# Bettas fins becoming translucent - What is this?



## trevorck

Hi everyone,

I've had my betta Scully for about 10 months. He's in a 2.5-gallon tank with a filter. Recently over the past month, I've noticed his lower fins have gradually been becoming translucent. I have no idea why. :shock: When I started noticing this, I replaced the filter more frequently, changed his water at least once a week (half the tank with treated water of course), and removed a new object I had recently added in case that was causing him stress and to give him more space. I feed him pellets and/or dried worms twice a day. During the most recent water change I scrubbed everything (no soap) and rinsed the sand, in case there was bacteria living in it.

Can anyone look at the photo and tell me what this is? I'm not sure if it's fin rot, old age, or what? I've Googled ad nauseum and can't find another betta that shows the same symptoms. 

I have this Betta Revive medication, but haven't used it yet because I'd rather not give him unnecessary drugs if he doesn't need it.

Thanks for your help!!


----------



## Water

Is your fish acting normally? Eating, swimming around, etc.


----------



## trevorck

Around the time the translucency started, I thought he was becoming more lethargic. But I might have been reading into thing... 

He's eating fine, making HUGE bubble nests, and seems active.


----------



## Water

trevorck said:


> Around the time the translucency started, I thought he was becoming more lethargic. But I might have been reading into thing...
> 
> He's eating fine, making HUGE bubble nests, and seems active.


I've been doing some research and I found this one link on here that says he could be marbling. So he might be changing his color or losing some to give off that marble look. If you just research "betta fish becoming transparent" you'll get a lot of hits on google and just look through them and see which answer is most prominently said. If he's eating fine and making bubble nests then it's probably this marble thing.


----------



## Water

http://bettysplendens.com/articles/page.imp?articleid=1114 

Read this, it's quite fantastic.  It'd be so lovely if your fish continuously kept changing colors! It says that with age, your fish can change color if it has the marble jean. I'm actually jealous if its doing that! I want to see it's transformations.


----------



## trevorck

Thanks Water! I hope he is merely a mutant and not suffering from some disease. If anyone else has any insight please let me know! I'll post pictures of his 'transformation' if that is indeed what this is!


----------



## Sowman

What's funny is that my betta did the complete opposite. His fins were translucent white and over a period of 6 months he slowly changed to ALL BLACK. He is still happy swimming around.


----------



## Water

No problem  I'm sure he'll be fine.


----------



## Joytattoo

wow thats really cool I hope I one day pick one up with a marbling gene


----------



## trevorck

So Scully is still losing color. But today he wasn't eating and I noticed a white stringy thing coming out of his. I googled this and the consensus is it's undigested poop because of an internal parasite. 

Is this correct? And if so, is there a solution??


----------



## callistra

White stringy poop is indicative of an internal infection. It could be parasite or it could be bacterial.

The best way to treat for this is to feed the meds. You need a wheat based pellet (protein based won't soak up meds well enough) like Hikari and some garlic guard (seachem) and a medication called metronidazole by Seachem. You take a little of the garlic guard into a small cup and one measure of the metro med and mix it up. put the pellets in, mix them around and let them soak 10-15min. Feed 2 to three twice a day for a minimum of 2 weeks and a minimum of one week past when his poop problem looks totally clear. Also you need to mix up pellets at least daily, and even better twice a day each time you feed because the medicine will lose its effectiveness one it hits the liquid. If you stop early there's a good chance of reinfection, and it's not uncommon for treatment to take 3-4 weeks. There is premedicated food you can buy it and it suggests just feeding for 4 weeks reguardless. This will take care of any internal bacterial and parasite infection. 

Internal infections can results from frequent constipation. This can come from being too cold or not getting the right food. What is the temp of his tank? Anything freeze dried must be presoaked (in tank water is fine) before feeding or it can cause constipation. Also wheat based pellets can. What pellets are you using and how many does he get per day? Does he get a fast day a week?

Looks like you're doing excellent with water changes, so I don't think that was caused by a water quality problem.


----------



## trevorck

Thanks for the tips, Callistra. I am currently feeding him Omega One Pellets (I believe these are protein and not wheat based). I feed him probably around 5 in the morning and 5 at night. 

