# Paling Color After Death



## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Last night, I lost my betta Moped to what I assumed was an internal bacterial infection, but now I'm not 100% sure as to the cause of death. Something weird happened to his body overnight (couldn't bury til morning). It lost its color. Here is when he was alive and healthy.








On Thursday, late evening, I noticed Moped's belly was paling, he wasn't eating, and he was blowing bubbles from his gills. On Friday morning, I put him in 3 tsps of epsom salt and Maracyn II. Late Friday night, he passed away - he had become pineconed by then although he was not bloated. Because it was dark outside, I put him in a cup awaiting burial. When I happened to glance at the cup about an hour after his death, I noticed this:








This morning, when I went to get his body for burial, I noticed this:








I've never had this happen to a body before and now I'm concerned about the cause of his death. Does it seem like acute onset columnaris? Once he became ill, I don't believe I cross-contaminated with my other bettas but I'm not 100% sure. Is there anything I can do to protect/prevent this from happening to them? Also, he was in a divided tank until he became mopey and was removed to his own quarters - it was after this that I noticed his belly paling. 

If anyone has any advice or insight, it would be much appreciated. I don't want my other bettas falling victim to this fast-moving disease.


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## Silverfang (Mar 25, 2011)

I have no idea what that could be, but is sure looks bad. I hope someone can tell you it's nothing your other boys and girls have to worry about.


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## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

Oh wow. I have never had that happen to any of my bettas that died. I wonder if its some odd form of that fur coat disease thing? But instead of turning the brown while alive it turns white after death??


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

*shudders* I hope it's not some variant of that. Scary thought.


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## Myates (Aug 2, 2011)

I'm so sorry for your loss =( Poor guy.

It definitely looks like columnaris, and that the death made the disease explode. Only other thing I can think of is parasites, but that doesn't really fit in all that well. That is something odd though. =(


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## Newtonbetta (Nov 5, 2010)

im sorry


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## McMarvel (Sep 13, 2011)

A lot of fish lose their color after death naturally. I have a family friend who runs a natural history museum and the reason they do not display the dead fish along with the other taxidermied animals is that they no longer have their color and therefore are not accurate representations of their species. 

I don't know a lot about bettas, but I'm relatively knowledgeable about other fish (I've been a ciclid breeder for 6 years). My best guess is that you shouldn't be concerned with the color change.


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## metalbetta (May 17, 2010)

So sorry for your loss... The same thing happened to Nina after she died. I found her probably not even an hour after she had passed. Couldn't really do anything about it since I was running late for work. She had lost color in a couple of spots. By the time I buried her about 6 hours later, she was almost completely white. I think it tends to happen to darker colored fish.


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## Kytkattin (May 15, 2011)

Yes, I agree, I think it is something that happens naturally. I have seen a lot of fish death, and that always has happened with the bodies after a certain amount of time. 

If not, I had a fish that looked exactly like that after he passed. He was in a shared tank and the other fish is doing just great. I don't think there is anything to be concerned about. It sounds like some sort of organ failure. How old was he?
I am sorry for your loss. He was a lovely fish.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

McMarvel, Metalbetta, and Kytkattin, thank you for setting my mind at ease. I'm relieved that this is most likely a natural occurence. Whew. Thank you. 

Kytkattin, I got him on the 3 of September. He was in a very tiny cup, sitting on his tail so I thought I'd try to help him. After a week in epsom salt and a course of General Cure, he was swimming and eating normally so I thought I was in the clear with him. Guess he had something else going on that I missed.  I'm sorry, Moped.


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## metalbetta (May 17, 2010)

No problem! Again, sorry for your loss!


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