From blueberry to redberry? Wut?

[asukabetta]

Blueberry has been blue, and red for the longest however the past week the blue has been fading and replaced with red. ._. is this normal?

His behaviour is normal, my water changes are the same 50% weekly and 100%. Unfiltered.

I hear bettas can change colors over time but I don't know if it includes this kind of change of color.

This is him before:



this is him now:

[DragonFish]

Your boy does look like a marble with those random splotches of color, so yes, color change over time is very, very normal. I had a boy that I bought young as a very pale gray-blue color who over the course of nine months turned almost completely red with just a little blue/green on his body. Marbles are funny like that. ;)
Your guy does look to be a little on the unusually pale side in that second picture though, especially in comparison to the first. Maybe its just the lighting....?

[Kytkattin]

How long have you had him? What are you feeding? Has the temperature changed?

He doesn't really seem to be getting redder to me, just losing the blue. In my experience the opposite happens and you should be getting a richer blue over time.
If you are losing color it could be because of a lack of a certain nutrient, or the water being kept at a colder temperature. It could also be a sign of disease, but you said his behavior is normal.
It could be perfectly normal though, I just haven't see lightening, only darkening.

[logisticsguy]

I agree with Kytkattin. Your betta is losing its blue and looks pale. Bettas do change colors but it looks like stress to me. Check your water params and temperature. Maybe throw an extra WC in and see if that helps.

[LadyVictorian]

I agree he looks unusually pale. How big is the tank, how often do you change the water? What brand food are you feeding? What's the temp? It seems more like he is losing his colors rather than changing color from that picture.

[asukabetta]

Well I did put the lamp over him which freaked him out a little so I waited for him to perk up a little, the first pic he's flaring the second he's not. I noticed he has brighter colors when flaring. Anyways to the questions asked.

This is from this week's log that I keep

TANK:

Unfiltered 1,5 g.

WATER CHANGES:

-I change his water twice a week, once 50% with aged water and then 100% with aged water (with conditioner of course, sera beta aquatan, it's running low so I will start using a new brand soon, Nutrafin betta +)

FOOD:

Sera bettagran, alternating with dried blood worms and sometimes nutrafin flakes (but he HATE those)

TEMPERATURE:

26 C = 78,8 F

LIGHTING:

Natural, or room light, I no longer use a lamp because it forces me to have the lid open.

HEALTH HISTORY:

- Signs of tail biting, however he's never done it since I bought him.
- No diseases yet.
- Fin injury from a particular decor.

CHANGES THE PAST FEW WEEKS:

- Pulled out some decor, I thought more space to swim would help him. This was a week ago, perhaps he's stressed because he feels like he cannot hide?

-

[asukabetta]

Pic update just now: 20:04



As you can see his blue is much more faded, I see him red most of the time, and sometimes he's blue like this, a weak blue

[DragonFish]

He certainly looks much better in that third picture....though still a tad on the unusually/non marbley pale side. Your setup sounds good, and you mentioned his behavior was normal, so I'm going to say it was probably just a bad angle/lighting/residual stress from moving the lamp that made him look so SO pale in the second picture.

How empty is the tank now that you took out some stuff? Does he appear to like the extra swimming space more or is he hanging out more around the decorations he still has?

[asukabetta]

Originally Posted by DragonFish

He certainly looks much better in that third picture....though still a tad on the unusually/non marbley pale side. Your setup sounds good, and you mentioned his behavior was normal, so I'm going to say it was probably just a bad angle/lighting/residual stress from moving the lamp that made him look so SO pale in the second picture.

How empty is the tank now that you took out some stuff? Does he appear to like the extra swimming space more or is he hanging out more around the decorations he still has?

He's hanging around the decor he still has, I've decided to add some more, just added a plant.

It's time for his partial water change today too, so I just finished that as we speak, here is his previous tank.

First pic is before

second is now.

The yellow green plant is the new addition.

[Laki]

Perhaps remove some of the gravel, it looks a bit crowded to me.. When I kept my 1g I had the gravel enough to just cover the bottom to increase swimming space.
Glad he's perking up. Instead of freezedried worms, pick up some frozen worms. I guarantee enthusiasm! lol