He changes color when he flares

[soritan]

I've had my solid red veiltail since 02/14. He's been suffering fin rot direct from the pet store, but he seems to slowly be recovering. He currently lives in an unfiltered 2.5 gallon All-Glass tank, that gets water changes every 7-5 odd days.

He's a very active betta, and I'll more than likely be moving him into a 10 gallon filtered tank in the next month or two, because he seems to really enjoy swimming around his little tank. Extremely active little guy, when I purchased him I was under the impression that while he would swim around, he wouldn't be all that quick (I'd read on many sites before hand, that bettas were an 'inactive' fish, or that they were 'slow swimmers' and not to be shocked if they kinda just sit there). He just seems to have wanderlust, because he's always dashing and investigating. 2.5 gallons just doesn't seem like it's large enough for a fish as active as he is. I'm going to send for my 10 gallon tank, at my old home, cycle it and set him up in it (with maybe a tiny school of 6 tetras or minnows, not sure if I even want other fish yet).

Anyway, he flares petty nicely at the little cutout fish in the Betta Bio-Gold box, so I use that to excercise him daily. I've noticed that only a few minutes progress, before his head and gills actually begin to change color, he appears to either be turning a very dark red, or a black color. At first, I thought I was imagining it, but the difference seems to become more pronounced the healthier he gets.

My question is mostly out of curiosity, googling for "betta fish changing color when flairing" churns up all sorts of irrelevent results.

Why do you think he changes color? Is it a natural reaction towards seeing an 'enemy', and he's just trying to look fierce? Or is he getting 'too excited' and sort of hyperventilating?

 

[SRC]

They do that when they get excited..it's perfectly normal for their color to deepen. I have a fish that will turn almost a whiteish, washed out, lime green color when relaxed and he's a deep aquamarine/turquoise green once he gets all flared up lol.

 

[BettaMomma]

Ditto.
Harvey goes from almost peachy white with hints of grey in him to bright pineapple yellow with periwinkle fins. It's unbelieveable. This also happens if their water gets cold for some reason - they'll get very pale.

One word to you, from experience, with getting the larger tank - although your betta will LOOOOOOVE the extra room to roam, do be careful with the new environment and the currents that the new tank/filter will provide. I just recently moved my Amos from his 2.5G (unfiltered, yet heated) tank that he was PERFECTLY happy with to a 5 gallon hex tank with a bio wheel filter. That was 4 days ago. To this point, he has chewed off his entire tail. I'm not sure if it's because he's irritated with his new home, or the current has finally made him aware of the fact that he HAS a tail, or what - but the other day I noticed that half his tail is gone - then later figured out why when I witnessed him wrestling a piece of his own tail off and inhaling it like a piece of spaghetti.

Just remember that changes for them are like changes for us - we are creatures of habit and differences, although they're generally a good thing, sometimes upset us. Congrats on having such a lovely betta. He sounds completely happy with you

 

[soritan]

It's very interesting to watch, his whole head, gills, and even his eyes turn black or black-red.

I do try and keep him happy. I noticed that he began to change color about a week or two after I got him, his scales began to have a different shade in the center of each, so that it had a sort of "depressed" effect to it. Again, i thought it was an optical illusion. I even got paranoid and began looking at him from above for dropsy. But he seemed to be getting... dappled purple. I read on a site, somewhere, that when a solid red turns *blue*, it could indicate amonia poisoning, but Sori is obviously purple-ing up. I need to make the trip to the local pet store and get a test kit.

I don't really like going there. I bought Sori on 2/10, and informed them I needed to further set up my tank, and would pick him op on 2/14. They were fine with that. He was the healthiest fish there, with perfect finnage and a nice, cream red color. When I showed up on the 14th (Monday), they were closed for inventory. Since I prepaid for him, I figured I'd just knock on the door and ask for my fish. The chick who opened the door was angry at me (partially understandable, after all, I'd interrupted inventory, which I'm sure is a pain to begin with), and I told 'em I just wanted to pick up what I'd already paid for. She left, got my fish, shoved him at me in a tiny tiny cup, and I looked at him all horrified. His perfect fins were frayed and thinned out, there were discolored spots in his perfect red, and his anal fin had torn. Four days! How'd they do that? I looked right at her and said, "He appears to have fin rot." and she looked right back at me and said, "Come back on Thursday and you can buy medicine then." And then she shut the door on me.

I won't say they take horrible care of their stock, since whenever I go there their fish is in decent shape, but I will say they take poor care of their bettas. While not in awful shape, none of them are particularly healthy.

At least I got Sori out of there, before his fin-rot took too much away from him. He's gotten so much more active since I got him, I don't think I even saw my goldfish this active when I had 'em. He swims almost as fast as my Comet did.