So today I got another fish from Big Al's. He's so beautiful and I can't resist pretty fins. While we were in there, I noticed he had some sorta weird white spots on his head. My first thought was, "Uh-oh, fungal infection." But in that light it was sort of hard to tell. I bought him anyway, knowing that fungal infections are curable, and I bought some Betta Revive, just in case. Once you see the sweetheart, you'll know why I bought him. He's not lethargic and he's eating well, but his ventrals have been quite tightly clamped since I brought him home.
Meet Atlas.
Here's a few pictures of his alleged infection. Sorry I couldn't get too close, he's very camera shy.
My room actually gets very hot during the summer, plus I have my snake terrarium in here with me, so with his lamp it makes my room even warmer. My fish's water usually sits at a pretty constant 70-75 F.
Still a little low, and that much fluctuation isn't good, especially if he's ill. He could probably use a heater if you can get one. Something to keep him at a steady 78 degrees. The reason I say this is because often clamping is caused by cold water.
And no, molly/betta cross isn't possible, but that first picture makes him look molly-ish.
Alright, I'll get a heater when I can. I just did his daily water change today, made sure the water was warm, and shined a flashlight on him. The spots don't look fuzzy, per say, aren't raised, and they actually shine in the light. However, when he swims, it almost look like there's some almost webby slime-like material coming off of the spots.
His behavior hasn't changed today; still not lethargic, eating well, but his ventrals are still clamped against his body. I got him to flare yesterday, but his ventrals stayed pressed up against him.
I would suggest keeping an eye on him for a day or two. Make sure he is eating and active and watch the spot. If you think it is fungus, you can go with a petstore anti-fungus medication, or a phenoxethol solution.
Check out the eBook Betta Fish Care Made Easy
