A white spot on my betta's face
A white spot on my betta's face
I've been keeping an eye on my tank and just noticed a white spot on the side of my betta's face. I'm aware that ick can cause similar spots, but since I'm new to keeping betta I'd appreciate some opinions on what it could be and what medication I might need. I've got a few other fish in the tank - ember tetras, a nerite snail and some Zorchno shrimp - so I want to make sure I'm treating the issue correctly.
Re: A white spot on my betta's face
I think what's going on with that white spot is basically a bacteria setting up shop on your betta. I'm not gonna get all technical about it, but it's like it's made itself at home. Honestly, I'd avoid using chemical medications - they can sometimes make things worse. There are people on here, like @coltin and @boomer, who know a lot about alternative treatments that don't involve meds. Some folks swear by regular water changes, while others are big fans of salt - I've heard it can be really effective.
Re: A white spot on my betta's face
Honestly, I'm not one to take a stab at diagnosing disease-type issues, I'll leave that to the experts on here, they'll likely be able to give you a more informed opinion on what's going on with your betta.
Re: A white spot on my betta's face
I'm fairly certain it's not white spot, it's just a blob of mucous that's formed as a protective barrier, possibly due to the betta scratching itself.
To address this, I'd recommend doing big water changes - we're talking 75% every day for about a week. Make sure to gravel clean the substrate thoroughly each time. It's also crucial that any new water you add is completely free of chlorine and chloramine.
You might want to consider adding some salt to the tank as well. I've found it can be beneficial in situations like this. Just be sure to follow the proper dosing instructions - a good rule of thumb is to use one heaped tablespoon of rock salt, sea salt, or swimming pool salt per 20 litres of water. If you don't see any improvement after 48 hours, you can safely double that dose.
Just keep in mind that you shouldn't keep the salt level elevated for more than 4 weeks, as this can cause kidney damage in some species, especially those from soft water like your betta and the tetras. However, the salt won't harm the beneficial filter bacteria, plants, shrimp, or snails.
When you do decide to use salt, make sure to add it to a small bucket of tank water first, dissolving it completely before slowly pouring it into the tank near the filter outlet. This will help minimize stress on the fish.
After the treatment, you'll want to gradually dilute the salt out of the tank by doing a series of water changes. Start with 10% changes each day for a week, followed by 20% changes for another week, and then you can gradually increase the change amount.
To address this, I'd recommend doing big water changes - we're talking 75% every day for about a week. Make sure to gravel clean the substrate thoroughly each time. It's also crucial that any new water you add is completely free of chlorine and chloramine.
You might want to consider adding some salt to the tank as well. I've found it can be beneficial in situations like this. Just be sure to follow the proper dosing instructions - a good rule of thumb is to use one heaped tablespoon of rock salt, sea salt, or swimming pool salt per 20 litres of water. If you don't see any improvement after 48 hours, you can safely double that dose.
Just keep in mind that you shouldn't keep the salt level elevated for more than 4 weeks, as this can cause kidney damage in some species, especially those from soft water like your betta and the tetras. However, the salt won't harm the beneficial filter bacteria, plants, shrimp, or snails.
When you do decide to use salt, make sure to add it to a small bucket of tank water first, dissolving it completely before slowly pouring it into the tank near the filter outlet. This will help minimize stress on the fish.
After the treatment, you'll want to gradually dilute the salt out of the tank by doing a series of water changes. Start with 10% changes each day for a week, followed by 20% changes for another week, and then you can gradually increase the change amount.