[duluoz]

I guess I'm not 100% sure if my betta is sick or not. She's the first fish I've had.
She has a small white splotch on her stomach that I hadn't noticed before, right in between the thin red ventrals. She's been in her aquarium for about two days, with no noticeable behavior changes. But, like I said, I don't really know how she normally acts yet. She stays in one corner of the aquarium a lot, near the surface. Generally switches between chillin' out and swimming around crazy at a pace I imagine is normal-ish.

EDIT: There is this kind of clear scum floating around at the top of the water. I don't know if that is relavent.

 

[duluoz]

Housing
What size is your tank? 2.5 gal
What temperature is your tank? between 78 and 80
Does your tank have a filter? Yes
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? No
Is your tank heated? Yes
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? None

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? Flakes and Blood worms
How often do you feed your betta fish? 2-3 times daily

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? Haven't had the opportunity yet
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? n/a, see above
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? n/a, see above

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?

Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH:
Hardness:
Alkalinity:

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? White patch between ventrals
How has your betta fish's behavior changed?
When did you start noticing the symptoms? Today
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? Not yet
Does your fish have any history of being ill? No idea
How old is your fish (approximately)? No idea

 

[Myates]

If you could post a picture, that would be helpful.. otherwise it could be one of two things:
Make sure it isn't her egg spot, which will look like a white dot sticking out right behind her abdomen.
Also, a lighter coloration on their bellies can be normal, and usually happens when their stomachs expand- either by food or in your case, could be from eggs (which is common and normal for a female to become "eggy".. she will release and eat them or absorb them on her own).

What you are wanting is to make sure the white patch isn't cottony or a milky substance on/over her body.

The clear scum on top is protein.. it happens in some tanks. I get it mostly in my female's tank, but it's common and won't harm her. If it gets too thick, or you do not like the looks of it- you can use a paper towel to scoop it out gently. But it's not something to worry about as long as you know for sure that nothing was sprayed in the air near the tank.

 

[duluoz]

Thanks a lot. I'm doing my best to help keep her healthy, but the inexperience is an issue. I don't have a great camera, but with what you said taken into account, I think she's probably fine. I'll update if anything changes, I suppose.

 

[Myates]

You're welcome, and yes keep us updated on her It's nice to see someone new go for a female over the long finned males hehe.. and sometimes they end up with more personality.

Don't worry about being inexperienced.. we all were at some point. Do a lot of reading on the forums, don't be afraid to ask a question about anything.. sometimes you will see/get some answers that may be out dated, but no one here will try to steer you wrong. Good luck, and welcome to the forum