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vertical stripes??

1K views 8 replies 3 participants last post by  Sakura8 
#1 ·
Hey everyone,

My betta has been changing colors lately but I'm not sure if this is because he's a marbled betta or because he's sick. He isn't acting any differently and his appetite hasn't changed. I'm really just curious what is going on with him and these markings. Any insight is greatly appreciated. Thanks! :)

Also, just to fill everyone in - his water parameters are good, his temp is 80.8 degrees, he is in a 5 gallon tank. He is currently in aq salt (this started after his color change) because I was trying to help heal his fins up as the intake filter ripped them. (The intake filter is now baffled and he seems to be healing).

Here is a picture of Petey when I first got him (Around February).

Blue Fish Cobalt blue Electric blue Organism


Here is Petey two weeks ago (I was concerned about his eyes.) His color at this point had changed a little bit. Although you can't see it well, the black spots on his head disappeared and he had white spots starting to show up on his body. You can make out a few in this picture.

Blue Fish Cobalt blue Electric blue Fish


Here is Petey on Sunday (8/5). Both sides of his body have these two white vertical lines going down his body. The stripes formed in one day so this is why I'm wondering if its some disease or if its just normal. The stripes haven't changed much.

Fish Fish Marine biology Tail Organism


Here is Petey today. Not much of a change. (His scales don't look lifted up or anything - they are flush with his body.)

Fish Tail Fish
 
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#2 ·
Gees, where did you get him from?

Why did you call him petey instead of blue steel? His colors are amazing!


  • Are his eyes the same color as his scales? Or are they white?

  • Can he see the pellets when you feed him?

  • How long have you been doing the salt treatment?

  • You're treating a 5 gallon tank with salt? Are there live plants in there as well?

I'm not sure if I would call that vertical stripes, more like a discoloring midsection.

I don't think that's normal.


  • The discolored section is it SILVER or WHITE?

This is just a guess, but maybe one of his organs is failing.
 
#3 ·
Why did you call him petey instead of blue steel? His colors are amazing!

thank you! He just seemed like a Petey to me :)


Are his eyes the same color as his scales? Or are they white?

His eyes are the same color as his scales. Someone suggested that he was a dragonscale and often times their scales grow over their eyes. This was the best info I got though :-?

Can he see the pellets when you feed him?


Yes, he sees them. If he isn't looking at a pellet but one starts to fall around him, he'll notice it and chase after it. He always catches them.


How long have you been doing the salt treatment?


Today is the 5th day of salt treatment.


You're treating a 5 gallon tank with salt? Are there live plants in there as well?


Yea, I know its not the best but I am doing it in a 5 gallon tank. I'm currently in the process of moving so buying a small tank just to take it down in a week didn't seem like the best idea... Its a bit of a hassle to get that amount of water mixed but it's currently all I have to work with. I took out the live plant and snail when I started the salt treatment. Should I stop treatment? He seems like he is feeling better in it.



I'm not sure if I would call that vertical stripes, more like a discoloring midsection.

I don't think that's normal.


They initially were vertical stripes and they started to spread out more so I wasn't exactly sure what to call it.


The discolored section is it SILVER or WHITE?


This is just a guess, but maybe one of his organs is failing.



:cry: really? I hope thats not the case. The discolored section is more white than it it silver, although it has a shiny tinge to it. I don't know if that makes sense...
 
#4 ·
I'm not sure what could have caused this. I try to watch for signs and symptoms of him not being healthy but he always seems to be active, eating fine, and building a bubble nest. His water parameters and temperature are always okay. I just took a picture of him with a light on him (sorry its blurry - he didn't like it). I never thought he had velvet because I don't see anything without a flashlight and barely anything with one. I attached a picture. It's mostly in his tail where velvet could be present?? He never rubs up against anything either. I really hope I didn't hurt my fish :cry:

I'm also trying to give the most information that I can to see if I can help him...
 

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#6 ·
Okay, thank you. I hope he doesn't have it either. He also doesn't see to fit the symptoms of that but I'll contact Sakura. Yes, I'm cropping. I wanted to get the biggest picture of his problem areas instead of just using a huge picture or zooming out.
 
#7 ·
Hi jCo72. Wow, Petey is gorgeous. And good news, it looks like he is just undergoing some natural color changing. :) They should rename these fish chameleons because they love to change colors on us. Since his behavior is totally normal, I would definitely say this is just a natural process. It could be he is finally settled in or it could even be age-related.

With the mystery disease, the silvery color change is actually tissue necrosis, or dead tissue, and it seems to start at the fins. This is accompanied by lethargic behavior, heavy breathing, clamped fins, all sorts of bad signs that Petey is NOT displaying. Hurray!
 
#9 ·
Usually, turning a lighter color IS a sign of illness so you were right to worry. But those changes are always accompanied by behavior changes, which Petey doesn't have, so I think you're okay. Just keep an eye on him and if anything about his behavior changes, let us know. :)
 
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