# Blue needs help. Pectoral fins! Lots of pictures!



## FeatherHearts (May 24, 2021)

I have what I believe to be a blue veil-tail Betta. I have had him for a month. His pectoral fins look to be losing color. The shape is full and no tears or holes. He had a little white spot near his mouth but it’s now gone. His top dorsal fin looks like it’s clamped but I’m not sure. Is it also okay for him to sleep on his side inside the pagoda? I couldn’t find him one day and he was in there. I thought he was dead. I also didn’t know I should’ve turn off the light at night so he might’ve been stressed. I have been turning it off for 3 weeks now. I also have a ping pong ball in there to entertain him. Is that bad? Also should I give him other food besides pellets. What kind and how often in one day? with pellets or one time pellets and one time frozen dried? Sorry so many questions. If you guys notice something about him that I didn’t notice please let me know. Thank you for all the help.

Housing:
How many gallons is your tank? 5 Gallons
Does it have a filter? Yes
Does it have a heater? Yes
What temperature is your tank? Look at picture it’s on the green spot not 70-80?
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? No
Does your Betta have tank mates? What kind? None

Food:
What food brand do you use? Aqueon
Do you feed flakes or pellets? Pellets
Freeze-dried? No
How often do you feed your Betta? How much? 2-3 pellets 2 times a day

Maintenance:
Before your Betta became ill how often did you perform a water change? Once a week
What percentage of water did you change? 25%
What is the source of your water? Tap water with water conditioner
Do you vacuum the substrate or just dip out water? Dip I think
What additives do you use other than conditioner? What brand of conditioner? Top Fin Betta water conditioner

Water Parameters:
What are your water parameters? Please give exact numbers. If tested by pet store please get exact numbers. "Fine" or "Safe" won't help us help you. Important: Test your water _before_ the regular water change; not after one.

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
pH: 7.2
Hardness (GH): 75
Alkalinity (KH): 80

Symptoms and Treatment:
When did you first notice the symptoms? 1 week after getting him
How has your Betta’s appearance changed? One fin seems clamped but the pectoral fins are losing color from the outside in
How has your Betta’s behavior changed? He eats fine and swims or floats around daily, very interactive never flares at me except once when I changed his water for the first time
Is your Betta still eating? Yes
Have you started treating your Betta? If so, how? I thought he had ick at one point but treated it and still seems fine
Does your Betta have any history of being ill? Just what I thought was ick. He had a white spot but it’s gone now. He has has a darker top of his head but i don’t know if thats normal.
How long have you owned your Betta? 1 month
Was he or she ill or suffering some sort of damage when purchased? Not that I know of


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## FeatherHearts (May 24, 2021)

Sorry about the temp. I’m not sure. I have a picture of it. I have a heater. And it hits the green but I guess not 80?


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Impossible to see anything with those photos. 

Temperature seems low; should be at least 77-78.


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## FeatherHearts (May 24, 2021)

How do I get the temp up more? Is it the wrong heater? It’s a submersible one. I got it from petsmart for the recommended tank size. Is there one you recommend that’s not extremely expensive?

I’m not sure how to get better lighting for pictures. 😭 the pectoral fins in the front I thought showed pretty good in the last two pictures. I will try to take some more again. I apologize. Thank you again for the help in advance.


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## FeatherHearts (May 24, 2021)

Best picture I could get. I’m sorry. 😥 hopefully this one is better. The pectoral fins are looks transparent more than I remember. And just the top fin looking maybe clamped. I’m not sure. And is the back tail usually dropped down like that?


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## BettaloverSara (Oct 15, 2020)

Check the temp with a clean meat thermometer, it's probably the thermometer vs the heater. I cant really see the issue you are talking about.


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## FeatherHearts (May 24, 2021)

Oh! Okay. That’s great news! I might just be overthinking things since Blue is my first betta. The fan looking fin in front are the pectorals right? I might be wrong. I’ll check the temp a different way just in case my thermometer is funky. I thought it was weird that it was that temp when I got it even before going in the tank.


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## FeatherHearts (May 24, 2021)

Sorry bad drawing


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## Melina555 (May 18, 2021)

FeatherHearts said:


> Sorry bad drawing


The pectoral fins for my betta are almost transparent, too. If Blue is eating well, active, and no visible white spot/fin damage, there's not much to worry about. Just make sure the temperature is good and make sure the tank is cycled properly. The ammonia, nitrite, nitrate numbers you got are kind of weird because if your tank is cycled there should be some nitrate in the water. I recommend getting a freshwater master test kit since it's much more accurate and reliable than test strips.

Betta food should be high in protein, you can check the nutrition facts of your betta pellet. I feed my betta Fluval Bug Bites Betta Formula, Hikari frozen bloodworms, Hikari freeze-dried daphnia (daphnia is great for preventing constipation). I don't feed a specific amount... just one pellet/piece of food at a time until its little belly has a slight roundish curve. I think most people feed betta twice a day but don't think it matters that much as long as the amount you feed is appropriate.


