Bettas head changing color?

[kimberae]

I recently bought a new betta from a pet store about 2 weeks ago. Over this time, I have noticed that the top of his head has begun to change color, and I am a bit concerned. This is what the top of his head looks like right now. http://s952.beta.photobucket.com/use...tml?sort=3&o=0 And this is what it looks like when I bought him (poor quality but its the only picture I have). http://s952.beta.photobucket.com/use...tml?sort=3&o=1 The top of his head appears to be raw and he is developing a blue tint to his scales where it is discolored. Is there anything wrong with him or is he just stressed from the change in environment? He is eating and swimming normally.

Housing
What size is your tank? About 1 gallon (I know this is small but it is all I can currently fit in my dorm!
What temperature is your tank? 75 degrees
Does your tank have a filter? no
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? air stone
Is your tank heated? heat lamp
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? he's by himself

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? Betta Buffet Pellets
How often do you feed your betta fish? 2 pellets 2 times a day

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? Partial change twice a week.
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? about 40%
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? Jungle Bowl Buddies water conditioner and Aquarium Salt

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?
Nitrate NO3 - 20 ppm
Nitrate NO2- between 0 and 0.5 ppm
Hardness- 150 ppm
Alkalinity- between 80 and 120 ppm
pH- 6.9

[shellieca]

I can't see you're photos when I click on the links. It is normal for a Betta to change colors but without seeing your pics I can't say that's what's happening here. Sorry.

[kimberae]

Do these work?

[shellieca]

OK, thank you for the pics. I think he's changing colors. One of my males started going a deep red on his head I swore he had injured himself so I kept watch on him but now his whole head down onto his neck are a deep burngundy color. If he's eating & otherwise behaving normal I wouldn't worry too much. Also one of my newer females has the same type coloring as yours on her head, I swore she had ammonia burns but they never changed, now a month later she still has the red if not more of it. It can be very deceiving. So that's my opinion. :o)

[registereduser]

yeah, kind of looks like how Irving changed colors.
He was completely opaque when I got him then
his fins turned blood red and his head got reddish:

[callistra]

Any way you can take a higher quality second pic, more like your first pic? I know you said it looked raw in your other thread. It's just really hard to tell anything but guesses based on second pic. Sorry

If you're only doing 45% water change weekly in a 1g bowl you have a big issue with water quality at this point, and that's what would make me most concerned that this might not be normal coloring. You need to do two water changes a week - one 50% and one 100% including rinsing the gravel out to remove poop. Using Prime or AmQuel Plus as your conditioner can help control the ammonia he will be exposed to in between water changes, because with a bowl that small you just can't keep it all at bay.

I see there may also be a plastic plant in there? Sometimes those plants are too hard for bettas. I had a rescue once that rubbed the scales right off his head on one very similar looking to that.

Salt should only be used for 10 days max and only when he's actually sick. You should not just add it regularly. It can cause premature organ failure and breed salt resistant strains of bacteria and other pathogens.

Heating by heat lamp is also not okay because it will cause temp swings and you can't stabilize his temp this way. He's also too cold at 75 and needs a heater that will keep him ideally between 78-80F. An in tank thermometer is also needed to monitor temperature.

I would start by getting water quality under control. Don't add salt back if you've been dosing a long time. If you've been using it just for his head that's okay to do for a short time if you want to try a conservative treatment. 1/2-1tsp per gallon predissolved is what you want. He's not clamped so if he's acting okay then I wouldn't do any more treatment than that.

I would consider removing the plastic plant and getting a silk one that is soft enough not to even catch panty hose (you can test)

Here is one way to do large water changes without shocking:

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.

[chardzard]

it look like marble type to me was he green be fore ? the 2nd pic he red

[callistra]

OP stated in their last thread the betta's color has not changed, just the photos quality is so different it looks that way. That was my first comment too.

[kimberae]

sorry, I meant to say that I do a 40% change midweek and then a 100% change each week as well (sometimes more like every 10 days). I recently added that plant so it isn't the plant causing this.

The picture with the better quality is what his head looks like now- the one with poor quality is what it was like when I first purchased him. I don't have any other pictures of him from that time so that is why I cannot attach another photo of him.

I have only been adding the salt for the past week, but I will stop it.

He is acting completely normal, so basically what I am asking is if his head looks to be damaged in any way in the higher quality picture.

Also- his color has changed somewhat but just around his head and slightly down his back on the sides (as seen in the photo). He is getting the blueish tint that you can see in the higher quality picture, although it is more exaggerated in the picture than in real life.

[callistra]

Really wouldn't go over 7 days in the 1g. Even then he's seeing ammonia, but otherwise good.

Okay so the blue is of no concern. It's normal for bettas to color up after you've had them a bit :)