[rezicca]

So, I recently shipped both my boys home and today I received the box. Opened it up, took them out, and started the process of acclimating them to California water, v Oregon water. Acclimation process took about three hours, because I wanted to be careful.

It was then that I noticed that some parts of Chouko's fins have turned like, a grayish brown. Can't take pictures, so I'll try to describe as best I can.

He's a butterfly super Delta, with the outside of his fins being white and the inside being a gorgeous red-ish lavender. It's the color part of his fins that have began to turn gray, and it's on his anal fin mostly.

Is this normal when a betta is stressed from shipping? If not, what is it and what should I do?

Housing
What size is your tank? 3 gal
What temperature is your tank? 77F
Does your tank have a filter? No
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? No
Is your tank heated? No
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? N/a

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? Aqueon pellets, blood worms
How often do you feed your betta fish? Twice a day, two pellets for each feeding. Gave him one pellet today.

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? Twice weekly
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? 50% and 100%
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? API Water Conditioner and Stress Coat

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: N/a
Nitrate: N/a
pH: N/a
Hardness: N/a
Alkalinity: N/a

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? Fins turning gray.
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? He's a little lethargic, but he was just in a box for a few days.
When did you start noticing the symptoms? Today.
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? Nope.
Does your fish have any history of being ill? Nope.
How old is your fish (approximately)?

 

[shellieca]

I would give him a couple to three days to settle back in & destress. I've not shipped a Betta but I would imagine its quite stressful on them. I think you'll see him improve over the next day or two.

 

[rezicca]

I just worry, because he was freaking out a bit during the acclimation process, but I think it's because he's really, really aggressive and territorial and saw his reflection or something.

He was also shipped to me, when I first got him, and came out not having gray fins..

 

[shellieca]

I understand completely.

 

[rezicca]

Bumping. Someone, please? I've been looking up stuff and terrifying myself. He has spots on his body that indicate healing from ammonia burns, so could it be that?

 

[callistra]

He could be suffering from ammonia burns depending on how bad the water quality was he was in. I know that can be ammonia burns, chemical burns or infection. I mean the sticky in the mystery disease has gray fins: http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=90086 It's some kind of bacterial infection, but ammonia can do it too.. tho normally I've not seen it that shade of gray.

Epsom salts can help with chemical and ammonia burns. 1/4- 1tsp per gallon, predissovled. You have to check the ingredients label because it must be pure with no other additives.

Photos would be helpful..

 

[rezicca]

Honestly, while it probably is ammonia burns, I'll be very, very shocked nonetheless. Mizuchi was in same age water for exactly as long as he was, and is double Chouko's size.

There are some dark spots along his body that do make me think it was ammonia burns and I've noticed his fins are looking a bit better. Started epsom salt treatment last night.

Yeah, I've been reading that thread religiously (I have a blue VT), definitely not that discoloring.

Weird thing, I wonder if he's traumatized by the shipping. Put him into a cup so I could move him to a room with better light for a picture and he freaked. Thrashing, darting, jumping as soon as I set him down. Moved him back to his tank, he's fine.

I'm going to see if I can try for a picture tomorrow during a water change. Oh, the joys of having a poorly lit room and a shoddy camera..

 

[callistra]

Yeah that does sound like he's just totally freaked out.. it could just take him a few days to settle in. I have one betta that does that every time I cup him for a water change. He just thinks it's the end of the world and I'm going to eat him or something.. He's calmed down a little but I think that's just his personality LOL

 

[RaptorX8]

It could be stress. My guy can't handle being in a smaller tank then his 5.5. I tried putting him in a 1 gallon for treatment and he completely freaked out. I did the tough love and thought he'd get over it. In the morning I checked on him and he was still freaking out and he had completely lost all his color, he was as gray as could be.

So then I freaked out. Grabbed a bucket, moved his plants, and acclimated him back into his 5.5. Next day he was starting to get his color back.

 

[moonsand0wls]

gray like this?
http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=90086

 

[rezicca]

It could be stress. My guy can't handle being in a smaller tank then his 5.5. I tried putting him in a 1 gallon for treatment and he completely freaked out. I did the tough love and thought he'd get over it. In the morning I checked on him and he was still freaking out and he had completely lost all his color, he was as gray as could be.

So then I freaked out. Grabbed a bucket, moved his plants, and acclimated him back into his 5.5. Next day he was starting to get his color back.

Yeah, I'm keeping him in his three gallon for treatment, easier on all of us that way. I'm just shocked at how he acts when in the cup. He used to see the cup and swim right in, because I guess he associated tank cleaning days with blood worms.

It looks like his color is coming back in, thankfully. Still a bit grey, but a gray-ish magenta, magenta being his normal color. Still treating with epsom salt for the ammonia burns though.

 

[rezicca]

gray like this?
http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=90086

No, thank goodness.. That was the first thing I checked, too.

 

[moonsand0wls]

That always freaks me out!! Could it be natural colouring?