I also feed him dried shrimp on occasion too. Last week I gave him a pea because I heard they were a treat for bettas and wanted to see if he'd like it. He went to town on it, but maybe his body didn't like something new.

I did not know to give him a fast day once a week, but that sounds like a good idea since I was reading Bettas can go a long time without food.

I don't have a heater for his tank. It is getting chillier here (I live in SoCal, so it's usually warm, but it does get chilly at night). So I'll go pick him up a heater. Is there one you recommend over others? This one at PetSmart is getting awful reviews. 

That solution above with garlic guard and metronidazole sounds like a good idea. I do have Betta Revive. Will that help or hurt him?


----------



## trevorck

Any tips from anyone else?

Thank you!


----------



## callistra

You are way over feeding for the size of the pellet. Cut back to two twice a day with one fast day a week. If you want to feed freeze dried foods, make sure to soak them in a little tank water first to soften them up.

If you're feeding a pea you need to shell it and only feed half in little pieces. You also only want to use fresh or frozen and not canned.

I wouldn't use the betta revive. It won't help this.

I like aqueon pro and jager heaters.

Good luck! I think he will be okay. I think he just needs to cut back on his food.. they can be little pigs


----------



## trevorck

An update on Scully:

He continues to remain lethargic and spending much of his time in the darker areas of his tank either under the fake plants or on top near the corners. He still hasn't eaten anything (it's been 6 days), despite my placing food right in front of him. I literally stuck a pea to a fork and dropped it down in front of his face and he didn't seem to care. One time, he went to eat a food pellet, but spit it right out and swam away.

Callistra, I went to two pet stores and could not find garlic guard or any wheat-based pellets  I did, however, find API General Cure for Parasitic Fish Disease which has Metrodinazole which you recommended. It's a powder, and the full course treatment is 2 doses with 48 hours after each. I'm halfway through now (and careful about not overdosing). Scully didn't seem to like the powder coming down, and began darting around the tank haphazardly for a minute. Does that mean it's working? Or is he just pissed? (This stuff just smells like chemicals )

Lastly, I noticed something new on Scully's body today just below his pectoral fin. It's about the same size, shape, and color as a food pellet. I'm not sure if this is a growth, fungus, tumor, or what? I took two photos to show you. On one of them I'm shining a flashlight on him which makes the growth appear very white. I think it's more beige-toned, and originally I thought it was a food pellet stuck to him. Thoughts on this?? Should I treat for something else like a fungus? How do I force Scully to eat???


----------



## callistra

Dosing the tank with general cure won't cure an internal infection. He needs to be fed it. Most pellets are wheat based. The only ones that aren't are Omega one and NLS. Any other pellet will work.. betta bites.. hikari.. aqueon.. and if you can't find garlic guard just take a little tank water out and soak with that in a dish.

But.. he won't eat.. I'd go for an antibiotic that goes internal then. Kanaplex in the water along with epsom salts at 1 tsp per gallon predissolved and check the ingredients label to make sure they are pure with no additives.

The meds should be predissolved before adding to the water so he doesn't get a hit of them. If you're dosing for a 2.5g there's no way to measure it out in powder form.. For Kanaplex you take one level measure (use the cap to level it) into 5 teaspoons of tank water. Mix it up really well so it's good and dissolved, then put 2.5 tsp of the mixture into the tank. Throw away the rest as it will lose potency and can't be saved. Dose every other day for three doses. You may need to repeat a second set. (The General Cure is for 10g so what you should have done was take 10 teaspoons out and put 2.5 in.)

I'm not sure what's below his fin.. Looks like maybe a fungus? Kanaplex should fix that too so long as it's not a tumor.

What's the temp of his tank now? Also in a tank that small make sure you're doing at least one 100% water change a week with one 50% mid week.


