# Gray Gills, Age Related?



## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

Hello everyone. Lebron seems to have some gray in front of his gills... It's so hard to explain. :\ OK, bare with me... When you face your Betta from the front, (No Side View!) right below his mouth. It's gray. His gills were gray... Is Lebron getting old? :0 He's only been with me for a few months and he was always so active... I'm sorry if this didn't make sense at all. I didn't put this in the Emergency Section as I don't think it's a sickness and there are more serious problems there so... So please answer.

Is Lebron already old, or just normal coloring?


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## homegrown terror (Aug 6, 2012)

our MG Vlad has thin light lines on the edges of his gill covers. at first i was worried it was a fungal infection, but on closer examination i found that he's been coloring out a lot since we brought him home (he was originally mostly yellow, but in the last week his body has turned mostly blue) and the lines were just part of him that stayed yellow. it might be a natural color change, they happen a lot, particularly with younger fish (you said you've only had him a few months, so he might still be growing into his colors)


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## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

Oh, really? The front plates aren't fuzzy, just odd coloration. I could even make out veins. :\ I have had him for 6 months and he was already big in the store. He's already 2 inches without fins.


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## LaLaLeyla (Aug 17, 2011)

I think that's common in most bettas. Some of my bettas have that gray color on their gills too.


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## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

I hope so. He also has some gray on his side gill plates so I was wondering. I just don't want him old yet.


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## homegrown terror (Aug 6, 2012)

has any of his coloration changed anywhere else? no stress stripes, markings or anything behavior-wise that's out of the ordinary? if not, i wouldn't worry. lots of bettas change colors in most unexpected ways. i've seen before-and-after pictures you wouldn't even believe, like an all-blue betta that suddenly developed a red dorsal and ventrals, or a solid-color betta developing marbling a year into his life.


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## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

Well, for stripes... It's hard to make out. You know when red Bettas have that white scale sheen? Yeah, he has that... Let me see if I can get a picture... All parameters are 0 except for nitrate which is around 20ppm-40ppm. He has slight fin rot for some odd reason and that's about it. :\


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## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

^
These are the "stress stripes". It's hard for me to capture his whole body since there's a reflection. -_- Sorry if it's bad quality.  What do you guys think? It's just that part of the body. :\ No stripes near his head, just there. It's the part at the center.


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## homegrown terror (Aug 6, 2012)

well he looks partially piebald, so he might be developing marbling in other spots as well.


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## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

Yep, his face is white. You kinda see the "stripes" I'm talking about, right? :\ He isn't a marble, I'm sure. He never really changed colors but I think he has grizzle in his line. He has some black scaling so...


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## xShainax (Feb 11, 2012)

It's normal.


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## OrangeAugust (Jul 23, 2012)

The edges of Fishie's gills turned silver a couple months ago. I think it's normal.


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## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

That's great!  I was like "You can't be old yet! You're too young!" xD


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## homegrown terror (Aug 6, 2012)

LebronTheBetta said:


> That's great!  I was like "You can't be old yet! You're too young!" xD


hahaha that's a reality for some of us....i'm 29 going on 60 :-?


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## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

Well, about 30 more years for you! 8D If I times my age by around 5, I'd be 50. I want to be wise and respected. Respect...!


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## OrangeAugust (Jul 23, 2012)

LebronTheBetta said:


> If I times my age by around 5, I'd be 50. I want to be wise and respected. Respect...!


Have I read here before that you're only 11? I'm really impressed. You seem very mature and knowledgeable for your age. I would have guessed from your posts that you were about 17. ;-)


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## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

Yep, I turned 11 last June. I prefer to be on task and straight to the point when I'm on the forum. Therefore, I help them quicker and faster for their Bettas to recover. Thank you for your compliments, you're lucky to be in CT as I heard Betta Shows usually stand by there.


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