# Shiny scales???



## DragonscaleStudyBuddy (Jul 25, 2014)

Does anyone know what this is? How do I treat it? Some scales appear shiny. They don't look raised.... This is the best picture I can get of his scales he looks the same on both sides.










Does anyone know what this is and how to make him better?????/


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## DragonscaleStudyBuddy (Jul 25, 2014)

This is a crappy picture but it shows how the scales appear shiny.


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## Kisiel (Jul 30, 2014)

I'm guessing it's just his natural iridescence, but I could obviously be wrong. Some bettas only have a few shiny scales which is perfectly normal.


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## DragonscaleStudyBuddy (Jul 25, 2014)

:-( Yeah, he had a few silvery scales but slowly he has gotten more... I have been scowering the internet for 3 months trying to find any thing like it or a reason for scales to be missing. The only thing that seems to line up is age.... He has never blown a bubble nest, he does not flare, he appears to be missing scales, and he has some funky rays on his dorsal. All signs of age in a betta... I got him from Petco in June or July. He seems happy, active, and has a good appetite....I just don't know.....


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## MikeG14 (May 31, 2014)

I really don't think it's anything to worry about as far as the scales go. It could just be a change in pigmentation in the individual scales. How long has the dorsal fin looked like that? I'm just throwing at dart but maybe it could be a water hardness issue? Maybe someone else has some thoughts on that. I don't know enough about it. Fin-rot? I doubt it. You have been pretty thorough in your observations regarding his health, you would have picked that up by now. It would be nice to see a close up picture of that dorsal fin. 

I know you've been fighting with an ammonia problem but for a fish with elaborate fins like that he looks pretty good. You've been doing a great job with the water changes. He's eating and active, that's a good sign. It's OK if he doesn't bubble nest, my big guy doesn't either. My little guy is as busy as a beaver with his nest building and both fish are kept in identical conditions. So a bubble nest isn't really a sign of health, I've seen some pretty impressive nests on death row at Petsmart. The same goes with flaring.

You are making some big changes in the tank which will be an improvement. I say ride it out for now. Let the rooibos tea do it's job. I saw in another post you have some IAL coming which in IMO is better than the tea.

I found this article I thought you might find interesting, 
http://bettafishawarenessday.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-mircale-plant-indian-almond-leaf.html


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## DragonscaleStudyBuddy (Jul 25, 2014)

Ha. Ha. To the death row comment. His dorsal has been like that since he came home. I was told when I first joined and knew nothing that is was not rot just "some funky rays." I'm totally redoing the tank over this next week, what I've got coming so far is in my habitat thread. Maybe they will go away or maybe he'll turn silver blue instead of electric blue. My f errets change color all the time. Can you see why I was skeptical about them being injuries? ? It's individual scales and no signs of trauma or infection. Just shiney scales... *shruggs* If it's got everyone here stumped I'm pretty sure he's ok.

 he is pretty fancy, tho.


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## MikeG14 (May 31, 2014)

DragonscaleStudyBuddy said:


> Ha. Ha. To the death row comment.


Gallows humor. I want to cry everytime I walk into some of these pet stores, even though I'm supposed to be a big tough guy.



DragonscaleStudyBuddy said:


> I'm totally redoing the tank over this next week, what I've got coming so far is in my habitat thread.


I saw that, I can't wait to see what you do with the tank!


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## DragonscaleStudyBuddy (Jul 25, 2014)

It's horrible. I try not to go in much... I always wanna bring one home.....

Thanks for the link. 

I'm still fighting with the color and type of sand... it's gonna be awesone!!!


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