shifting pattern, water levels seem normal

[Tyhone]

Hey all, my first post here. I have an issue with my betta I can't find anywhere else, I've had him for a couple months, when I first got him he was the normal fresh out of petshop dull and limp blue, but after a while, he perked up to be a beauty. But just over a month ago he started to develop shifting white patterns across his body. the colour fell off his fins, I found a small shred of his old colour tailfin floating in the tank only once, but the fins don't seem any shorters, just white/slightly transparent. The pattern on his fins only seem to really grow, I haven't noticed them coming back from white after changing. But his body keeps shifting, sometimes small blobs of pale white that seem to move, grow, split, and shrink. He once when almost completely white over a day or two, and then changed back to mostly blue a day or two later. Around the head is the most change, that pattern is also different on both sides of his body. but over time the head continues to get more yellow/tan and speckled. He's also starting to get dark spots around that area.
I'm really at a loss, I've added the appropriate amount of aquarium salt to the tank, water change 15% every 3 days due to only being a 2.5 gallon, which I know is small but it's bigger than the 300ml tank he had at the LFS.
Tank levels are as followed
PH - 6.8
Ammonia - 0ppm
Nitrite - 0ppm
Nitrate - 10ppm

GH (strip test) roughly about 120ppm
KH (strip test) roughly about 40ppm
I will post the GH and KH API test tomorrow

 

[Tyhone]

Sorry, I botched the first post and posted by accident and cant edit.

I also do a salt bath with aquarium salt for 6 minutes with the water change. for the last 2 weeks

His behaviour is not very different since he started changing, still hungry, still active without being hyper, likes to explore. The local fish guy says he's never seen or heard anything like it.

first day (13/5/18)

(16/5/18)

Currently (16/6/18)

 

[NickAu]

added the appropriate amount of aquarium salt to the tank,

What is an appropriate amount of aquarium salt? What are you treating? Bettas are fresh water fish and do not need salt. In fact salt can be harmful if not use correctly.



Can you please answer the following questions.

How big is the tank?
Has it got a heater? What is it set to?
Has it got a filter?
How strong is the current?
Is it cycled?
How often do you change water?
How much water do you change?
Do you vacuum the substrate?
What additives or chemicals do you use? Eg De Chlorinator?
Do you use tap or bottled water? If bottled water please give us the brand.
Do you have a water test kit?
Can you tell us the readings for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate?
When you clean the tank can you tell us exactly what you do.
What do you feed him? how much? how often?
Any tank mates? What sort how many?
How long have you had the Betta?
Has he got a history of illness?
Any plants or decorations? Please give details?
Can you provide a close up photo of the fish?
Can you provide a photo of the tank?

 

[Demeter32]

No need for salt, he is not sick. Your betta has a marble gene, meaning he will change color as he ages.

 

[Tyhone]

Okay thank you Demeter32, I'm just worried because he changes a lot every week, this week his white domination is heavier than yesterday by about 5-10%. The API aquarium salt for freshwater aquariums I only have 2/5ths the recommended level because I know bettas are a bit more sensitive, just under 1/2 a teaspoon for 2 gallons, where it recommends 1/2 a rounded teaspoon for every gallon.

NickAu The answers are these

How big is the tank?

2.2 gallons

Has it got a heater? What is it set to?

26c 78.8f (I cant change this, from the kit, but this is the constant temperature according to an internal and external thermometer)

Has it got a filter? - How strong is the current?

yes, 170g but it is low flowing and doesn't cause much current at all (plants dont waver more then a tiny bit)

Is it cycled?

Yes, I test the levels every 2-3 days

How often do you change water? - How much water do you change?

Originally 1/3 every Friday but now 1/3 every Friday and Tuesday since I didnt know if that would help.

Do you vacuum the substrate?

Yes.

What additives or chemicals do you use? Eg De Chlorinator?

I used API quickstart and API Betta Water Conditioner in the amount recommended for the water amount being changed.

Do you use tap or bottled water? If bottled water please give us the brand.

I use tap water, which in my hometown is very clean. in a new house with new pipes. we read no chlorine in it. but the betta quickstart gets rid of any in any case

Do you have a water test kit? - Can you tell us the readings for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate?

PH - 6.8
Ammonia - 0ppm
Nitrite - 0ppm
Nitrate - 10ppm
KH - 2 drops (I know this is low but the ph never changes despite the lack of a proper buffer, any advice?)
GH - 6 drops

The KH for my regular tap water is the same, but the GH is 3 drops

When you clean the tank can you tell us exactly what you do.

Rough vacuum the gravel, not suck it clean but do a nice clean to pick up any loose fish waste. Removing 1200-1400ml. I then empty some of that water into a small holding container approx 500 ml rectangle and move my betta into that. I then float a thermometer in that container, and add to his tank the missing water to fill it back up, adding a total of 8 drops quickstart, 2/5 of a ml, and 20 drops, 1ml, of betta water conditioner, and 5-6 aquarium salt crystals in the added water, done in two batches (650ml water, 4 drops quickstart, 10 drops betta water conditioner, 2-3 aquarium salt crystals each). I then allow the temperatures in the two tanks to reach 1-degree c difference, I add around 20 ml of the new tank to the container about 5 times over this time, and then move my betta back into his tank, and clean up.

What do you feed him? how much? how often?

Every day he gets 5-8 pellets of betta food "TetraBetta" in the evening around 6 pm. On Thursday he is not fed, on Wednesdays, he is given either half a pea or some freeze dried brine shrimp instead of the pellets.

Any tank mates? What sort how many?

None

How long have you had the Betta? - Has he got a history of illness?

4 months, and not to my knowledge.

Any plants or decorations? Please give details?
Can you provide a close-up photo of the fish?
Can you provide a photo of the tank?

Yes, he has a consistent plastic?/rubber? plant like thing, and currently has a very fake looking happy whale shark. But I did change his tank yesterday/today as I decided that it might be a decoration. causing havoc with the chemistry. I removed a betta leaf hammock after reading they can rust into the water. A plastic sword plant. and a Chinese arch gate thing that had cracked along the top (no pointed edges, just a crack) these have all been chucked out
Currently, he just has the shark and rubber plant, and some live plants I added today. A small potted Anubis in a ceramic pot, some java moss, and a small Ambulia.

For a closeup on the fish the best I can manage is the photo I already posted.
as for the tank please ignore the mess, I had company coming over about 10 minutes after I got home So I didn't have time to make all the new plants look nice. but he is enjoying resting on the java moss. And is very curiously inspecting everything and swimming between all the gaps.

 

[IHaveADogToo]

Bettas sometimes change color. There's nothing wrong with him in that regard. His colors will continue to change. This is absolutely normal for marble bettas, and even sometimes non-marbles as they reach maturity. His fins do look a little short, though... like, fin rot short. In crown tails, the fin rays should all be the same length, not random lengths. And his fin rays should be much longer. I know you've only had him for a few days, and his fins even look a bit rotted in the day 1 pics. I suspect he may have fin rot, and had it before you even got him, likely from living in a cup his whole life. Not to worry, it doesn't look advanced. Lots of water changes, a decent size tank, and a little bit of time should be all that's needed to repair his fins.

 

[NickAu]

Hi

API quickstart

You dont need to use this stuff.

API Betta Water Conditioner

Continue use this if you like, API tap water conditioner works just as well but is a lot cheaper because you dont need much.

I agree he is marble.