# Silver/Gray Face



## Noiria (Jan 7, 2011)

Hello! I'm new here, but I've been reading a lot on this site to educate myself so I can take good care of my betta and cories. I'm hoping someone can help me make Meiji feel better, because he seems to be stressed, but I want him to enjoy his 10 gallon. I know the water is kinda low right now, I'm letting some water cool down to the right temperature before I add it.
Housing
What size is your tank? 10 gallons
What temperature is your tank? keep it around 74 F
Does your tank have a filter? Yes (Aqueon QuietFlow 10)
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? Nope
Is your tank heated? Yes
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? 3 cories (plan to add 1 or 2 more in the future, I know they are better in a bigger group, yet I’ll make sure I don’t overstock). I also have an anubias and a moss ball.

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? 
TetraMin Tropical Granules, Aqueon Tropical Flakes, and Wardley Betta Food (but I usually don’t have the time to cut them up because they are too big, so I don’t use them very often). He loves his food and gobbles it up quickly, maybe a little too eagerly. I will try bloodworms, etc. in the future.
How often do you feed your betta fish?
Twice a day (breakfast and dinner), usually about 3 granules.

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? Once a week for the 10 gallon
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? About 20%
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? 2 drops of Prime per gallon

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?
Use the API master kit as well as test strips for quick reference
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: around 10
pH: 8.2 ( I know it’s pretty high, but I got everyone gradually used to it)
Hardness: Hard
Alkalinity: Low/Moderate 

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? Silver patches below and behind his gills, a gray chin. It correlates with stress, but it hasn’t gone away, or else keeps coming back. In the morning he is his usual red color (I guess after a nice relaxing night), but then he gets gray again during the day.
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? I kept him in a bowl for the week my tank was finishing cycling, and then added him once it finished. He saw his reflection and flared and started chasing it all over the tank walls. He doesn’t flare now, and I’ve tried putting up dark paper, white paper, and finally cereal boxes on the sides to minimize his reflection which finally seemed to work, but he still paces back and forth along the front of the aquarium, not flaring at all, but he still seems stressed because of his gray face.
When did you start noticing the symptoms? After moving him from his bowl in which he was red and fine into his 10 gallon, which was 4 days ago.
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? No
Does your fish have any history of being ill? No, I’ve just had him about a month. I think his top fin is torn a little from when I got him, but other than that he seems fine.
How old is your fish (approximately)? I’ve only had him for a month, and got him straight from a pet store.
My anubias is getting some yellow/brown on the tips of its leaves. Any suggestions? I heard that it may be a lack of nutrients, so does anyone recommend a fertilizer or something? 

Thank you very much!!


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## Sweeda88 (Dec 6, 2010)

My Betta has always had that coloring on him. It's nothing to worry about. It's normal.


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## Crazykat (Nov 23, 2010)

My boy has that too. Always has, and he's in no way stressed. As for the Anubias, lots of people use Seachem Flourish Excel. I'm using some cheap Aqueon equivlent. I think it's kind of crappy. When I run out, I'm getting some Flourish. I can't tell if the rhizome of the anubias is out of the gravel, but if it isn't you should let it be exposed.


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## Noiria (Jan 7, 2011)

okay, thanks. that makes me feel better. 
i'll try some of that seachem stuff the next time i see it. 
I have the anubias stuck into a big crack in the side of a pot ornament, so I'm hoping water flowing in and out of the numerous cracks and top opening is enough.


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