Black spots and slightly black gills?

[elijahfeathers]

Today I went to take a look at my buddy Ianos. He's got black spots on his sides, and blackness on his gills. :C He's always had sort of dark gills, so I didn't notice at first-- but when I turned the light on over the tank and saw him flaring I saw ad color change in parts of them.


Housing
What size is your tank?
10 Gallons

What temperature is your tank?
78 degrees

Does your tank have a filter?
Yes


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?
The tank is divided, another male betta lives on the other half.

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish?
Hikaria Betta Biogold

How often do you feed your betta fish?
One pellet once a day

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change?
Still trying to figure that out for a filtered ten gallon. They both went in three days ago with clean water so. :/

What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change?
Dunno yet for the 10 gallon.

What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change?
Tetra Bettasafe is added to my tap water.

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?
No

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed?
Blackness on actual gills (previously very dark reddish color), small black spots on body, behind gill area.

How has your betta fish's behavior changed?
Nothing unexpected I guess? He's been flaring a lot at his new neighbor-- and the other betta's been flaring back. They both try to attack eachother through the divider-- but the other fish still seems fine.

When did you start noticing the symptoms?
Last night.

Have you started treating your fish? If so, how?
No.

Does your fish have any history of being ill?
Not that I know of, but he was from a pet store.

How old is your fish (approximately)?
No idea. :C



I'd like to add that he's in the side of the tank with the filter-- and though there's a baffle on it, the water comes down pretty strong on the sides. I've noticed when he gets into it with his neighbor, he swims into the current and gets pushed down to the ground/tumbled around. I put plastic plants by the divider, to try to keep them from seeing eachother so much, but I think he's been hitting them. He's got a small tear in his tail fin too and I'm worried.

[Oldfishlady]

Can you post a pic-it may just be a color change and normal-nothing to worry about since he is other wise acting fine.

In a 10g filtered tank that is cycled I would make weekly 50% water changes with vacuuming in all areas that can be reached without moving anything

I would try and fix the filter the water movement that is strong enough to push a fish to the floor can stress them and destroy fins. Can you move the filter to the middle of the tank someway??? or change it out for 2 sponge filters.

[elijahfeathers]

There's no way at the moment I can get a different filter. :C Would it be better to just turn it off and do water changes by hand?

[Oldfishlady]

It looks like normal color change to me.....

Regardless of filtration...water changes still need to be made on a regular basis to maintain water quality for fish health and fins. For 10g and 2 betta-50% weekly with vacuuming substrate.

Without a filter running 24/7- with two adults in a divided tank would need at least 50% twice a week and 100% monthly unless you added some live plants-provided that you don't overfeed and uneaten food was removed after feeding.

No way to move the filter to the center of the tank or add more or different baffle????

[elijahfeathers]

I'd have to lose the lid on the tank if I did that, and the light. It still needs to be on someone's side, too. I'll snap a couple pics if you'd like.

[Oldfishlady]

That is true-you need the light and hood-sometimes they have cut-away on the hood...not always but some...post a pic-
a filter is pretty important and needed for the nitrogen cycle and much easier to care for a tank especially 10g when cycled

[elijahfeathers]

From the top with light on;



And light taken off;

[JessG]

Can you baffle the filter with sponge and a rubber band? If not, it looks like the middle section of the hood cuts out to make room for larger filters. You may have to cut that part out.