# Please assist - strange scale discoloration!



## HappyBettaHappyLife (Jul 12, 2016)

Hi all! I love my sweet little betta, Chip, and would really appreciate some guidance. His scales are "fading out" in one part of his back and I'm scared that what he has might need treatment; I want to be sure to take good care of him. He's a very well-loved and cared for betta and thank you all so much for taking the time to try and help. I tried googling and everything I saw was referring to fuzzy fungus type stuff growing on the scales and that doesn't appear to be the case for my guy. Hopefully someone here knows what this is and can help guide me.

Symptom: Recently his scales started changing color in one section between his head and dorsal fin. 

Behavior / Appetite: Active / Normal

Photos: Link with photos! <--first one is blurry, but is only photo I was able to catch to demonstrate the size of the affected area (he wouldn't hold still for more a clearer pic from that angle). the good thing is that you can see how large the patch is in that photo and then some of the others show better closeups of the affected scales. 

Recent Change: He has been in a new tank (was cycled before he was added) for about a month. He is roughly 1 3/4 years old and has been very healthy since purchase. The old tank was the exact same tank (Fluval Edge 6 Gallon), but I was having an algae problem that I was struggling to control, so created and cycled the new tank before moving him to it and I'm going to start over with the other tank after a thorough scrubbing. I attached some photos and here are answers to common questions:

What is your water temperature? 78 degrees (heated)
What is your pH? (7.2)
What is your Ammonia/Nitrates/Nitrites? (all in 'good' range)
What do you use for water conditioner/dechlorinator? StressCoat+ (also weekly supplement of StressZyme+)
When was your last water change? What percentage was changed? Friday 20% 
How many gallons is your tank? 6 Gallons
Is your tank filtered or cycled? Filtered and cycled
Are there any other fish in the tank? No other fish
What substrate, or other decor is in the tank? Gravel / Fake Plants / Hollowed Out Tree
What brand/type of food and how often do you feed your betta? I feed Betta Bio-Gold twice daily (small servings)
What medications/treatments if any have you currently tried? No treatment yet


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## HappyBettaHappyLife (Jul 12, 2016)

Link here: Photos of Chip! (not sure why the link above isn't working)


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## NickAu (Sep 28, 2015)

> What is your Ammonia/Nitrates/Nitrites? (all in 'good' range)


All in a good range? The only " good " range is zero


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## HappyBettaHappyLife (Jul 12, 2016)

Chlorine is 0, Nitrates ~ 10 ppm, Nitrites ~ .3 ppm 

All in the best end of the color ranges from my test strip (and have never gone out of those good ranges, I'm very careful about water quality).


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## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

He is marbling. I had a fish the same color as him start marbling when she was over a year old. I will try and dig up the thread for you. I had a photo documentation of her progress. And yes, marbles can masquerade as solid colored bettas for a very long time and start marbling out of nowhere.

EDIT: http://www.bettafish.com/100-betta-pictures/360713-my-surprise-marble~.html

There you go. You can see on his fins where he has little pops of white, too. Don't worry, he's perfectly healthy, he just has the jumping gene. Keep track of his progress! It will be fun to watch!


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## HappyBettaHappyLife (Jul 12, 2016)

Thank you so much for this! I'm so relieved and yes, it looks exactly the same as yours started out, just in a different place. I think I shall document it just like you did. Took me from worried betta mom to excited betta mom in one post.


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## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

I'm glad I could help put your mind at ease! Enjoy his marbling process, and keep us updated! I can't wait to see his changes!


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## NickAu (Sep 28, 2015)

> Nitrites ~ .3 ppm


To start with that is not safe. 



> Chlorine is 0,


It should be zero if you use a de chlorinator.

What are the ammonia readings?


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## HappyBettaHappyLife (Jul 12, 2016)

NickAu said:


> To start with that is not safe.
> 
> 
> It should be zero if you use a de chlorinator.
> ...


The strip for Ammonia matches the 'best color' on the test strip bottle for freshwater and it's never been to even the 'fair' range. I test often. =)

For the Nitrite level, it is what the test strip company defines as the good range in their app (they say 0 to .5 ppm) and I'd say the color is right smack in the middle of that. I did a little research and it seems you're right that I should be striving for absolute 0. He's never been unhealthy, but I'll strive to improve this further. 

Thank you!


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Welcome to the Forum! :wave:


But I have to tell you: I hate companies. :frustrated: Ammonia and Nitrite should always be 0ppm; Nitrate below 20ppm. Any other readings are toxic. If you are getting anything other than 0ppm for Ammonia and Nitrite the tank is not cycled.


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## NickAu (Sep 28, 2015)

I am not trying to be rude or argumentative, So please forgive me if it appears that way.



> The strip for Ammonia matches the 'best color' on the test strip bottle for freshwater and it's never been to even the 'fair' range. I test often. =)


Ammonia is a strong cell poison and can cause damage to the gills at levels as small
as 0.25ppm
Safe or fair means nothing, the actual numbers do, This is why we ask this question.


> 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.




Nitrite levels & their consequences
0-0.2mg/L is ideal
>0.5mg/L is harmful
>1.6mg/L is lethal



Nitrite causes the formation of methaemoglobin in the blood and causes respiratory
compromise as it blocks oxygen uptake by the blood (similar to carbon monoxide
poisoning in mammals).

Test strips are not the best option as they are not accurate


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## HappyBettaHappyLife (Jul 12, 2016)

RussellTheShihTzu said:


> Welcome to the Forum! :wave:
> 
> 
> But I have to tell you: I hate companies. :frustrated: Ammonia and Nitrite should always be 0ppm; Nitrate below 20ppm. Any other readings are toxic. If you are getting anything other than 0ppm for Ammonia and Nitrite the tank is not cycled.


Yep; seeing this I'll get a different type of Ammonia test kit so I can check for '0' there, also. 

Thank you! So glad I came here today and nice to meet you all!


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## HappyBettaHappyLife (Jul 12, 2016)

NickAu said:


> I am not trying to be rude or argumentative, So please forgive me if it appears that way.
> 
> Ammonia is a strong cell poison and can cause damage to the gills at levels as small
> as 0.25ppm
> ...


I get it and will up my water quality game. I thought I was doing everything perfectly and am glad to have met you guys to know better now. I want to take great care of him; so thank you so much. =)


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