[harchambeault]

When I came home today I noticed this white spot near the top (dorsal?) fin on our betta. It definitely was not there this morning...it looks to me like an injury, like a chunk is missing, but I wanted to pass it by you Pros. He has silk plants in his 2 gallon tank. No filter, he is shy and likes to hide behind the heater and under his betta hammock. There was a hole in the back of the tank where the filter spout had been until I removed it because he didn't like the flow...maybe he tried to swim in there? I have since plugged it up. He seems normally active...which isn't actually all that active...he responds when i walk by, and otherwise hides.

We have had him for just over a week, I'm already nervous about him because we have YET to see him eat ANYTHING...we've tried pellets crushed and whole, soaked and in garlic, flakes and blood worms...he shows no interest in eating....although he doesn't look sick to me (other than his now white spot)

So if this is an injury, or even an illness, I'm not sure what to do to help him nutritionally since he WON"T EAT. I clean his water 75% every other day, or more if I think it looks cloudy, his water temp is currently 75, we have an adjustable heater on the way so I can increase that. Is it worth trying salt in his water for the white spot?
Thanks..

 

[iversotl]

I'm by no means an expert, in fact, I'm a huge newb, but I remember seeing on another post that when there is physical damage to the fish (say the scales fell off) the skin will turn white while it's healing.

As for the food, my CT was like that when I first brought him home. He would eat NOTHING I wanted him to eat. He was super skinny, and I thought he was going to waste away on me. I finally got him to eat frozen brine shrimp, and then ever so slowly weaned him off the brine shrimp by mixing other foods into the brine shrimp water. He still won't eat the pellets, but atleast he's not starving like he was before. So if you haven't, maybe look into trying some frozen food? A LFS would probably let you try some before buying a huge package.

 

[harchambeault]

Thanks for responding. I've tried the freeze dried bloodwoms, but not frozen food...I'll try that next

 

[Olympia]

It looks yellow in the first photo? Is this true?
If it happened in the span of a couple hours then yes it is most likely an injury.
Under his betta hammock is most likely where this happened (if not the hole). They have a metal wire inside (unless you've adjusted yours) and have been known to damage fish.
He's probably just too stressed to eat, I'd give him a couple days.
At this point, since you are doing such a good job with water, I think he should be able to cure himself without any treatment.
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[Bladezero]

The only problem with the frozen food that if the factory that made em has bacteria it will pass to your fish, Frozen dried is better.. (its rare but I've seen it happen)

As for the brine shrimp, that is the closest taste to what they eat growing up.. So it's a good suggestion to try this.

Also you could try sticking a blood worm or shrimp to your finger and move it above him near the water line, it will make him think it is alive and it will become more "interesting and attractive" to him


About the white thing, scale dmg.. doesn't look infected.. so he just prolly hit himself on something, doesn't sound like you got any "bad" decor so I would just give him time to recover on his own, add some stress coat and be sure to keep the water extra clean(I usually use Prime in water changes) it will speed up the recovery.. every other day is to stressful for him right now I think..

The water will be clean enough with a 50% change every third day or fourth.. Atleast for a while untill he gets used to you and the water changes and everything Be extra gentle with him right now.

 

[Olympia]

Freeze dried foods can be as contaminated as frozen, the process doesn't kill more bacteria than freezing. Neither is safer, but the frozen foods are at least easier to digest.
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[Bladezero]

Freeze dried foods can be as contaminated as frozen, the process doesn't kill more bacteria than freezing. Neither is safer, but the frozen foods are at least easier to digest.
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Didn't know that, never seen it anywhere but good to know

 

[harchambeault]

Thanks everyone!

 

[harchambeault]

Olympia, it's more white than yellow, and not slimey or icky looking...more like a chunk. I wish he would eat something. He was my daughter's birthday present, everyday she's hoping to see him eat something...