[Sierrakiszewski]

Hi everyone!
I have a male crown tail betta, his name is Piggy. He is the best little guy and being a betta fish mom has taken over basically my entire life.
I got Piggy at the beginning of May 2022 and I've always been concerned about him. (Not that he has ever given me a reason to be, but just an over protective and worried mom).
I posted a previous thread last summer because I was worried about his fins. I've never had a crown tail betta, so the "spikey" looking edges were new to me.
Anywho, about two weeks ago I put a bubbler castle in Piggy's tank (I also did a full 100% water change this day; I know, I know, but his tank was dirty and I had to change it). I connected it to an air pump and he seemed to be liking in. However, the next day, it looked like a scale was missing from his head. Perhaps missing isn't the correct word, but discolored. I freaked out and thought the bubbler caused it (there was a small tunnel he could swim up) so I figured maybe that caused it.
I reached out to some friends and they told me not to worry, it was perhaps just a small scratch. I took a few photos of him and explained the situation to my local aquarium shop (basically my second home at this point) and they said there was no cause for concern and might be a coincidence. They said to ensure he kept eating/swimming normally, but other than that I shouldn't worry.
He has been totally fine since, eating and swimming like he always does. However, I'm paranoid that something is wrong and I want to ensure the patch is okay. I also included some photos of his other fins to make sure they look okay too.
Piggy is in a 10 gallon tank, water parameters are good. He has a sponge filter and a heater that keeps the tank at 76-80 degrees.

Thank you for your help and thoughts in advance. I've had bettas before (I kept them in vases or bowls (I feel so guilty) and both passed away from swim bladder disease). I'm just a super worried fish mom and want to ensure he is perfectly fine!

 

[RussellTheShihTzu]

Sorry your boy is having issues. We have a quick-reference form which contains the most important information we need to keep from guessing. It is required before members answer PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING: Fill out this form so we can...

Even if you've answered some of the questions please repeat in the questionnaire. And can you post a photo from when you got him? Thank you.

 

[Sierrakiszewski]

Sorry your boy is having issues. We have a quick-reference form which contains the most important information we need to keep from guessing. It is required before members answer PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING: Fill out this form so we can...

Even if you've answered some of the questions please repeat in the questionnaire. And can you post a photo from when you got him? Thank you.

Housing:
How many gallons is your tank? 10 gal
Does it have a filter? Yes
Does it have a heater? Yes
What temperature is your tank? 76-80
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? Sponge filter
Does your Betta have tank mates? What kind? N/a

Food:
What food brand do you use? Local blend from aquarium store
Do you feed flakes or pellets? Flakes
Freeze-dried? Rarely (I have given him frozen blood worms a few times)
How often do you feed your Betta? How much? Once a day, 4 flakes

Maintenance:
Before your Betta became ill how often did you perform a water change? I wouldn't say he's ill but I gave him a 100% water change the day before he scratched himself (two weeks ago). I did a 10% water change today
What percentage of water did you change? 10%
What is the source of your water? RODI
Do you vacuum the substrate or just dip out water? I net out any feces, leaves, etc
What additives do you use other than conditioner? What brand of conditioner? When I change large portions of the water, I add in "good bacteria" it comes in a bottle. I also occasionally put in 1/2 cap of The Fish Keeper.

Water Parameters:
What are your water parameters? Please give exact numbers. If tested by pet store please get exact numbers. "Fine" or "Safe" won't help us help you. Important: Test your water before the regular water change; not after one.

Ammonia: n/a
Nitrite: n/a
Nitrate: n/a
pH: n/a
Hardness (GH): n/a
Alkalinity (KH): n/a
( I haven't been able to get his water tested recently, but everything seems to be normal from the eye; I know that doesn't say much).

Symptoms and Treatment:
When did you first notice the symptoms? The scratch on his head happened 2 weeks ago with the castle aerator (I believe).
How has your Betta’s appearance changed? Just the scratch on his head, but it seems to be looking a bit better (the pictures I posted are from today).
How has your Betta’s behavior changed? Hasn't changed
Is your Betta still eating? Yes, normally
Have you started treating your Betta? If so, how? I performed a 10 percent water change. I also have been using The Fish Keeper Formula on and off since he got the cut, probably 3 half capfuls in the last two weeks Here is the link to the Fish Keeper Formula
Does your Betta have any history of being ill? No.
How long have you owned your Betta? Since May 2022, 8 months.
Was he or she ill or suffering some sort of damage when purchased? No


He is eating and swimming totally normal as he always does. I just wanted some input on the scratch on his head.
The third and fourth photos is from right when the cut happened two weeks ago, I feel like the coloring has start to come back and improve a lot.

These two are right when I got him:

Pictures 3 & 4 are from right after the cut happened. I feel like it's gotten a lot better and the color has started to come back. The pics I originally posted above are from today.

 

[Fishie:D]

His top two tail fin strips look weird… I dunno, but if the patch keeps expanding could it be fungus?

 

[Feanor]

Hello!

Rather than rare big water changes, I would go for 25-50% once a week.

I would also get a simple vacuum cleaner for sucking out all that nasty stuff that gets stuck under the pebbles.

From what can be seen in the photo, the scratch doesn‘t look bad and clean water will promote healing. You could also add Indian Almond Leaves, or a bag of plain, unscented Rooibos Tea as both have antibiotic and antifungal properties.