----------



## Water

You could try this stuff called Maracyn or Maracyn 2, they each treat different diseases in bettas. My old fish pudge had dropsy and I looked under the fish diseases thread and saw a few items of which I could purchase..so I did some research on each product and found that Maracyn worked wonders. So I purchased it and in a few days of treatment, pudge was exceptionally better and pretty much back to normal. Even the very same day, pudge was swimming around in a few hours. I would put your betta into a small hospital tank instead of keeping him inside his normal tank. He's probably getting worse from that because if its bacterial or fungal, whatever it is is in his tank. So you got to clean that out and disinfect ASAP. When he's in the hospital tank, make sure to change his water everyday, add the water conditioner, the Maracyn and whichever else you add into his tank.


----------



## trevorck

Thanks for the advice. I think I should definitely add salts, as well as move him into a hospital tank. I just read today about Columnaris, which this very well could be. Have you any experience treating it? Scully's been sluggish, has no appetite, and responds negatively to being in light (the moment I turned his light off today he started swimming around). I fed him a pellet today, but unfortunately he spit it out -- 4 times he tried, but just couldn't eat it.

Callistra, I'll try getting some of those other wheat-based food pellets. To answer your question, I put a heater in the tank so it's constantly around 79 degrees. But I read that Columnaris can thrive in warmer conditions, so I'll try to keep the temperature a little lower.

Is it safe to use Kanaplex and Maracyn concurrently?


----------



## Water

trevorck said:


> Thanks for the advice. I think I should definitely add salts, as well as move him into a hospital tank. I just read today about Columnaris, which this very well could be. Have you any experience treating it? Scully's been sluggish, has no appetite, and responds negatively to being in light (the moment I turned his light off today he started swimming around). I fed him a pellet today, but unfortunately he spit it out -- 4 times he tried, but just couldn't eat it.
> 
> Callistra, I'll try getting some of those other wheat-based food pellets. To answer your question, I put a heater in the tank so it's constantly around 79 degrees. But I read that Columnaris can thrive in warmer conditions, so I'll try to keep the temperature a little lower.
> 
> Is it safe to use Kanaplex and Maracyn concurrently?


I have not experienced treating it, but I treated my fish for dropsy and Maracyn worked wonders. I read about Columnaris and definitely quarantine him asap. Also make sure that the temperature of the water is between 75 and 76 degrees. I'm not too sure if you read the information on Columnaris from petfish.net , but it recommended to use Kanacyn (Kanamycin sulfate), Spectrogram (Kanamycin sulfate and Nitrofurazone), Tetracycline, or Furan 2 (Nitrofurazone). Definitely get him on anti-biotics because it looks as if his disease is getting worse from the formation of that white thing.


----------



## callistra

Maracyn is erythromycin and it's not my first choice and unlikely to be effective. I would look for Kanaplex and if you can't find it look for Maracyn Plus and if you can't find that look for Furan 2. Don't mix these meds.

You only need to get the wheat based pellets if you're going to try feeding meds, which it looks like we're going bacteria and in water treatment. Since he doesn't look emaciated or skinny at all that's more likely anyway.


----------



## trevorck

Actually, the product description of Maracyn does mention it treats Columnaris.

It sounds like Kanaplex would be the best option -- which is the same thing as Kanacyn (Kanamycin sulfate). I checked Seachem's website, and the only place near me that sells Kanaplex is pretty far away. I live 5 minutes from a Petco and a Petsmart. Do they sell any other brand? I see they do sell Maracyn Plus. 

Another question: Do I remove the carbon filter in the tank when using these? I removed it per the directions when using the General Cure metronidazole, but I don't know if I should continue keeping it unfiltered.

Also, are epsom salts better than aquarium salt in this case?

Thanks for all your help you guys! Such a fantastic place to consult fellow Betta-lovers!


----------



## callistra

It's very rarely works on Columnaris. There are many many articles across the net and other publications on it, and also a whole slew of discussion on various boards where people have failed to treat it with it and lost fish.

Seachem is the only company I know to sell Kanamyacin med.

Yes, the carbon needs to be removed.

Yes, in your case epsom salts are better because they will help with the bloating.


----------



## trevorck

Great news! Last night I cleaned out Scully's tank, vacuumed his gravel, did a 50% water change, and put a dose of epsom salts and Maracyn Plus into his tank...

I crossed my fingers and went to bed...

Today, Scully is in noticeably better shape! He's swimming around much more. He actually ate a couple food pellets (first time eating in a week!) I will continue the Maracyn Plus treatment through the 5-day treatment cycle. 

