# Does this look like Velvet?



## tokala (Feb 20, 2011)

I am just not convinced that Diablo doesn't have Velvet. For a long time he was showing all the symptoms but no signs. I have been advised to take him off his meds and treat with fresh water but that was before I saw these questionable gold spots (see pictures). I am not sure if that is just part of his natural shimmer (since he is silver I don't think it is) or if he is finally showing a visible sign. He is still eating well and seems a bit more active in the last couple days. Comes to greet me again at the front of his tank. Pictures of possible velvet and swollen gill below. 

Housing 
What size is your tank? 2.5 G minibow as of last week to make QT/Treatment easier. Was in a 7.5 Gal before.
What temperature is your tank? 80-82
Does your tank have a filter? No
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? No
Is your tank heated? Yes
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? None 

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? Mostly frozen bloodworms- that is all he would eat when I first got him. In the last week or so, he will Eat/spit out a pellet and in the end eat most of it. 1-3 pellets a day, 1-2 bloodworms (depending on how many pellets he had). I know frozen food can carry parasites which could be the cause of his illness? 
How often do you feed your betta fish? Twice a day

Maintenance 
How often do you perform a water change? Now that he is in his 2.5, daily 75%, and 2 100% a week. 
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? See above
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? Dechlorinator (Bettabowl plus) and for the last 5 days, Copersafe and aquarium salt (1/2 teaspoon per gallon) 

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters? Yes, many times. 

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
pH:7.8 ( I know it's high, i posted another thread before I got Diablo and it was recommended not to mess with it and let him adapt) 
Hardness: Not sure
Alkalinity: Low?

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? Clamped fins, scratches on his body. Swollen gill that doesn't shut all the way, he came to me like that and i thought it was just the way he was born. Maybe gold dust? See pictures. 
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? Well, he hasn't seemed quite well since I got him a month ago from Thailand. It's hard to say what he was like before he came to me. But in the last week or so his symptoms have gotten worse. He is lethargic most of the time and floats near the surface or lays on the bottom with clamped fins. These moments are broken up with darting at/against anything he can. I have not seen this in the last 24 hours though. All of his symptoms have improved a LITTLE in the last 24 hours. He likes to rub his head against his little cave. 
When did you start noticing the symptoms? They started to become very obvious a little over a week now. He has seemed off since I got him. 
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? Yes, he has been treated with AQ salt on and off since i got him 2 week long treatments in the last 5 weeks. His symptoms sounded like a parasite so I have been treating im with coppersafe the last few days. The mystery is, He has no white spots or signs of velvet, so this may not be the right treatment. I have been told that he is probably toxic from treating him too much and should just have clean water. But then i noticed this gold shimmer and wanted to chack. It seems so much like velvet. 
Does your fish have any history of being ill? Since I have owned him, yes.
How old is your fish (approximately)? 4-7 months.


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## BETTACHKALOVE (Nov 22, 2010)

tokala i am not sure but i think if it would be velvet it would be all over his body,or it would spread already since he has it long time. I also think u really would see difference on his body. I saw betta with velvet before he looked like he has thin layer of the sand on his body. Also i know u think it difficult to see on ur betta because of his color try to shine the light on him. I think u will still see difference on the body.


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## tokala (Feb 20, 2011)

BETTACHKALOVE said:


> tokala i am not sure but i think if it would be velvet it would be all over his body,or it would spread already since he has it long time. I also think u really would see difference on his body. I saw betta with velvet before he looked like he has thin layer of the sand on his body. Also i know u think it difficult to see on ur betta because of his color try to shine the light on him. I think u will still see difference on the body.


Thank you for your reply. I think I am just being so dang paranoid. I read that it starts on their heads, and with his funny gill and head scratching it really sounded like the right symptoms. But you are right, its been so long you would think it would be a lot more obvious by now. I don't want to poison him with too much treatment. Since he seems to have improved a bit, I think I will start his fresh water treatment tonight unless anyone else chimes in.


