# Betta fish has some sort or discoloration on his head



## Oliviamf (Jul 14, 2020)

Hi so ive had my betta fish for a few months now and i switched him into a 5gal tank about a week ago. About a day or two ago i noticed like a white spot on his head. Maybe not white but some type If discoloration. Ive also noticed he hasnt been eating when usually he grubs. Yes i have a filter and a heater. I also used one of those 5 in 1 test strips and everything read normal. So today i bought something called bettafix and put some in for him but im still worried. Also in the pic I had put him in a separate place while i was cleaning the gravel. Any ideas?


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## fishowner550 (Mar 26, 2020)

*Housing:*
How many gallons is your tank?
Does it have a filter?
Does it have a heater?
What temperature is your tank?
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration?
Does your Betta have tank mates? What kind?

*Food:*
What food brand do you use?
Do you feed flakes or pellets?
Freeze-dried?
How often do you feed your Betta? How much?

*Maintenance:
Before* your Betta became ill how often did you perform a water change?
What percentage of water did you change?
What is the source of your water?
Do you vacuum the substrate or just dip out water?
What additives do you use? What brand of 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:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH:
Hardness (GH):
Alkalinity (KH):

*Symptoms and Treatment:*
When did you first notice the symptoms?
How has your Betta’s appearance changed?
How has your Betta’s behavior changed?
Is your Betta still eating?
Have you started treating your Betta? If so, how?
Does your Betta have any history of being ill?
How long have you owned your Betta?
Was he or she ill or suffering some sort of damage when purchased?

*PLEASE PROVIDE CLEAR PHOTOS*

*NOTE: EMBED YOUR PHOTOS. PLEASE DO NOT LINK.* Click on the paper clip in the toolbar.

*Your fish is your responsibility.*
When seeking help be thorough as members give advice based on the information _you_ provide. While we have many knowledgeable fish keepers here, please remember that members' opinions are their own and that it is up to you to determine the best course of action for your fish. We are not responsible for any consequences resulting from following the advice you receive here


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## Oliviamf (Jul 14, 2020)

fishowner550 said:


> *Housing:*
> How many gallons is your tank?
> Does it have a filter?
> Does it have a heater?
> ...


all of the answers are above. The food are pellets but i never switched i always fed him the same thing because the one i have seems to be the only thing he likes.


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## fishowner550 (Mar 26, 2020)

It would help if you answered the form then we have everything at a glance and dont have to search for it.


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## Oliviamf (Jul 14, 2020)

5gal
Heater. Yes
Filter yes
Temp 78

levels im not going to test agian bc they are all. NORMAL and in perfect range for betta

had him a few months
No tank mates just a moss ball

symptoms: spot on head and not eating

no hes never been sick that im aware of


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Without _all_ of the information on the form we would be guessing and could do more harm than good. If you don't wish to fill out the form we certainly respect your right to not do so. Just as, I am sure, you respect our refusal to guess.


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## fishowner550 (Mar 26, 2020)

I agree with Russell 100%, it can be dangerous for us to guess the cause without knowing the full story, and I would feel horrible if my wrong guess was the end of your boy.


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## Oliviamf (Jul 14, 2020)

HOUSING:
5 gallon
has filter
has heater
temp is 78 F
no air stone or anything
no mates but a moss ball that was put in the tank when purchased about a week ago
FOOD:
brand is Omega One
betta buffet pellets
no freeze dried (I’ve tried it but he doesn’t seem to like it)
fed twice a day around 4 pellets each time
MAINTENANCE:
water change every week 
about 20%
source of water is tap
i dont vacuum the substrate but i also dont understand what “dip out water” means.
i used to add tetra betta safe water conditioner but i recently switched to Prime water condition because of recommendations.

Ammonia: .50 mg/L ( i did a 50% water change and added AmGuard by Seachem)
nitrite: 0
nitrate: 0
pH: 7
GH: 60
KH:80
SYMPTOMS & TREATMENTS:
i noticed it about 2 days ago which is also about 5 days after adding him into his new tank ( i did however add API Quick Start before putting him in).
my betta still looks the same except for the fading/ discoloration on the top of his head.
he hasn’t been swimming around as much he also hasn’t been eating.
i treated him today with something called Bettafix but no difference but then again he’s only had one dose so far.
to my knowledge, my betta has not been sick before.
ive owned my betta for probably around 5 months.















i dont think he was ill or anything when i bought him


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Is the area flat or fuzzy? Do you know if it came up suddenly? Is there any decor that might have scraped his head? Usually injury leaves a red area but not always. If you think it might be decor you can test by running a piece of mesh or panty hose over them to check for snags. For eating, you can try soaking his pellets in a bit of garlic juice. Or try a frozen food.

I'm tagging @Veloran to see what he thinks.

You care sounds perfect. The only thing would suggest it to get a siphon and, if you have gravel, give it a good cleaning. That might be the reason for the .50 ppm.

In the meantime, here's the Forum's tutorial on fish-in cycling. Hope you find it useful.








CYCLING: the two-sentence tutorial


Change half the water when either ammonia or nitrite approach 0.50ppm (alternately, 25% at 0.25ppm), or weekly, whichever comes first. Add Seachem Prime at 2-drops per gallon of tank size every day until cycled. That’s all you have to do. You can stop reading now. But there’s a lot of...




www.bettafish.com


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## Veloran (Jun 28, 2014)

Hi there, his lethargy and lack of appetite is a little concerning to me.
It appears he may have picked up a slight infection, whether it's parasitic or bacterial I can't be sure as yet. I am going to lean towards parasitic if that moss ball is new and its exact origin is unclear.

We should start him on a round of API General Cure, this should be available at most pet stores. You could also add some Indian Almond Leaves or a plain, unscented Rooibos teabag to his tank. You will need to remove the carbon from the filter if you are running it. If you cannot immediately obtain the General Cure, start him on some Aquarium salt at 1 tsp/gallon while you wait.
We may need to move him to API Triple Sulfa or Seachem Kanaplex if he does not respond to the General Cure.

Also, as @RussellTheShihTzu mentioned, you should get the ammonia down to below 0.25 ppm.


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## Oliviamf (Jul 14, 2020)

So there doesn’t seem to be anything sharp in the tank. The only thing i can think of is that sometimes he like swims into the the gravel and tries to like dig or move the rocks with his face. I did clean the gravel with a new gravel cleaner thingy its like a tube with the pump. As for the moss ball i bought it at petsmart and i took it out of their water and just placed it in the tank with my hand. Do u think i should remove it from the tank? Also i just tried the garlic juice but he still wouldnt eat it. I dont have any aquarium salt but i will go and buy the General Cure later. I honestly just want to give you guys as much info as possible before buying something might not even work. Btw i just want to say thank you for all your help so far!!


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## Oliviamf (Jul 14, 2020)

I also tested the amonia again and these were the results. I did put in AmGuard by Seachem yesterday but i dont know if i should put in more again? Or if i have to wait for reaults to be more accurate. Ive been keeping my fish in a seperate place just because im scared of keeping him in the tank where he began his symptoms.


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## Oliviamf (Jul 14, 2020)

also i cant find API General Cure anywhere! checked online and all stores that i can go to say out of stock or they simply dont have it.


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## Oliviamf (Jul 14, 2020)

I have stress Zyme by API do you think that could help?


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## Veloran (Jun 28, 2014)

The Stress Zyme isn't made to treat issues like these.
Start him on the theraputics, the Aquarium salt and IAL / Rooibos tea. It might give him a kick enough to take care of the issue itself, I'm concerned with his lack of appetite though.


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