I have 2 questions:

1) Should I do a water change before his next dose of Maracyn Plus? I took the carbon filter out, so his tank isn't getting filtered.

2) How often should I treat his water with epsom salts? Is this just something to use when fish are sick? Or good to use once in a while?


----------



## callistra

Great to hear! 

The tank is still getting filtered without carbon, so long as you didn't shut off the whole filter. Your filter doesn't need carbon. I would do a water change in between doses.. 25-50%. Add back the same amount of epsoms as water you take out.. so if you take out 2 gallons add 2 tsp back in.

I would only dose with epsoms if you sick are fish or are so constipated that fasting doesn't help.


----------



## Water

Oh my god! I'm so happy to hear that you bought the Maracyn and that it's working  I would recommend a 100% water change before adding a new pack of Maracyn just because it might build up and cause od? I'm not too sure, but better safe than sorry! And if you're going to treat him with Epsom salt, you must add the same amount and I think only for a certain period of time.


----------



## Tikibirds

Epsom is OK for long term use. It's aquarium salt that can cause damage if used for too long. 
I wonder what his problem is as maracyn shouldn't work on columnaris because columnaris is a gram negative bacteria. Maracyn fights gram positive bacteria. 


*Maracyn*
*Active ingredients: *Erythromycin
*Diseases:* gram positive bacterial infections, fin and tail rot, popeye, body fungus
*Comments:*
These antibiotics prevent protein synthesis and effect the cells ability to reproduce.

Further information can be found under the name *Erythromycin*.
*Erythromycin*
*Diseases:* bacterial infections, intestinal flagellates
*Contraindications:*
It was noted to be quite effective when the pH is neutral or slightly alkaline.


----------



## callistra

He's using Maracyn Plus not Maracyn. Not the same med.


----------



## ANHEL123

Usually Epsom salt you can use 1-up to 3tsp/gall with daily 100% water changes. You can use it for long time. Some cases- indefinitely in low dose if fish has chronic sbd.Water i remember your post when you was treating you betta with meds+ salt + stress coat with daily water changes. That what i would also recommend. You can do daily 100% water changes or at least 50% and 100% every other day while oyu treating him. You can just redose salt and require dose of the medications with water changes. But make sure you acclimate betta to new water temp/chemistry when you do 100% water changes. You really don't need filter at all. I even think water flow can bother him since he is weak. I would wash it in the hot , boiled water and dry it out .Just wait until i hope he will recover. You need filters when you cycle the tank only. When you do the water changes that you do now you really don't need filter .
Please give us update, i would really want to know if that medication is working.


----------



## trevorck

Happy New Year everyone!

I just wanted to give a quick update on Scully. He's doing 1000% better. He swims around excitedly, doesn't have any of that fungus on him anymore, and is making massive bubble nests. He eats his food within seconds, and just seems like a whole new fish. I think the Maracyn Plus was his saving grace, but the heater seems to be making him happier and limiting his diet is making him less sluggish.

I attached an image so you can see how his marbling is progressing. Since my last post he's gotten significantly lighter and more of his fins are translucent. I'm excited to see what he turns into and will continue to post pics.

Thanks for all of your help!


----------



## callistra

Yay! Glad to hear he's doing so well.. what a crazy marble LOL


----------



## Water

Oooooo very nice  good to hear that he's doing better!


----------



## Megatron222

Hi everyone! Scully is the closest match I’ve found photo-wise to what’s going on with my Halfmoon Betta, Vecna.

He was originally a deep, vibrant red color, and is now turning almost completely white and translucent! I’m really worried he is sick.

If anyone has any advice, it would be much appreciated! My post with additional details/photos of the color change is here:









Help! Fins Turning Translucent on my Halfmoon Betta


Hello, I’ve had my betta, Vecna, since Labor Day weekend. He is very active- loves attention and darts around flailing his gills if you engage with him. Loves to eat also- no issues there! He seems to be acting normally, but I’ve noticed his fins become more and more transparent in the past...




www.bettafish.com


----------



## Betta Nerd

This thread is from 2013 I don't believe anyone on this thread is still here


----------

