Odd coloring on fins

[Loganpz1]

Hi! I've been looking on this site a lot and just made an account, hopefully you guys can help me with some questions.

I've had my betta, Marb, for a month now. These past two weeks he's had this grayish blue markings that start at the bottom of his fins and move up towards the tips. When I bought him (from petsmart) he didn't have this at all. I've been searching a lot and can't seem to find if this is a disease or his natural color coming out.

Any help or opinions would be appreciated.



Home
Tank- 2.5 gallons
Whisper in tank filter 3i
Small heater (only gets tank to 74 degrees, want to replace it ASAP, recommendations?)
To condition tap water I use API betta water conditioner
I use aquarium salt according to directions
Marb has plenty of places to hide, tall fake grass, a couple of real ferns, some fake bamboo, fake grass, and a rock with some nylon plants coming out
Smooth gravel bottom

I do a 10-20% water change every two weeks
Change my filter every other cleaning

[Loganpz1]

Hold on, trying to attach some images, my iPad won't let me for some reason

[callistra]

Aquarium salt should only be added when the fish is sick and then can only be used up to 10 days. Otherwise you could severely harm your fish and eventually lead to organ failure.

Water quality is not good right now.. in a tank that size one 50% and one 100% weekly change is needed. The reason is in a tank that size the bb cannot be fully established. If you want to go longer you need to invest in a drops kit for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates and test. Ammonia should be 0, nitrites should be 0 and nitrates should be below 20 - you should test this twice a week when we are suggesting you do the water change. If they're not at those levels, you need to do the water change. Also every time you change your filter you're just restarting the cycle which takes 3-8 weeks to complete from start to finish anyway.. so just about the time it's complete you change it.

Photos would be helpful.

[Loganpz1]

pic 1

[Loganpz1]

Originally Posted by callistra

Aquarium salt should only be added when the fish is sick and then can only be used up to 10 days. Otherwise you could severely harm your fish and eventually lead to organ failure.

Water quality is not good right now.. in a tank that size one 50% and one 100% weekly change is needed. The reason is in a tank that size the bb cannot be fully established. If you want to go longer you need to invest in a drops kit for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates and test. Ammonia should be 0, nitrites should be 0 and nitrates should be below 20 - you should test this twice a week when we are suggesting you do the water change. If they're not at those levels, you need to do the water change. Also every time you change your filter you're just restarting the cycle which takes 3-8 weeks to complete from start to finish anyway.. so just about the time it's complete you change it.

Photos would be helpful.

Thank you for your very quick reply, I will definitely start changing his water more frequently and ease up on the salt. Any thoughts on the photo? The picture doesn't do must justice, but it is all on his dorsal and caudal fin, not at all on his anal or pelvics.

[callistra]

I don't think the graying of the fins is normal but I don't know what it is.. it could be some form of columnaris from poor water quality..

Get him in some clean water and increase water changes to twice a week as outlined above. -Do not increase temps at this point- If it is columnaris it will only speed up the disease process. Treat with epsom salts at 1 tsp per gallon. They need to be pure 100% magnesium sulfate with no other additives per the ingredients label. Epsom salts will not hurt the plants but I do suggest you treat outside the main tank - get him a temporary 1 or 2 gallon you can heat to low like 74. The epsoms need to be predissolved fully and you need to add them slowly over the course of the hour to acclimate him. After the initial 1 tsp you can choose to or not to increase them up to 3 tsp per gallon - again acclimate slowly. I'd give him a several hour break in between.

In the meantime look for Kanaplex by Seachem or Maracyn Plus (not to be confused with Maracyn or Maracyn II) if this starts progressing quickly you will need to switch to actual antibiotics but hopefully clean water and epsoms will do the job.

[callistra]

This info may also be helpful.. this is how to do large water changes without shocking your fish:

To do a water change, use a little cup like a plastic solo cup - this cup must be only for him and have never been used with soap or other chems. Scoop him up in this cup (keep him in the cup about 1/4 full of water - it doesn't need to be much because he won't be in it for long) and leave him in the cup while you change his water. To do the 50% use a turkey baster - dedicated only to him that has never seen soap or chems - and drag it through the gravel and try to suck as much of the poop out as possible, in addition to 50% of the water. Use a thermometer under the running tap to get it to be the same temp as the water that is normally in his tank. When the thermometer says the flowing tap is the right temp, fill back up his tank. At this point, add the conditioner (dose for how much water you change - if you change half the water you add half gallon worth of conditioner, If you do a 100% water change dose for the full gallon change). Float his plastic cup with him in it in the new water. Slowly add a couple tablespoons of the new water into his cup every 10 minutes for at least an hour. Finally, dump him in gently but try to get as little of the old cup water back into the tank as possible. When you do the weekly 100% you will do mostly the same thing except empty his tank fully and rinse everything in it very well under warm water but never use soaps or chemicals. Once it's fully cleaned/rinsed you can refill it and repeat the cup/acclimate phase.

[Loganpz1]

Thanks for all of your help, callistra. Marb'll appreciate it too.
I'm gonna start doing water changes much more frequently knowing that this is okay to do without shocking my buddy. It is a little disheartening to not know if anything is wrong though, as far as the coloration goes. Not trying to justify it, but it is more of a blue shiny color, perhaps it is his coat coming out. God knows his life was much harder at petsmart.
Anyway thanks again, I'll start cleaning his tank now and be on the look out for a fungal infection.

[Loganpz1]

So I did a 100% water change, gave everything in the tank a good scrubbing, and added 2 teaspoons of epsom salt. Hopefully this helps, I'll keep this updated.