# fish discoloration?



## sunrise2397 (Jul 19, 2011)

so im gonna be perfectly honest with you guys, i LOVE fish, but i used to be like the people you guys, myself included, hate. you know the one that wouldnt take care of their fish, id tell myself oh ill clean my fish tank next wee but next week would never come, and my id always forget to feed my fish, but dont worry ALL of that has changed. so my female betta almost died, but i was able to save her, but her color is like this gray brown color on her body but if you look closely to the end of her fins its like purple and blue. so i wan wondering, is there anything i can do to get her color back to that normal beautiful color?


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## indjo (Jun 6, 2010)

Welcome to the forum. Hope the betta bug gets to you.

Sometimes it's how bad the damage is. But in general, you can try flare her - show her a mirror or something. Normally, if her tank is in perfect condition and she is totally cured, she should color up.

No offense, but if you don't have the time to care for her, wouldn't it be a good idea to rehome her?


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Welcome to the forum, sunrise.  I'm glad to hear you are taking better care of your girl. It might take a while for her to recover, depending on how bad her water conditions were and for how long. The best things that can help are clean water and lots and lots of it, time, and API Stress Coat. You can get that at a pet store. It can be used on its own, added into the tank, and it can also be used as a water conditioner to detoxify chlorine etc.


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## sunrise2397 (Jul 19, 2011)

thank you indjo and sakura. the betta bug has definitely gotten me. and dont worry i dont take that offensive at all, i do have time for taking care of my fish, i just i dont know i feel terrible of why i would always neglect them, but this site has really given me a different view on having bettas and yes her tank is clean and i will get her the API stress coat as soon as i can. oh one more thing, am i underfeeding my betta if i feed her once in the morning, i wasnt sure if i should feed her at night to? oh and im feeding her bettamin flakes, and like twice a week ill give her a snack of brine shrimp.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

You probably could feed her a little more although I think it's better to slightly underfeed than drastically overfeed. Personally I prefer pellets because they don't mess up the water as much and they're easier to judge how much you're feeding. I feed my bettas 3 times a day, but very small meals, like no more than 2 pellets or 2 bloodworms or a pinch of brine shrimp. If you're interested, good pellet brands are Omega One Betta Buffet pellets and New Life Spectrum Betta Formula. The Omega One Betta Buffet also comes in flake form if you find flakes easier to feed.


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## sunrise2397 (Jul 19, 2011)

okay thank you. yea ive been reading that alot of people prefer pellets, and ive never tried them so i was thinking when i go out and get that API stress coat ill get some pellets too and see how shell like them.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

You can always crush them into smaller pieces for her if she has a tiny mouth. Or soak them in garlic juice or the juice from thawed frozen bloodworms or brine shrimp.


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## mjoy79 (Jul 13, 2011)

I used to be a neglectful betta mommy too. Especially while I was dating my ex-boyfriend. Water changes were very infrequent. Sometimes I would just put a weekend or 7-day feeder in Chandler's tank if I knew I was going to be away for the weekend. don't feel too bad sunrise. The betta bug has bit me now too and am glad Chandler is still with me and is happy in a bigger tank and clean/heated/filtered water


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Yes, the most important thing is that you both want to be better betta owners.


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## sunrise2397 (Jul 19, 2011)

sakura thanks for the tips and everything i really appreciate it and aww thank you mjoy that makes me feel better im glad chandler is doing better


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

You're welcome. I hope your girl perks up soon.


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## sunrise2397 (Jul 19, 2011)

i sure hope so too!


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