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## FeatherHearts (May 24, 2021)

Melina555 said:


> The pectoral fins for my betta are almost transparent, too. If Blue is eating well, active, and no visible white spot/fin damage, there's not much to worry about. Just make sure the temperature is good and make sure the tank is cycled properly. The ammonia, nitrite, nitrate numbers you got are kind of weird because if your tank is cycled there should be some nitrate in the water. I recommend getting a freshwater master test kit since it's much more accurate and reliable than test strips.
> 
> Betta food should be high in protein, you can check the nutrition facts of your betta pellet. I feed my betta Fluval Bug Bites Betta Formula, Hikari frozen bloodworms, Hikari freeze-dried daphnia (daphnia is great for preventing constipation). I don't feed a specific amount... just one pellet/piece of food at a time until its little belly has a slight roundish curve. I think most people feed betta twice a day but don't think it matters that much as long as the amount you feed is appropriate.


Thank you for all the advice! I am taking it all in. I will try the food you recommended and also I am going to get the test kit too. Thank you again! 😊


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Most likely what you are seeing is a natural color change. As noted, if fish are eating an active they are usually okay. BTW, does he ever flare? Can't tell if his dorsal is clamped or relaxed.

I would disagree with the feeding advice, though. One feeding per day is not as good as feeding several meals. I don't count but usually we recommend four pellets at least 3 x per day. If they are micro pellets feed a bit more.

Good foods are Fluval Bug Bites (medium to large), NorthFin Betta Bites, New Life Spectrum, Aqueon Color or Betta Formula (not "Pro") and Omega One.

But if you want the best food, IMO, it is only available online. I get nothing from the sales but it is 51% protein, grain-free and has no fillers Grain Free Bug (Black Soldier Fly) Formula

If you decide to try the Devour, I have a Betta Fish-exclusive code for 10% off first orders. Just PM.

I would also recommend getting a gravel vacuum/siphon so you can do a complete clean. Dipping out does not remove the detritus that is in the substrate.


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## FeatherHearts (May 24, 2021)

RussellTheShihTzu said:


> Most likely what you are seeing is a natural color change. As noted, if fish are eating an active they are usually okay. BTW, does he ever flare? Can't tell if his dorsal is clamped or relaxed.
> 
> I would disagree with the feeding advice, though. One feeding per day is not as good as feeding several meals. I don't count but usually we recommend four pellets at least 3 x per day. If they are micro pellets feed a bit more.
> 
> ...


Perfect!!! I was actually just looking at a siphon! I do want to try devour actually! Do you know how long one bag last?


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## AlphaBettas (May 12, 2020)

Melina555 said:


> The pectoral fins for my betta are almost transparent, too. If Blue is eating well, active, and no visible white spot/fin damage, there's not much to worry about.


While I was reading this thread, I was just going to say this lol. One of my bettas has half transparent and half blue pectoral fins! It's perfectly normal and it's pretty neat!


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## FeatherHearts (May 24, 2021)

AlphaBettas said:


> While I was reading this thread, I was just going to say this lol. One of my bettas has half transparent and half blue pectoral fins! It's perfectly normal and it's pretty neat!


Thank you for confirming that too! I feel a lot better about it now. I was overthinking it but it’s always good to get confirmation that it is normal and okay. 😊


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## GailC (Feb 13, 2013)

Try to get the temps up, the mark should be about half way up the green.
Is your heater not adjustable? Most you get set the temperature on. Those preset ones aren't that good.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

If you have a food thermometer, try that. Aquarium thermometers are notoriously inaccurate. Wonder how many have replaced good heaters because of bad thermometers?


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## FeatherHearts (May 24, 2021)

RussellTheShihTzu said:


> If you have a food thermometer, try that. Aquarium thermometers are notoriously inaccurate. Wonder how many have replaced good heaters because of bad thermometers?


Thank you for confirming the thermometer issue. I should’ve known because someone else had the same one and it was also not reading correctly. My water is ranging between 78-80 or so nothing more nothing less with the food thermometer. I plan to get a different one just to be on the safe side.


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## FeatherHearts (May 24, 2021)

GailC said:


> Try to get the temps up, the mark should be about half way up the green.
> Is your heater not adjustable? Most you get set the temperature on. Those preset ones aren't that good.


Unfortunately it’s not adjustable 😭 at least not that I saw. The instructions said nothing about it. I am so new to this. I should’ve done more research. I still learning. Thank you for the feedback. 😊


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## MABetta (Jan 10, 2021)

I would like to say there is a syphoning video on U tube by Aquarium Co-Op that is very useful. Just FYI


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## FeatherHearts (May 24, 2021)

MABetta said:


> I would like to say there is a syphoning video on U tube by Aquarium Co-Op that is very useful. Just FYI


Thank you so much for the reference! I will watch it when I get home! 😊


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