Is my betta's color change a sign of stress or recovery?

[florawin]

I brought home Galadriel the Betta a few months ago, and at the time she was mostly white with a few black dots. She's been living in a five-gallon planted tank, and for the most part, her water parameters have been spot on. Lighting is still a work in progress, but I'm getting there. She's got three snail tank mates, although I'll be rehoming two of them soon. I've noticed her black dots slowly turning into more coloration - it's pretty noticeable in her tail fin. After reading up on color changes, I'm trying to decide if she was stressed or sick when I got her and is now recovering, or if something's going on and she's actually turning black. Any thoughts?

[happyone]

Did you properly set up the tank before introducing Galadriel, or was it a case of adding her to an uncycled environment?

Also, when you describe the water parameters as perfect, I'm curious - what specific values are you looking at, and what kind of test kit are you using to get those readings?

[coralux]

I think Galadriel looks healthier, in my humble opinion. Not being a fish expert or anything, but I've managed to keep my bettas thriving well beyond their expected lifespan. And I must say, I adore her name, it's lovely.

[florawin]

Did you properly set up the tank before introducing Galadriel, or was it a case of adding her to an uncycled environment?

Also, when you describe the water parameters as perfect, I'm curious - what specific values are you looking at, and what kind of test kit are you using to get those readings?

Thanks, I appreciate that - it's great to get some reassurance that Galadriel's looking healthier. The name's a favorite of mine too, I've always been a bit of a Lord of the Rings fan.

[happyone]

I'd highly recommend switching to a liquid test kit - I've heard the strips can be pretty hit-or-miss, especially if they're old. I've got a link to the API Freshwater Master Test Kit that I think would be a good place to start: https://apifishcare.com/product/freshwa ... r-test-kit.

It'd be great if you could grab that kit and run some tests for ammonia, nitrIte, and nitrAte - then post the results here so we can take a closer look. Also, what water conditioner are you using?

I'm wondering if you might be in the middle of a "fish-in" cycle - there's a really helpful guide on FishForums that explains all the different cycling methods: https://www.fishforums.net/threads/cycl ... rs.475055/.

[florawin]

I appreciate your help. I'll definitely check out that test kit and the cycling guide - thanks for the links.

[florawin]

I got a liquid test kit. My high range pH was 7.8. My nitrites and nitrates were 0. My ammonia was somewhere between 0 and .25ppm. I added some water conditioner to help. Does that all sound okay?

[gildfish]

I'm no expert, but I think it's marbling - her color change seems completely normal to me.

[burglar_4]

I think color changes in bettas are pretty normal. Can you share some more pictures of Galadriel? It's a bit hard to get a good idea from the ones you've posted so far.

[finworld]

She appears youthful, and her marble pattern is quite evident. Marbles are known to change colors throughout their lives, and young bettas also go through this process. I must say, she looks incredibly healthy. And I absolutely adore her name!