He appears to be on the thinner side, so I would upgrade him to 2 meals per day, if possible.
You could offer him 2,3 frozen bloodworms per day as well, until he has gained a bit of weight.

To better see his current fin status, could you possibly take another side view of him while flaring? Attach as thumbnail.

I know, it is a lot of information.

Last one for now:
Pure RODI water is not advised for keeping domestic Bettas as it lacks minerals.

So it either needs to be remineralized with products available in Pet Shops or online or just do half and half RODI and tap.

Here is more information on that topic:
Hidden danger

 

[Sierrakiszewski]

His top two tail fin strips look weird… I dunno, but if the patch keeps expanding could it be fungus?

When you say weird, are you referring to the scales on his head that look like a scratch/patch?
It hasn't expanded, if anything it's looking better but you can still see where it was. It's regaining color, which is why I thought it could've been a scratch.
Again, I noticed it after I put the castle bubbler in/did the water change a few weeks ago.

 

[Sierrakiszewski]

Hello!

Rather than rare big water changes, I would go for 25-50% once a week.

I would also get a simple vacuum cleaner for sucking out all that nasty stuff that gets stuck under the pebbles.

From what can be seen in the photo, the scratch doesn‘t look bad and clean water will promote healing. You could also add Indian Almond Leaves, or a bag of plain, unscented Rooibos Tea as both have antibiotic and antifungal properties.

He appears to be on the thinner side, so I would upgrade him to 2 meals per day, if possible.
You could offer him 2,3 frozen bloodworms per day as well, until he has gained a bit of weight.

To better see his current fin status, could you possibly take another side view of him while flaring? Attach as thumbnail.

I know, it is a lot of information.

Last one for now:
Pure RODI water is not advised for keeping domestic Bettas as it lacks minerals.

So it either needs to be remineralized with products available in Pet Shops or online or just do half and half RODI and tap.

Here is more information on that topic:
Hidden danger

Hey!
Thank you so much for answering.
I had gravel in his tank and tried to use a syphon, but I couldn't get it to work, which is why I switched back to the marbles/pebbles. Perhaps he'd like gravel or sand more.
Do you think it's a scratch or is fungus like the other person above? Again, it seems to be looking so much better. You can still see the little patch from where it was but it's regaining color which I'm happy about.
Would this Rooibos Tea work? https://www.frysfood.com/p/numi-org...5mNsPRDocztuEB734d8aAv0oEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

As far as his weight, I'm so surprised to hear that he looks thin. I'm paranoid about bloating/swim bladder disease so I really try not to over feed him.

I haven't gotten him to flare yet today but I will keep trying!

I do remineralize the RODI water. It seems to be one water that has stayed clear for me. I live in Arizona, the tap water is extremely harsh (even with clarifying solutions).

 

[Sierrakiszewski]

Hello!

Rather than rare big water changes, I would go for 25-50% once a week.

I would also get a simple vacuum cleaner for sucking out all that nasty stuff that gets stuck under the pebbles.

From what can be seen in the photo, the scratch doesn‘t look bad and clean water will promote healing. You could also add Indian Almond Leaves, or a bag of plain, unscented Rooibos Tea as both have antibiotic and antifungal properties.

He appears to be on the thinner side, so I would upgrade him to 2 meals per day, if possible.
You could offer him 2,3 frozen bloodworms per day as well, until he has gained a bit of weight.

To better see his current fin status, could you possibly take another side view of him while flaring? Attach as thumbnail.

I know, it is a lot of information.

Last one for now:
Pure RODI water is not advised for keeping domestic Bettas as it lacks minerals.

So it either needs to be remineralized with products available in Pet Shops or online or just do half and half RODI and tap.

Here is more information on that topic:
Hidden danger

Hi again!
I got some photos for you. This is the closest I could get him to flare today. Thank you again!!

 

[Feanor]

Tea is good.

He looks normal weight on the new photos - picture from bird‘s view will confirm.

His fins do not have fin rot. They do look a bit twisted, but I can‘t say why.
Maybe someone with experience in CTs knows more.
I‘m sure though, it is nothing of concern.

The patch on his head is fine. No fungus.

 

[Sierrakiszewski]

Tea is good.

He looks normal weight on the new photos - picture from bird‘s view will confirm.

His fins do not have fin rot. They do look a bit twisted, but I can‘t say why.
Maybe someone with experience in CTs knows more.
I‘m sure though, it is nothing of concern.

The patch on his head is fine. No fungus.

Thank you for your quick response!
I started to give him more food today but I'm hesitant again because of him getting bloated. I'm just a paranoid betta mom.

His fins have always have had a twist to them (since he's gotten bigger I should say) with a darker color which I feared was fin rot and I'm glad to hear it isn't.

I was more-so worried about the patch on his head. It was odd timing with the water change and bubbler castle but it seems to be getting better?

Here are some photos from up top. Let me know what you think

 

[Fishie:D]

I’m not saying he definitely has fungus ,it could be a scratch, like you said, but I haven’t had anything like that in my bettas. Glad it’s healing

When you say weird, are you referring to the scales on his head that look like a scratch/patch?
It hasn't expanded, if anything it's looking better but you can still see where it was. It's regaining color, which is why I thought it could've been a scratch.
Again, I noticed it after I put the castle bubbler in/did the water change a few weeks ago.

 

[Feanor]

He looks alright to me.

 

[Sierrakiszewski]

He looks alright to me.

Hi! I got him to flare his fins. Here are some photos.