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## fishman12 (Sep 1, 2010)

Well, if there is gold spots it might be velvet.

*



Velvet disease, also called gold dust disease

Click to expand...

*


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## BETTACHKALOVE (Nov 22, 2010)

I think it his natural coloration. How can u see those spots. If u shine the light i think u would see them?

I understand it difficult to see it since his coloration.

I think if tokala saying he is improving she needs to start water changes like Oldfishlady say and monitor him. 

And keep us update how he doing. I am sure Oldfishlady always reply to update. 

Is he active and eating at all? I think it would be improvement.


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## tokala (Feb 20, 2011)

BETTACHKALOVE said:


> I think it his natural coloration. How can u see those spots. If u shine the light i think u would see them?
> 
> I understand it difficult to see it since his coloration.
> 
> ...


Yep, I agree. I think I am just being way too paranoid. Just finished his recommended water change and he is super active rght now. The last couple days he has been eating like a pig. I still catch him with clamped fins about half the time. I have not seem him scratching up against anything yet today. I've also been looking at all his photos from when I first got him and I am pretty-sure* its his natural coloring. Thanks for the response! I put the coppersafe away and we will see how he does!


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## BETTACHKALOVE (Nov 22, 2010)

U wrote that he was spitting out the pellets before,and eating mostly frozen blood worms. So he is eating pellets now?

I read from Oldfishlady that if u soak pellets in the garlic juice it can prevent from parasites. 

Sometimes i do it for my bettas. I was thinking it good for immunity too. But i could't get juice out of the garlic i just used sqeezed garlic.


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## tokala (Feb 20, 2011)

BETTACHKALOVE said:


> U wrote that he was spitting out the pellets before,and eating mostly frozen blood worms. So he is eating pellets now?
> 
> I read from Oldfishlady that if u soak pellets in the garlic juice it can prevent from parasites.
> 
> Sometimes i do it for my bettas. I was thinking it good for immunity too. But i could't get juice out of the garlic i just used sqeezed garlic.


Thank you for the suggestion! He doesn't seem to like the garlic much (we tried it a while back), I did the same thing you did with squeezed garlic. But I bought a different brand of pellets and he will eat them IF and only IF I soak them until they are mush and cut them in half. He just started doing this yesterday :-D He is pretty high maintenance... I wish he would eat it, because I agree it is probably good for them in small amounts. He still has funny gills. Do you think that should be cause for major concern, or should I just accept it for what he is?


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## BETTACHKALOVE (Nov 22, 2010)

Sorry i really don't know i am afraid to give u wrong info. If it normal since he was sick . But i think u just watch him and see how he is doing. 
But i was thinking if he get better then the medication u treated him were the right medications. Did u finished the course? I think u just needed to finish recommendation dose and then just do like OFL said water changes,and see how he doing


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## Pekemom (Jan 27, 2011)

Tokala, have you tried the micro pellets from Hikari? My Brooke gets those for breakfast in the morning along with a pinch of flakes. They are just the right size for her and she loves them.


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## tokala (Feb 20, 2011)

Pekemom said:


> Tokala, have you tried the micro pellets from Hikari? My Brooke gets those for breakfast in the morning along with a pinch of flakes. They are just the right size for her and she loves them.


No I havn't, but I have heard people talk about them on here before. I have never seen them before, I should order them off the internet! Thanks for the suggestion


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## BETTACHKALOVE (Nov 22, 2010)

I think some of the pellets really big and hard.
If u are going to order some pellets i really recommending Betta FOOD Daily nutrition for all bettas by AQUEON. It in the yellow box with betta picture over the pellets. Those pellets really good not hard and not big. All my bettas love them.

Another one Natural Color Enhancing New Life Spectrum Beta Formula. They are small and not hard. In the blue round box. Really recommending them too. The only thing they are light and sink to the bottom really fast.


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## Ethan (Dec 3, 2010)

It may be a fungal problem does it look lumpy at all?


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